Dull Axes

"If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success." Ecclesiastes 10:10

Once again, multi-level meaning from our wise teacher, Solomon. This piece of wisdom is a well-spring, brimming with rich opportunities to harvest more truth than can be addressed in one devotional.

Let me bring out for us just a handful of nuggets to consider. If I were to try to summarize the teaching in this passage into five sayings, they would go like this;

1) 'Keep your ax sharpened.' Often we get burned out to one degree or another and must get rekindled or in this case re-sharpened. No sense fighting with a dull ax unnecessarily. When feeling dull, as quickly as possible find your edge and get it honed again.

2) 'Strength cannot fix everything.' The strong may indeed survive, but the quality of that survival is important too. You may be very strong, but if you need medicine or rest or comfort or counsel, strength alone cannot give that to you.

3) 'Balance effectiveness and efficiency.' Being efficient is only a good thing if you are effective. Trying to be effective, while ignoring efficiency, is an impossible thing.

4) 'Never ever stop learning.' We must keep growing in every way we realistically can. No matter how sharp, edgy or strong or skillful, effective or efficient you are, you must remain open to new understanding, and be able to learn new things at every time in life.

5) 'Do not use the word handful in your opening remarks if you really only have four important things to say.' Of course I did not know that I only had four things to say when I said I had a handful initially. But, now I realize that, and it is more effective and efficient, it is both stronger and sharper, and actually I think it is kind of edgy to admit it. Better than to trying to come up with another point when I don't really have one.

I have now skillfully extricated myself from a potentially unnecessary trivial faux pas. Basking only for a moment in that celebration however, I must now, by the grace of God, sign off, hoping that my transparency, honesty and cleverness have inspired you somehow.

More likely, God's Word is more impressive, and that is a good thing.

In His Service,
Pastor Fred

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