Losing Your Edge
If so, then maybe you have lost your edge.
In 1 Kings 6 the University of The Prophets are experiencing incredible success and growth. This growth causes them to to recognize the need for a bigger facility to house more trainees. As they are building one of the students is cutting down a tree when the unthinkable happens. The axe head flies off and lands in the middle of the Jordan river.
He lost his edge.
To make matters worse the axe was borrowed! You see, there was no Home Depot to run down too and pick up another one. Iron was a very expensive metal in those days. This man would have to become the slave of one he borrowed it from if he could not recover it. In a panic he runs and tells their University President, Elisha.
How do we lose our edge?
1. We lose our edge when we are focused on completing a task.
This young man was so focused on his task to cut the wood, he lost focus in other areas. His heart may have been in the right place but his desire to finish his task caused him to overlook the care of the tool. I have seen many people fail personally while they make great progress professionally. Marriages can crumble while careers flourish because we get tunnel vision.
Axe heads don’t just fly off. Signs the axe head is loosening will always precede its loss. Each of us must be aware of the warning signs that we too are losing our edge. The signs will show in our marriages, relationships, careers, educational pursuits and our ministries. The problem is like this student we too ignore the signs that things aren’t as tight as they need to be. Then without further warning we lose something of extreme value.
3. We lose our edge when we don’t take ownership.
The axe head was borrowed but the young man didn’t consider that until he had lost it. An owner treats his tools with care. Why? Because he paid a price for them, it cost him something. We must take ownership of our families, marriages, ministries and salvation. It must cost us something otherwise we become careless with what someone else has paid the price for.
If you have gotten careless or ignored the signs that your are losing your edge, it is time to tighten it up or find it, if you lost it. It might seem an impossible task to reclaim the edge but all things are possible.
Next week . . . How to get your edge back or listen to the message on now on the CWC Podcast on iTunes, Passion.