Jump Start # 1244

Ecclesiastes 10:10 “If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen it’s edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.”

  I’ve been teaching the book of Ecclesiastes on Sundays. Our verse today comes from a section that describes the destructive nature of foolishness. Foolishness stinks up one’s character, like dead flies do to perfume. Foolishness makes a terrible guide. The fool always choose the wrong direction. Foolishness causes injury. And in our verse, the foolish one must work harder because he doesn’t take the time to do things better.

The illustration is of woodsmen. Today, we’d call them lumberjacks. They cut trees. Here are two woodsmen. They start the day off cutting and cutting. After a while, their axes lose it’s edge. They become dull and the woodsmen must chop harder and harder. The more the axe becomes dull, the more and the harder they must chop. This wears the woodsman out.

One of the woodsman stops chopping. He leaves and goes to sharpen his axe. The other man continues to chop away. In a sense, the first woodsman is not being productive. He loses time by stopping and sharpening the axe. The second woodsman stays the course, chopping and chopping. Soon, the first man returns. His axe is sharp and crisp. It doesn’t take long before he has passed the second woodsman who is chopping frantically with a dull axe. The axe and his arms both are giving out. The first man not only has a sharper axe, his arms were able to rest while he sharpened the axe. He is able to cut more and cut longer than the man who stayed with it. Wisdom prevails. Wisdom tells the first man that it is not a waste of time to go and sharpen the axe.

There is a great application here to those who shepherd, teach and preach God’s word. So often our lives are busy helping others. We pour hours into teaching, guiding and shaping. The work is good. In time, we become weary. The strain and the stress can be great. Unless we refill our buckets, we become empty. Our axe becomes dull. Few things are worse than a dull teacher or preacher. Remember some of those college classes that you were required to take? You may have had a very dull topic taught by a very dull teacher. Hard to stay awake. Hard to learn anything. Dull church services drain the energy out of a congregation.

What’s the answer? Take some time now and then and sharpen the axe. Everyone needs a break. Do something for yourself. Get away from the situation, catch your breath and then jump back in. The woodsman who keeps chopping and chopping with that dull axe doesn’t understand this. He looks down upon the woodsman who walks away from the work to sharpen the axe. There area more trees to be cut. The work isn’t done. He feels neglected. In some ways, he feels better than the other guy. Don’t have to sharpen my axe, he thinks. He should, but he won’t. It takes him more and more energy to do what he once did so easily. His effort is tired. He is tired. But he won’t take a break. He’s a machine. He goes and goes until finally one day he gives out. He hasn’t listened to wisdom. He should have stopped and sharpened his axe now and then. It’s ok for the preacher to have a day off. It’s ok for the elders to take a vacation. They don’t have to be at the same place every single Sunday of the year. Let them go. Let them unwind, recharge and sharpen the axe. They’ll come back stronger, better and more effective.

Now, I must say something about preachers. No one says this so I will. Most that I know, work and work like a machine, rarely slowing down. Most folks in congregations, including the leadership do not understand the situation. I write this not to complain, especially not about my situation. I’m treated too well. But I know what it’s like and I have been there. Many, many preachers are given 2 or 3 weeks vacation a year. Many of these preachers live away from family. Their vacations must be used to get back home to see parents and family members. When the holidays roll in, so many get days off from school, work. These holidays are not vacation, it’s time off with pay. The preacher doesn’t get holiday time off. If he wants to be around family, he must use his vacation time. So for the young guy who is out there away from family, his vacations are spent going to visit family. It’s the only way he can do that. If he takes his family on a real vacation, like to Disney, then he doesn’t have time at the holidays. While everyone else is around extended family at the holidays, his is not. So what are you suggesting? More vacation time? No. Just be considerate of the young preacher who lives away from the rest of his family. Allow him to be with family at the holiday time. Have you considered how many holidays you have off in a year, plus how much vacation time you have? Stack that up with the young preacher who has two weeks and that’s all. Allow him to take a break, sharpen the axe and come back strong.

All of us need to consider this. Dads need to give moms a break. He needs to take a Saturday and stay home with the kids, clean house and allow mom to go out and recharge her battery. Young parents need to find a baby sitter and have a date night now and then. Teachers, preachers and elders need to be reading things that are challenging, encouraging and helpful in their work. Keep sharp.

The “axe sharpening” doesn’t have to be anything big nor expensive. It’s not a trip to Disney. It could be just staying home and relaxing. It could be just watching some movies. I recorded a ton of movies recently. Old stuff. Fun stuff. I may die before I watch all of these, but I’m thinking about having a day in future where I’ll just sit and watch a bunch of these in a row. Golfing does this for me as well. To golf decent, you must think, concentrate and work at it. When a person is doing that, they are not thinking about other things. It’s allowing the mind to take a break from the constant stretching, working in the most important areas.

So don’t frown when the preacher says he’s taking a day off. Encourage him. You want that. It makes a better preacher. Don’t make him feel guilty or that he must beg to have a few days to go do something fun. Now, if he does this all the time, there is a problem. The woodsman belongs in the forest chopping. If he spends all this time sharpening the axe and he never cuts any trees, he’s wasted time. Those that are serious about their work for the Lord will do well with this. Those who are not, need to do something else.

Keep the axe sharp and keep swinging away…

Roger