Pentecostal Church of God, Itarsi
Message by Rev. Dr. Matthew K. Thomas
TEXT
But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed." So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw it in there; and he made the iron float.
(2Ki 6:5-6)
MAINTAINING OUR EDGE
Three men were hired by a man to cut the trees of his forest. Two of them worked very hard without taking any break. One, however, took a break every two hours. In the evening, the two came and complained that the other was breaking in a lot for rest, while they had worked hard and cut 17 trees. The owner asked the other man, who replied that he had taken those breaks to actually sharpen his axe and that he had cut 29 trees.
Do we take time to sharpen our axes, the power given to us by God?
Why People Lose Their Edge
1. Because they listen to people. If you spend much time with negative, critical, complaining people, you can lose your edge.
Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." The Bible tells us that he who walks with the wise will be wise.
Do not allow ungodly people into your inner circle, or else they'll blunt and corrode your edge.
2. Because they let circumstances dominate their life.
When we start looking at the adverse circumstances instead of moving on in faith, they corrupt our perspective, thought-life, and become heavy on the soul. "Oh, I don't have this" or "I don't have that" or "If only I had what he had" and so on are thoughts hinging on circumstantial living.
3. Wickedness destroys the edge
In modern times, Television and Internet have assumed great power to destroy the efficacy and sharpness of spiritual people. It gives them easy access to wickedness and destroys their testimony and spiritual experience.
4. Because they never guard the heart
Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our heart above all things.
5. Because of carelessness
We need to be watchful.
It's important to set safeguards. I remember Billy Graham's three points of watchfulness (in his interview on the Larry King Show):
a. He never would counsel a woman alone in his office
b. He never would go in a car alone with a woman
c. He never would go to beach without his wife
Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look with lust on a woman.
....
We need to sharpen our edge. We need to spend time with the Lord, with the saints, in prayer, in worship, in study. We need to keep off from things and activities that can blunt our edge. Let's pray for a fresh touch of God, for strength, for His fresh anointing each day.
