Sharpen Your Axe
“The most important part of Christmas is the first six letters.”
This quote was on the bottom of a devotional page a friend gave me in college and I think of it every year.
C H R I S T
The most important part of Christmas is Christ. That is what came to mind when reading Tod Bolsinger’s discussion of being tempered. He wrote, “Worship, not work; honoring and dedicating myself to God and not leading – even in God’s name – is the first priority of every week.”[i] The tempered leader first and foremost prioritizes worship. The resilient leader prioritizes rest. The enduring leader knows how to pause.
“And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done.” (Gen. 2:2, ESV)
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God… For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Ex. 20:8-12, ESV)
Rest. That is the key. Bolsinger started his book with a quote from a senior pastor, “The question I find myself asking is not ‘Can I learn the skills I need to lead change?’ but rather ‘Can I survive it?’”[ii] The answer to being able to survive ministry or any leadership position lies in rest. We have been in a season of stress and have been stretched to our limits. We are coming out of the Covid pandemic, but the effects will be felt for a long time to come. According to a Barna study from November 2021, 38% of pastors considered quitting full-time ministry.[iii] Pastors are weary and in need of rest. Bolsinger writes, “I learned from blacksmiths that if we want a tool to become tempered there is a process of stress and rest, of heating the steel and letting it cool, of using the tool and releasing the stress that needs to become the regular rhythm of the tool.”[iv]
Some sermon illustrations just stay with you. I remember this one from decades ago. Pastor John gave the analogy of two lumberjacks cutting down trees. The first man worked non-stop all day long, cutting down trees. By the end of the day, he was exhausted. The second man started working and then before too long, he stopped for a break. He worked some more and then stopped for lunch. Over the course of the afternoon, he stopped several more times. At the end of the day, they went to count the number of trees each man had chopped down. The first man was sure he would have the most trees in his pile, but to his surprise the man who seemed so lazy throughout the day had the larger pile. What the first mad did not realize was that every time the second man sat down, he was sharpening his axe. He was more productive because he kept his axe sharp.
There is a reason God commands us to keep the Sabbath holy. We are not the Energizer Bunny. We are not created to keep going and going. Are you stopping to sharpen your axe or are you working continuously with a dull axe? As we break for Christmas, I pray that we will all remember the most important part of Christmas, and that we may all stop, rest, worship, and sharpen our axes.
[i] Tod Bolsinger, Tempered Resilience: How Leaders are Formed in the Crucible of Change, (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020), pg. 199.
[ii] Ibid., pg. 1.
[iii] “38% of U.S. Pastors Have Thought About Quitting Full-Time Ministry in the Past Year,” Barna Group, 2021, https://www.barna.com/research/pastors-well-being/.
[iv] Bolsinger, pg. 194.
About the Author
Becca Hald
Becca is an ordained Foursquare minister, serving as the Online Community Pastor at Shepherd's House Church. She has over twenty-five years of leadership experience both inside and outside the church. Becca has served her community in many capacities ranging from Administrative Assistant and Children’s Ministry Director to Secretary and President of multiple school organizations. She and her husband, Andrew have been married for over 25 years. They have two adult children, Drew and Evelyn. Her great passion is to equip others, to raise awareness about mental health, and to help reduce the negative stigma surrounding mental health issues. In her free time, she loves going to Disneyland, reading, sewing, and making cards.9 responses to “Sharpen Your Axe”
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Great post, and an awesome reminder to incorporate rest into our lives. It is so easy to fall into the trap of constantly moving and many of us are over-committed. I think the devil wants to keep us distracted, exhausted, and prideful. Similar to your analogy of the man who worked all day and had less than the man who rested and sharpened his axe.
Thank you Michael. I agree with you. The devil likes to keep us busy. He wins if we are so busy “for the Lord” that we forget to stop and spend time with the Lord. There is a reason God commanded us to not neglect the Sabbath. I pray you are able to rest in this season, especially with your son’s allergic reaction and your friend in the hospital. May God strengthen you and grant you peace.
Great reminder Becca! Sharpening the axe is something must not neglect, for the need to lead change and push through the resistance is constant. We must have a rhythm of work and rest.
What are some ways you sharpen your axe?
Thank you David. Some of my favorite ways to sharpen my axe are to get out into nature, listen to worship music, or be crafty. We moved to our dream location, so I just need to step outside to be refreshed by the beauty of the redwoods and the flowing creek on our property. Even as I am sitting here, I am listening to the rain on my roof and relaxing in the sound. I will often play worship music as I am working or driving. And of course, I love to stop and do some sewing any chance I get!
Becca,
Great post – I am in danger of staying too busy nearly all the time. It is why I am so sick right now. Thank you for your words.
Merry Christmas to you friend!
Becca,
Amazing post! What does observing the sabbath look like for you?
Becca,
I am always too busy! I am the poster child for over committing.
Thanks to my therapist, I know this is a trauma response, as the down time means I have to deal with myself and the things I am constantly running from.
As a leader I can get stuck in the rut of its all on me, my responsibility and I pick up the pieces and the slack from others so I can make sure its “perfect”. (I was never good at group projects in school)
God, knows us so well to know that we need a sabbath, we need time to reflect, and it is in the reflection that we find healing, hope, and humility. It is through self reflection that we can recenter to our calling and our role as a leader to empower others.
Thank you for your post and for the reminder of the importance of rest and Sabbath.
Why is rest so hard? That’s a question I ask myself often. Thank you for showcasing it’s importance to me as you reflected on Bolsinger’s work. How are you planning to rest up for next semester over break?
Great reminder! I find myself ready to pick up the first book for the next semester. We need to get ahed of these blog posts, right? Sure, but I also need to rest. How much rest is enough? What helps you find the rest you need so you can return to your work more energized?