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“If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.” 

—Ecclesiastes 10:10

Most of us, if we were to chop wood, probably wouldn’t use an ax. Maybe a chainsaw and wood splitter, but probably not an ax. 

However, the analogy in Ecclesiastes 10 is not just about an ax, I believe it’s a metaphor about us and us being dull instead of being sharp. It’s about how it takes more effort when we lose our edge. 

Being sharp helps cut through resistance quicker! It also makes us sharper for the daily routines of life.

The word dull simple means, “lacking.” Have you ever felt like that you have lacked wisdom, lacked vision, lacked creativity, lacked imagination, lacked good judgement, lacked confidence, or lacked compassion. Me too. 

The realization alone should demand a change. It should initiate a reset.

Nevertheless, there is another word that stuck out to me in this verse as well. That word is wisdom. Wisdom means: good sense, skill and prudence. 

Prudence means: the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason. 

Another words, wisdom makes me aware that I’m dull. It allows me to realize that I’ve lost my edge. And, it will give me the ability to govern myself in order to do something about it! And ultimately, over time, this will bring with it success.

Here’s the problem with the ax being dull, you don’t know it is dull until you begin to use it. And, you don’t realize that you’ve lost your edge until you begin to engage in something that demands intentional effort. 

Nonetheless, when you do realize it, you need to stop chopping and start sharpening. Step away and refresh, reflect, refocus, reset, and realign.

What happens when you become dull? What happens when you lose your focus? What happens when you lose your edge?

– Work gets harder and tasks take more energy. 

– You don’t have the strength to put forth the effort that is needed.

– Things become a bigger deal and you feel overwhelmed.

– Your mind consistently drifts and you lose focus easily.

– Frustration becomes inevitable because goals appear unattainable.

So, what do you do?

Reflect (think about where you are and what got you to this point) → Realign → Refocus → Readjust

1. Realign – Get back in the right direction.

2. Refocus – Fix your attention on what matters most.

3. Readjust – Make the changes needed to move forward effectively.

* Pause. Realign. Refocus. Readjust.

* Realign your heart. Refocus your mind. Readjust your actions.

* Realign your priorities. Refocus your purpose. Readjust your path.

Sharpening an ax and chopping with an ax requires two different postures:

* You stand to chop, but you sit to sharpen.

* You react while chopping, but you become intentional while sharpening.

* You keep moving when you chop, but you pause when you sharpen.

Chopping gets the work done for today; sharpening prepares you for the work ahead.

The challenge is that most people make time to chop but never take time to sharpen.

You have to step away from the routine of the process in order to sharpen the edge.

When you pause to rest, reflect, learn, and grow, you become more effective in every area of life. 

Sharpening may feel like you’re losing ground, but it’s actually preparing you to move farther, faster, and with greater impact.

Take time for yourself and sharpen your edge. It will make everything easier, and in time you will achieve greater success.

“He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”” Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭39‬

“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭5‬

7 Significant Places Christ
Shed His Precious Blood

“We can plead the Precious Blood over our Past, Present and Future.”

1. THE GARDEN (Sweat Great Drops of Blood)
   Deals with our WILL—Power to do the right thing.
2. THE WHIPPING POST (39 Stripes—39 Root Diseases) Deals with our HEALTH—Manifestation for healing.
3. INTERNAL BLEEDING (Kicked & Bruised)
   Deals with our EMOTIONS—Internal healing.
4. CROWN OF THORNS (Pierced His Brow)
   Deals with our MIND—Peace of Mind. [Also our eyes, ears and mouth].
5. HANDS (Were Pierced–[wrists])
   Deals with our PRESENT—What we touch-What we take back.
6. FEET (Were Pierced-[front leg ankle])
   Deals with our FUTURE—Where we are going. “Everywhere our feet trod.”
7. SIDE (Was Pierced) Deals with our SALVATION & FULLNESS of JOY—Blood and Water for purification. Sack of Water around the Heart for Fullness of Joy.

Alvin Toffler said: “The illiterate of the future will not be those who can’t read or write. The illiterate of the future will be those who can’t learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Unlearning is perhaps the hardest part of this equation.

Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14: “I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal yet. But, I continue trying to reach it, although I know that I still have a long way to go. Nevertheless, there is one thing that I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine. I do this by forgetting those things which are behind me, while reaching for those things which are ahead of me.”

Toffler says that the future belongs to those who can:

• Learn
• Unlearn 
• Relearn

However, he goes on to say that unlearning is the probably the most difficult part of this equation. In other words— understanding how it’s going to work now is not going to be possible until we unlearn or “forget” how it has worked in the past. In order to have a conversation of a different future, we must learn, unlearn and relearn. However, we can’t truly relearn, until we first unlearn what doesn’t any longer exist or work.

In life *(emotionally, physically and spiritually) and in business we must develop what I call a forgetful reach. In other words, we must reach forward while forgetting those things that are holding you back, or that are hindering you.

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A Forgetful Reach…

1. Reaches for what matters and forgets about what doesn’t matter.

2. Remembers what needs to be remembered and forgets what needs to be forgotten.

3. Let’s go of what’s behind and reaches for what’s ahead.

4. Focuses on things that will lift you up, not on things that will drag you down.

5. Doesn’t rehearse; what it’s trying to forget.

6. Releases what needs released, so it can receive what needs to be received.

7. Doesn’t just see things the way they are; it sees things they way they can be—different!

Toffler says that the future will belong to those who can learn, unlearn, and relearn. And Paul says that the future is better navigated and experienced when we forget the things of the past that are negative and that hinder us from a brighter future.

Therefore, in order to grow we must—forget the past and those things that no longer work— we must Learn, unlearn and relearn.

The Why , The What and the How

The “why” is always more important than the “what” or the “how.” However, most of the time we tend to focus on the “what”, more than we do the “why” or the “how.”

As leaders we usually lead with the “what.” We always say this is what we are going to do. This is “how” we are going to do “what” we are going to do and this is what’s going to happen if we don’t do it a certain way or time frame. Nothing wrong with that, but if we’re not careful we can lose sight of the “why.”

We also talk about “how” we’re going to accomplish the “what”, but again, we spend very little time talking about the “why.” Even as people we talk about, “what” I’m going to do. And this is “how” I’m going to do “what” I’m going to do. 

But, we forget the “why.” However, I think if we would lead with and focus on the “why” then the “what” would be accomplished with great pride and purpose. It would be a byproduct of the “how”’and the “why.”

I also believe that if we spent more time focusing on the “why” we would have more peace, value and self-worth. The blessing would be a blessing and not a burden. 

The “why” has formed, founded and driven by guiding principles in the word: do everything as unto to the Lord, and do unto others as you have them do unto you,  and lastly, our guiding principle: let everything that you do, be down in love. In other words, it’s not just about me, it’s about “calling” and “purpose.” It’s about doing things like I would want them to be done if I were personally involved in the equation. And lastly, because I love what I do and I love those that I serve, it will reflect in how I do things. When this happens the “how” and the “what” become a byproduct of the “why.”

The “why” is the most important part of the equation. Don’t allow the “why” to get lost in the “how” and in the “what.” The “why” is what should drive everything that we do and everything that we do should be done in love. Do what you love and love what you do! Why is the why so important? Because the “why” is what will keep you going when you feel like quitting.

excerpts from Rick Warren Daily Hope

We can’t be so now focused that we aren’t prepared for the future, but we also can’t be so future focused that we miss the moment and opportunities of today. 

Investment is giving into something now for a return later. Nevertheless, you must invest as much into an existing today as you do into an unknown tomorrow.

Don’t miss today.

Don’t fret over tomorrow.

And, don’t regret over the past. 

Instead… 

LEARN FROM THE PAST.

LIVE IN THE PRESENT.

LAY OUT A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.

The good thing about the future is that it doesn’t hit us all at once. If you could see every event in your entire life (good and bad) laid out ahead of you, it would no doubt be overwhelming. So maybe that’s why God gives it to us in bite-size, 24-hour segments.

Since God gives you only one day at a time, that’s how he expects you to approach your life. Live it one day at a time, and make it count.

Jesus taught: “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:34 NLT)

Is Jesus actually saying, to stop borrowing trouble. If there’s something happening next week, don’t mess up today by worrying about it?

Worry can’t change the past. It can’t control the future. Worry only makes you miserable today.

God gives you all the grace you need—but just enough for today, every day. He doesn’t stockpile all that power in your life and give it to you for the next week or month. As a matter of fact, He says to pray like this, “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11 ESV) 

He wants you to take life one day at a time.

When you don’t know what the future holds, you can still take life one day at a time. That’s all you are meant to do!

When everything is uncertain and you don’t know how to make wise decisions for the future, then just take care of today. It’s important to plan, pray, and trust God for the future, but he also expects you to put your energy into making today count too.

A great way to do this is to focus instead on the things that truly matter and the things that God loves and cares about. That’s how you make today count.

God doesn’t want you to worry about tomorrow, but he doesn’t want you to consider it a guarantee either. 

Here’s what Proverbs 27:1 in the MSG says, “Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow, or what it may hold.” 

When everything else in life seems unclear, this verse is about as clear as you can get.

Plan for tomorrow, but live for today. God will give you everything that you need to be obedient in both.

3 THINGS TO LIVE BY:

1. LIVE IN THE PRESENT AND MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT.
2. DON’T TAKE LIFE OR YOURSELF TOO SERIOUS.
3. ALWAYS BE A WORK IN PROGRESS THAT IS ALWAYS GROWING AND EVER LEARNING.

Two of the foundations of the Christian faith are: Number one, Christ rose from the dead and number two, Christ died for us.  Christ dying for us points to Gods love. The Bible says that, “God is love.” And love best demonstrated is an action of giving. For God so loved that He gave. We are no more like God, than when we love, care and give. 

Love is seen and demonstrated in so many ways on so many occasions. Valentine’s Day, or as my friend calls it, “Singleness Awareness Day”, is one of them. It symbolizes love and romance, but love is not only an emotion or a feeling, it is also an action and a choice. 

Jesus demonstrated love and revealed God to us. But in John’s gospel chapter 13:34 He says to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.” What’s interesting about this passage is He hasn’t yet demonstrated the ultimate sacrifice of love by dying—He had only demonstrated love by how He lived.

He said that, “I am to love as He loved.” What was He talking about?” He was talking about His deeds, words, attitudes, and actions. He was talking about how He listened, how He lived, how He gave, how He helped, and How He encouraged others. He was talking about how He loved unconditionally and treated people with dignity. We are to love one another as He loved.

• He blessed and served the poor and sick.

• He had compassion on the outcasts of society and those in need.

• He shared his time with people, teaching them, helping them, praying for them, and encouraging them on how they could live.

• He helped those in need and never let an interruption inconvenience Him.

• He treated everyone the same and without partiality.

Valentine’s Day is a day where we celebrate love and romance, but at the foundation of our Christian faith is love. We love Him because He first loved us. The Bible declares that we will be known by our love. And Paul said in Corinthians: “Let all that you do be done in love.” Therefore, Love is the foundation of our faith, but it also an action and it is also a choice.

Let’s break this verse down:

Let—to cause, to make happen, to give opportunity to, to allow it to be so.

All—any and every manner, all things and in every manner.

That—the person, thing, or idea that has been indicated or mentioned.

You—second person singular, and individual matter.

Do—to bring to pass or carry out another’s wishes.

Be Done—to become, or to come into existence. To begin to be, or to come to pass and to make happen.

In(with) Love—brotherly love, affection, compassion, good will, kindness, consideration, love, and benevolence.

The New Command that Jesus introduced in this passage in John was, “Love God with all of your heart, strength, soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself.” 

I believe that we will never truly love others until we love ourselves, and we will never truly love ourselves until we know and understand the love of God. That is: the love that He has for us. 

We show love to others by demonstrating respect, showing kindness, having compassion, being understanding, and manifesting goodwill.

“Let all that you do be done in love.” 

Maybe the saying is true: People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Therefore, let’s give love a chance to work in our lives. Remember, we are no more like God than when we love, give and serve. Let’s demonstrate love and allow everything that we do, to be done in love!