Are You Living Life With a Dull Axe?

by Joel Osteen

There's a story about two lumberjacks. They were out chopping down trees. One said, "I'm going to take a break and go sharpen my axe." The other said, "I don't have time to do that. I've got too much work to do." He kept chopping and chopping. The first man went and sharpened his axe. He came back three hours later and chopped down twice as many trees as the man with the dull axe, and he did it in half the time.

Friend, sometimes you need to take a break and "sharpen your axe," so to speak. In other words, take time to sharpen your skills, increase your ability, and invest in developing your gifts and talents.

If you'll sharpen your skills, you'll get more done in less time. If you'll sharpen your skills, you may not have to work so hard. Whether you're a teacher, a mechanic, a banker or a doctor, don't settle where you are and just coast off of what you've already learned. Stir up what God has placed within you and get better at it.

God is a servant of man

A disciple of Jesus is never a master but a servant.  Jesus loves as a servant: therefore, so should we. 

On 21^st April, 2013, Douglas Anele wrote an article in Vanguard newspaper entitled: “Femi Aribisala and his Errand-Boy God” in response to my earlier article: “The God who Does Not Exist.”  In my article, I detailed many astonishing things the God Douglas says does not exist did for me.  Douglas’ position was that the God who would do all such things would amount to no more than my errand-boy. 

When I read Douglas’ title, I could not resist a smile.  Little did he know how close he came to the kingdom of God with that insult.  The knowledge that God is a servant of men comes from my being a child of God, while Douglas is an atheist.  The God I serve is oh so amazing!  Yes, he is my Lord and my Master; but he is also, most astonishingly, my servant.   He shows his love for me by serving me.  Isaiah says: “You shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘here I am.’” (Isaiah 58:9). Jesus confirms this, saying: “Ask, and it will be given to you.” (Luke 11:9).