A while back, I bought some new kitchen knives – the kind of knives you’ve seen advertised on tv late at night. A blade that cuts a rusty soda can in half, then carves a turkey without mutilating it, then slices a loaf of dry, crusty bread without leaving a crumb of evidence. Who needs that kind of knife? But, the young college student/salesman was working out his tuition and sold me even though I currently have knives I don’t use. Even over the phone from hundreds of miles away, salespeople can tell I’m a sales pitch pushover. Since wisdom is gained through experiences, you don’t have to be the sharpest knife in the drawer to learn simple lessons. Now, before you stop reading because you think I’m trying to sell you cutlery, I’ll cut to the chase and tell you what I’m learning.
Dare to Compare ~ I didn’t realize how dull my old knives were until I used the new knife and cut myself. Comparison is unhealthy if your goal is to gain superiority over someone or if you’re jealously trying to keep up with the neighbor who has the latest toys. Yet, comparison is necessary to evaluate the differences or qualities of a product, situation, or even our lives. Comparing our current selves to our past selves is essential when measuring growth. How do you know if your marriage, job skills, mental acuity, or your walk with God needs honing unless you inspect and contrast the state of things as they are to where they have been? Through intentional evaluation, we determine what needs to change so that things don’t stay the same. That’s how we make progress. I like to pray for the Spirit of Truth to guide me into all truth and make the dull areas obvious.
Invite a Friend ~ Because I am shortsighted to my shortcomings, I typically need outside help to recognize when I’ve lost my edge. For instance, I never noticed how blunt my old knives had become. Since I’m a lousy chef, I seldom have friends over for dinner; thus, no one even knew I had knives. Had I invited someone to enjoy a meal in my home, they would have informed me that my blades wouldn’t cut hot butter. Having an outsider’s perspective – someone who has your best interest at heart and will speak into your life when they notice you could use some improvement in a particular area – is imperative to our personal growth. Make sure you have a friend or mentor with whom you will listen, un-offended. Then make the necessary changes.
Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
Sharp Enough ~ One last thing. I hadn’t considered that there were levels of sharpness – not when it comes to kitchen knives. I assumed that knives are knives; sharp enough to do the task is sharp enough. You may have heard the statement, “Good enough for government work.” That phrase originated in the early 1900s and meant that a product met the highest quality standards; workers would settle for nothing less than the very best for the government. It was an optimistic and patriotic comment. But by 1960, patriotism had tanked, and things had taken such a turn that the once-favorable phrase is now considered derogatory; barely good enough, certainly no better.
As Christians, being and doing good doesn’t cut it. In other words, sharp enough isn’t sharp enough. We can never do anything to earn salvation or gain God’s grace, but God has high expectations and desires a deeper relationship with you and me. We only reach that depth by taking time to pray and search the Scriptures. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and full of power. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit, and of both joints and marrow, exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Let me know how you stay sharp. Please email me at tim.parton@3abn.org
