Taken from today’s e-devotional from https://www.seniorlivingministries.org/.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. – Matthew 6:33
Years ago in Tennessee, two men were competing in an all-day wood chopping competition. The first man worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The second man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the first man was infuriated to see he had lost the competition even though he had worked so hard.
“I don’t get it,” he said. “Every time I looked at you, you were resting. But you chopped more wood than I did. How did that happen?!”
“One thing you didn’t notice,” the winner said, “is that every time I sat down, I was sharpening my axe.”
Most people today underestimate the power of taking time to sharpen their axe. They want to have good relationships with others and to do something great with their lives. But they forget that those things take a sharpened axe… character produced by taking time to seek God.
Don’t neglect your axe. Spend time daily sharpening yourself in God’s Word. Connect with God regularly through heartfelt prayer. When you take time to sharpen your axe, you’ll be ready to face any challenge life throws your way as you maximize your Kingdom impact!
Prayer Challenge
Pray and ask God to help you commit daily time toward sharpening yourself to be used for the Kingdom and face any challenge that comes your way.
Questions for Thought
Why do you think many people want to succeed in life but neglect taking time to sharpen themselves?
What are some practical ways you can sharpen yourself on a daily basis to help you face life’s challenges?
Maggie Tiggles 
I loved this! And I hope that my axe is sharp enough to face each day’s challenges.
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See! God makes it so simple for us. All we need do is obey. (I think you’ve got a well-sharpened axe, Vickie. 😊)
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What a great post, Kathy. 😀 For me to sharpen my axe would mean spending more time reading my Bible, more thoughtful prayer and lots of time outdoors in amongst God’s Creation. 🙂
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God is good to give us so many ways to worship and learn from Him.
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oh my goodness, I love this story Kathy, thank you so much for sharing.
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I loved it too, Wendi. 💗 God is so good.
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amen……..
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Learning to Be Still and Know that He is God is always a wonderful way to start our day
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Yes, a great way to start the day is always with God. He has so much to give us!
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Amen He does
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YOUR story about the man and his axe has such a profound message for us all. I noticed too…..that he was “resting”. Becoming sharpened by the WORD also requires us to REST in it as well……spend unhurried time. I think too, that we never waste any time when we spent time with GOD……because we are taking the time for things that are eternal! Blessings dear Kathy!
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Your point about rest is well-taken: I think of the passage in Hebrews 4.1-13. Let us not fall into unbelief. Thank you for enhancing and edifying, Maxine! 😊
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