Wow! What you are seeing is a cloud, a shower, a “big ole pile” of wood shavings coming from this chainsaw.  That is a sign that this guy is using a sharp saw.  I asked him how he can cut so much wood so fast.  His reply……. ” I use a sharp saw”.

Reminds me of a couple of stories I heard a long time ago.   A  strong, muscular, ripped  young guy challenged this old dried up man to a wood cutting contest.  He bet he could cut more wood in 3 hours than the old timer.  They both started cutting.  (They were both  using an axe, this was back in the day.)  The young fellow notice the old guy stopping and resting several times.  Laughing to himself, the young guy using his strong muscles knew this bet was going to be a piece of cake.  When the time was up, all the wood was stacked and to the young guys amazement, the old man had cut more wood.  “How can this be?” he yelled.  I saw you stop and rest many times while I continued to cut away.  The old man’s reply?  “I wasn’t resting, I was sharpening my axe”.

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

The other story is about someone who was cutting wood with his chainsaw. A friend saw that there wasn’t a cloud of shavings coming out of saw as he cut.  He was cutting, but only dust was appearing as he “worked his tail off”.  The friend suggested to him that he needed to sharpen his saw.  The reply?   ……….. “I don’t have time to stop and sharpen the saw, I’ve got too much work to do to stop and take time for that”.

So, you want an immediate return on your investment?  Then sharpen your saw.  We all face “dull saw moments”.   I know I should stretch before I work out, but I’ve only got time for workout.  I know I should eat better, but I don’t have time except for fast food.  I know I should have quiet time, read the Bible, pray, but…… there are only so many hours in a day.

I KNOW I SHOULD  ….. fill in the blank here, BUT I   …..fill in the blank here. 

Most of the TIME, the reason we can’t find the TIME to “sharpen our saw” is because we feel we are wasting our TIME.  My TIME is important to me!!  I’ve only got a certain amount of TIME!!!

We laugh when we see a guy whittlin’ away with a dull knife.  Sure, he’s busy and working hard, but he’s using his time to kill himself by working so hard.

What’s not so funny is when you realize that You are the guy with the dull blade.  You value your time so much that you won’t take the time to sharpen your axe, your knife, your saw,………… your life.  Not laughing about that now are ya?

That immediate return on your investment??????  Well here it is.  “Sharpen your saw”.  In the business and job world take the time to organize, delegate, plan and pursue.  By taking time out of your busy schedule to create a better use of this time (sharpening) you will increase your returns.  (Makes sense now that the old man was stopping a lot while cutting with his axe, doesn’t it)

So, how does one “sharpen his saw” spiritually?  You mean you don’t know?  (You must be living using a dull blade, which in turn means you are killing yourself by working so hard.  Trying to do it alone aren’t you.  Let me suggest this.

Here is how to “sharpen your saw” spiritually.  1) By taking time.  Yep, friend here is where the investment pays off.  Take the time to be with God.  This Christian walk is not meant to be walked alone, but with Him.  But we feel that time is wasted by trying to “sharpen our spiritual saw”.  Our time is valuable.  So valuable that we need to focus on God.  Focus on praying, reading His word, timeout for quiet time with Him.

  Jesus is the ultimate “saw sharpener”.  His ways will focus us to make better use of our time.  This will produce immediate returns on the investment you have made with Him.   Allowing a spiritual “saw sharpening” will produce a “big ole pile” of shavings as you cut through this life.  In other words, blessings and joy will flow as you go through this life.  Even when cutting through the “hard” times.  That investment (Your Life), will be in good hands following Him.  I’m all in.  What about you?

“Sharpen your saw” spiritually.  It will achieve a better return on your investment, (your life).  You want to make a bet on it?

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, part time “saw sharpener”