Have you ever been involved in a project and the longer you work on it the harder it becomes? The story is told of two woodcutters who held a competition to see who could cut the most wood in a day. The next morning they started their contest with zeal. After one hour, one of the woodcutters stopped chopping while his opponent maintained a steady pace.

About fifteen minutes later the one who had stopped, started chopping again. This pattern continued throughout the day. Every hour, the same woodcutter would stop chopping for about fifteen minutes while the other woodcutter kept a strong pace. When the competition ended, the woodcutter who maintained a strong pace without stopping was confident that he had won.

The woodcutter who had stopped every hour for fifteen minutes actually cut down more trees. The man who lost the contest queried, “How could this be? You stopped every hour, but I worked continuously?” The winner replied, “While you were still chopping down trees, I took time to sharpen my axe.” Are you so busy cutting down trees that you don’t take the time to sharpen your axe? This principle is revealed in the Old Testament,

If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. (Ecclesiastes 10:10)

Many people are consumed by their busy schedules and are not taking the time to learn, think, and reflect. Learning does not end once you complete formal education. What’s involved with sharpening the axe? Many people think that involves taking a break. That’s not sharpening the axe – that’s simply putting down the axe. When you pick it up the blade is still dull.

Sharpening the axe is an activity. What are some ways that you can sharpen your axe? Here are of few examples,

Take care of yourself ensuring that you have adequate sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet.
Read quality books of substance – there’s a reason why they’re called classics.
Get out of your comfort zone with new challenges.
Travel to a new locale, Augustine taught us, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
Attend conferences and workshops that will help you grow personally and professionally.
Find a mentor who can tell you not what you want to hear, but what need to hear.

Taking the time to sharpen your axe is important but if you’re so focused on your work that you have no time for study or reflection, you’re not becoming sharper. William Hudson instructs us, “You cannot fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren.” Taking the time to improve your personal and professional capacity is not selfish, but it enables you to work smarter and not simply harder. Remember, it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark and I’m sure he had a sharp axe.

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

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