Have you ever worked with a dull tool? I have a chainsaw. In fact, I have had many chainsaws in my life. My friend always warned me to be careful to keep the chain away from the dirt because it will grow dull quickly. I have struggled with heeding his warning. The last time I used the saw, it seemed like it took forever to cut through a piece of firewood that normally would have taken me just a quick moment. My lesson learned is that a sharp chainsaw is so wonderful when it does its job effortlessly—but a dull chainsaw is painfully slow and takes forever, never quite getting the job done.
Our study Sunday morning is this imagery. We are studying this summer a series of messages out of Proverbs on how to merge God’s wisdom with the real parts of our lives. In this case, what does God’s wisdom say about how we can help one another become a “sharper tool” in the toolbox? The key lesson is the old and familiar saying: iron sharpens iron.
As you prepare for this coming Sunday morning, I am asking you to do a little reading ahead and contemplating on these places:
With each of these passages (and many more that can be found in the Bible), we find the incredible wisdom of how to sharpen our lives as tools of God. At the end of the service, you will have a guide to help you with some follow-up. Ideally the follow-up will be in conversation with a small group you meet with. You can also do this on your own, OR—better yet—you can do both a group conversation and some time alone! But don’t waste this time to grow up a bit more in your understanding of how God calls us to grow together. God has put some people in your life to help YOU grow stronger. God has also put some people in your life for you to help THEM grow stronger.
See you Sunday morning as we study this important proverb together.
