Have You Been Sharpening Your Axe?

The story has been told and retold of a very strong woodcutter who asked for a job from a timber merchant. He got the job and the pay was really good. Even the work  conditions were great. For those reasons, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His new boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he would work.

The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees. “Congratulations,” the boss said. “Keep up the good work!” Very motivated by the boss words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he could only bring 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he could only bring 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees. He got very distressed. “I must be losing my strength”, the woodcutter thought.

He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I have had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy cutting the trees" 

Give it some thought and you would realize that sometimes, we are just like that zealous woodcutter We get so busy with the daily grind that we don’t take time to sharpen the 'axe' - the very tools responsible for our productivity in the first place. 

In today’s world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever, yet, less happy that ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay “sharp”? There’s nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But we should not get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like our personal life, taking time to get close to the Creator, giving more time for our family, taking time to read etc. We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don’t take the time to sharpen the “axe”, over time, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.

A final word: 

Via Julettemillien.com

How long do you spend “sharpening your axe”? The axe represents your tools, skills, mindsets, knowledge, talents and gifts. The sharpening process is how you prepare for and improve your craft and indeed, your life.

Cover image via claimthevictory.org