Being in a new house, has several disadvantages. Nothing is where you expect it to be. I struggle to find a matching pair of socks or a new razor blade. Yesterday, I picked up a razor to shave and scratched my face badly. Old razor blades tend to do that. As I began to daub with tissue at the various nicks and scratches, I realized that many people are trying to go through life with a blade dulled by the pressures and activities of everyday life. Then when a hurricane hits, and they continue trying to use the same old worn out tools they had been using, they are cut, scratched, and bruised beyond usefulness in God’s Work.
God wants us to sharpen our lives so that we might become more and more useful in His work. While Scripture certainly teaches that “iron sharpens iron”; I believe we can be sharpened in less painful ways. It seems to me that God wants us to respond willingly to His teaching, but He will allow some iron into our lives if we refuse to respond to His direction.
Many disagree about what happened at Pentecost, but one thing everyone agrees on: After Pentecost weak, illiterate, and fearfully timid men and women developed a sharpness which allowed them to cut through the dross of their existence and bring hope and help to the entire world. They burned with a sense of purpose, unlike contemporary church members who often seem to substitute noisy activity for spiritual power.
Should we really want to sharpen our lives, I think we need to accept the promise of the power Christ promised for those who allow the Holy Spirit to manifest Himself through their lives. In other words, quit using those dull blades.
"As the pastor of Bay Springs Baptist Church, I thank you for dropping by our online home, hoping you will drop by in person on Sunday morning!"