Preparation Precedes Performance – Sharpen Your Ax

Ecclesiastes 10:10 “If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength, But wisdom brings success.”

In the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey lists Habit #7 as Sharpen the Ax. The analogy may not be familiar today but for centuries people cut wood with an ax for building buildings and/or to cook and/or for woodstoves and fireplaces for keep things warm, etc.  Cutting wood with an ax was a daily activity. To be more productive a sharp ax worked better than a dull ax.   

As valuable as the ax was to the user so too was a whetstone. A whetstone was used to sharpen the ax!

While the user of an ax understood how much more valuable a sharp ax was one would be tempted to forgo sharpening the ax as it took time away from cutting. 

Yes, sharpening an ax takes time!  For the ax to be sharpened meant the ax was not in use and could easily appear as a waste of time.  Starting to cut without sharpening was a real temptation.  As well one would be tempted to continue cutting as the ax become dull.  However, using a dull ax would take more time and it takes more effort.  In the long run, one will find that there was less production.  Thus, it would be incredibly wise for one to take the time to sharpen their ax. 

Sharpening the ax speaks for us today of preparation! It is what is done before we do what needs to be done.  For a vocation, it is getting a high school degree.  It is getting the training, whether as an apprentice or a trade school, or a community school. or a university in order to perform the desired job.  Some preparation takes longer as skills must be mastered.  

A great picture of preparation is seen in Esther where Esther purposefully prepares herself for her meeting with the King.  It took time to get ready but her preparation paid off.  See Esther 5:1-3.

What is your ax today?  It could be your education.  It could be with your vocation.   It could be your next vacation.  It could be related to a team event.  It could be cutting some firewood.  What is your ax that needs sharpening before use? What is that thing that is saying you must pay the upfront cost?  What is saying you need to spend time (and money) to be prepared? 

Whatever those answers are wisdom is saying success follows sharpening.  

The successful will tell you they value the preparation as much as the performance!  Do you value preparation?  Do you value sharpening the Ax?

I still recommend Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey as a must-read.

October 10 (10/10) has another great verse to DATE as John 10:10 says. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Prior prayerful purposeful positive preparation precedes powerful productive performance.

Continue Strong with PREPARATION.  
And remember to DATE THE WORD