Stay SHARP!

“…By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive; For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see wit their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” Matthew 13:14-17

Our weekly Christian devotional

When I was about thirteen, my mother gave me the simple task of trimming my younger sister, Emily’s hair. It sounded easy. I had seen the woman at the local discount clips do the job in less than eight minutes.

“How hard could it be?” I thought to myself.

Grabbing my grandmother’s trimming sheers with more confidence than necessary, I began.

As the rusty scissors crunched down on Emily’s silky locks, the dull blades popped up against the force of my hands. My stomach knotted, a sure sign that maybe cutting hair was a bit harder than it looked.

Stepping back to inspect the cut, I forced a grin. The trim was very uneven.

“There’s no need to panic. All I need to do is trim a bit more to even it out.”

Unfortunately, because the nature of the scissor’s dull blades hadn’t changed, my efforts only made the opposite side of her head lopsided!

Sucking in my breath in effort to mask the panic, I scissored back and forth between both sides of her head, desperately attempting to even things up. Little Emily squirmed in her seat watching tufts of hair float onto the kitchen tiles, begging to see if she had any hair left.

The next morning, moans of despair erupted from my little sister’s room before we all left for school. After much drama, she eventually climbed into the back of our station wagon. Her teary eyes peeked through two holes punched in a brown paper bag. Emily’s beautiful long hair was now fashioned into a sensible (but even, thanks to our mom) bob.

Needless to say, that was the last time I’ve ever been trusted to wield a pair of sheers. Looking back, it’s plain to see that if I simply addressed the issue of the dull blades and just taken a moment to sharpen them, I could have saved the both of us time, trouble and humiliation.

Have you ever noticed how so many Christians seem more defeated than those who don’t have the power of God living inside of them? Why is that?

I believe it’s because many of us aren’t keeping our spiritual senses sharp. To walk in victory, it’s crucial to take time with God, so that we’re able to recognize His voice and follow His lead. Believers can do this by reading His word and seeking God during prayer. This really isn’t a crazy concept. Perhaps, deep down we feel this is almost too simple. For some reason, our human nature compels us into complicating things…

Connecting with God will equip you with experience and knowledge in Him and how He works. It can prevent you from falling into deceptions and distractions of the enemy and will also help keep your focus off yourself; enabling you to really lean on The Almighty’s infinite abundance of wisdom.

Despite the usual (and weak) excuse of not having enough time, taking time with God is actually the greatest investment you can make. Even if depending on God doesn’t instantly make your life perfect, it can definitely help steer you from unnecessary troubles, heartaches and possible humiliations.

I think that’s something we’re all looking for.

“Dear Heavenly Father,

How many times have I blazed ahead with my plans without checking if they were in your will?

How many times have I asked for your blessing without seeking to know if I was on the right path?

How many years, opportunities and blessings have I wasted just because I didn’t stop and seek your wisdom?

Lord, please forgive my foolishness. My vanity. My pride. Give me a heart that automatically seeks you first before I seek any venture or opportunity. This will ensure that my heart is in the position to worship you and not my own desires. It will also bless me with the wisdom that only you can give.

I need you, Lord. I have gone too long in my life thinking I could do just fine without your help.

In Jesus’ name, thank you for giving me a new chance at a fresh beginning. Your mercy humbles me and makes me want to love and serve you more. Amen.”