“If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength,
but wisdom helps one to succeed.”
– Ecclesiastes 10:10

If you’re trying to cut something, you’ve got two options. You can keep your blade sharp so you cut with greater safety and ease. Or you can just keep going at it as your blade dulls, working harder and harder with less and less effect. Which should you choose? Hopefully, it’s obvious… stop regularly to sharpen your blade!

However, this little nugget isn’t about cutting things. It isn’t about axes and saws. It’s about how you live your life. What?!? Yes!!! It’s about how you do everything in your life – family, work, school, finances, community, etc. You can either keep sharpening your blade and navigate the challenges of everyday life with increasing ease. Or you can keep hacking away foolishly with outcomes that tend to get worse and worse. Which should you choose? Hopefully, it’s obvious…. Stop regularly to sharpen your blade!

How? By gaining WISDOM. Biblical wisdom is what sharpens the mind, soul, and pattern of life for greater success in God’s world. How do you gain wisdom? It begins by regularly reading from God’s Word. However, that’s just the first stop. You’ve also got to regularly think about what you read and how it relates to your own life. You’ve got to filter your experiences through God’s Word. How could you have handled that better and in a more Christ-like way? What should you do differently? What did you learn?

You need to regularly reflect on how what you’re doing compares with to God’s teaching. Think about how you can improve or take a different approach based on God’s Word. What would Jesus actually do? Then do that. Thoughts alone don’t make you wise – lived out obedience to God makes you wise! You’ve got to learn from mistakes and learn from successes. You’ve got to learn from those who are a bit further down the road of life and maturity than yourself. You’ve got to stay open to learning and change all the days of your life, letting God guide and correct your course. Don’t just keep hacking away in the same old way as your blade gets duller and duller. Regularly think about how to better #FollowJesus

“Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.”
– Psalm 33:20-21

Peace in the Lord is found when our souls can truly wait for Him. Not presume on Him. Not demand from Him. Wait on Him, trusting in Who He is. Trusting that He is merciful, gracious, patient, loving, faithful, just, and righteous. Knowing that He is our help and protector. In His perfect timing. In His perfect way. In His perfect will.

Waiting like this is very difficult for most of us. We aren’t a people who enjoy waiting. We have overnight delivery and microwave ovens so we don’t have to wait. Most of us are terrible at waiting. Fretting. Worrying. Agitating. We want to make things happen and we know that God can make anything happen. However, in Christ, we must discipline our hearts, minds, and souls to trust that God is perfect in His knowledge, wisdom, goodness, and will. He knows how and when to make things happen for our ultimate good.

So, how are you at waiting for the Lord to move? Are you able to still your soul, devoting seasons of waiting to reading Scripture, praying, and praising God? Or do you fret? Worry? Pester? Do you try to “help” God? The Bible gives us many examples of people who waited for the Lord – for years, decades, or even centuries. People like Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Paul, and the nation of Israel itself. For those who waited for Him, God repeatedly showed Himself to be trustworthy. Those who struggled to wait often suffered unfortunate consequences of their impatience. So, whatever’s going on in your life, work on your waiting! Sometimes to #FollowJesus requires faithful waiting.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Can you confidently say this about yourself? As Paul neared the end of his life, this was his self-assessment. As a young man, he’d been a terrible enemy of Christ and His church. However, after he met Jesus, Paul had “fought the good fight” ever since. He devoted his life to serving and glorifying Jesus. To making disciples of Jesus. To planting churches for Jesus. He’d held tightly to his faith despite abuse, persecution, and multiple years spent in jail.

Have you fought the good fight? Your ministry is probably meant to look very different from Paul’s. Nonetheless, you’re definitely called to serve and glorify Jesus, making disciples. Day in and day out. Year after year. In good times and in bad times. Have you invested your time, energy, and resources to that service? To helping others know Jesus and obey Him? If not, it isn’t too late! Jesus always meets us where we are and happily guides us into deeper faith and obedience. If you aren’t currently fighting the good fight for Jesus, get started today!

Have you kept the faith, even in the face of opposition? You probably won’t endure what Paul did, but you’ll definitely face pressure to keep quiet about Jesus or to compromise His commands to make others happy. Don’t do it! Don’t trade the eternal glory of the faith for temporary peace and quiet in your life. If you already have, it isn’t too late to ask Christ’s forgiveness and move forward in true faith. If you aren’t currently keeping the faith, start today!

God will abundantly bless, honor, and reward everyone who reaches the end of their life and can say what Paul said. The good news of the gospel is that regardless of your past or present, you can commit right now to live like this going forward. Fight the good fight. Run the race Jesus has prepared for you. Keep the faith. #FollowJesus

“For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet—
I can count all my bones—
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
– Psalm 22:16-18

At the cross, soldiers gambled for His clothes.
At the cross, leaders watched His suffering in triumph.
At the cross, mockers mocked and scoffers scoffed.
At the cross, sin was paid for with innocent blood.
At the cross, justice was done once for all time.
At the cross, grace was set free.
At the cross, Jesus endured God’s righteous anger so you’ll never have to.
Remember your Savior on the cross today and #FollowJesus, even to the cross!

“Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.”
– Psalm 27:12

Today of all days, we remember that what David prayed wouldn’t happen to him is exactly what happened to the Son of David. The Messiah, the Christ, the eternal King of Israel, Jesus, ate a final meal with His disciples. He sat down to that meal knowing that one of them would soon betray Him to His death. Jesus entered that meal knowing that shortly afterward, His adversaries would take Him. That they would line up so many false witnesses against Him that they couldn’t get even get the lies sorted out. Jesus knew this night would end in violence followed by condemnation, torture, and excruciating death the next day.

John’s gospel reminds us that Jesus knew what lay before Him, and yet, He loved His followers to the end. To a false trial. To a cross. To a tomb. To glory in Heaven forever. Jesus spent that night in friendship, love, teaching, and prayer precisely so He could accomplish our salvation and begin God’s work to restore all of creation.

It is a marvelous thing to contemplate! A beautiful thing. A sobering thing. A terrible thing. A powerful thing. Take time to think about Jesus. Your Lord. Your Savior. Your God come in the flesh. Waiting for what lay before Him. For your sake and for the glory of His Father in Heaven. Rejoice! Weep! Pray! #FollowJesus