Achieving your God-Given Potential
“IF I HAD 6 HOURS TO CUT DOWN A TREE, I WOULD SPEND THE FIRST 4 HOURS SHARPENING MY AX”-Abraham Lincoln
There once was a giant lumber jack who could chop 5 times more wood than any other lumber jack.
However, one day a new lumber jack came to his camp. Although this new lumberjack had no where near the power or size; he challenged the giant lumbar jack to a bet that he could chop more wood. The giant lumber jack looked at this tiny man, laughed and accepted the bet very confident that he would handily destroy his foe.
The next morning the two men went to work. Both men worked hard for hours. Finally, the smaller lumber jack went inside and took a break. The big lumber jack thought to himself, “Aha, while he takes a break I will keep working so that I can make sure and get way ahead of him.” A few minutes later, the tiny lumber jack was back at work, focused and chopping away.
Several hours later the smaller lumber jack stopped and went inside again. “He’s weak,” the giant lumbar jack thought to himself and went on working. A few minutes later, the smaller lumbar jack was back working again, focused and chopping away. Then, with only a couple of hours left before the whistle was to blow and end their day, the smaller lumbar jack stopped again and went inside.
When the day ended, the giant lumber jack smiled and went back to look at how badly he had beaten his opponent. He was shocked to find that this tiny little nothing man had a pile over twice as big as his. In total exhaustion, he walked over to the little lumbar jack, and asked, “How is it possible that you have defeated me, you kept taking breaks and I didn’t take any?”
The smaller lumber jack replied, “I wasn’t just taking a break, I was sharpening my ax.”
Matthew 25: 14-30 contains a parable about life that Jesus told which had a very powerful, spiritual life-lesson in it. For sake of brain-space, I will summarize, but also encourage you to read.
Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man going on a journey. Before he goes, he gives 3 workers different amounts of money. Money was called ”talents” which were weights used for money back then. The actual value of a talent is not clear, but it must have been quite a bit of money being entrusted to these workers.
To one, He gave 5 talents; to the second He gave 2 talents, and to the third He gave 1 talent, each were given talents according their ability. Upon his return he asks what they did with the money. The first and second workers invested their talents and doubled their money, and received the masters praise. The Message version says, “Good work! You did your job well. From now on, be my partner.”
The third servant, who was given 1 talent, safeguarded his money but did nothing to increase it. As a result he was condemned by the master for his inactivity. The unfaithful servant in the parable did not waste the masters money, he wasted an opportunity. As a result he was judged.
We’ve all blown or wasted opportunity from time to time. In Christ, we’re not judged for our mistakes. The important thing is to get back to it. To get back to being responsible for what God has given us.
Genesis 1:28 says, “And God blessed them. And God said to them,
"Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Nancy Pearcey, in her book Total Truth, explains why it’s been called the “cultural” mandate. “The first phrase, ‘be fruitful and multiply,’ means to develop the social world: build families, churches, schools, cities, governments, laws. The second phrase, ‘subdue the earth,’ means to harness the natural world: plant crops, build bridges, design computers, and compose music. This passage is sometimes called the Cultural Mandate because it tells us that our original purpose was to create cultures, build civilizations—nothing less.”
It’s right to be content with what you have, but, never with what you are. Only the mediocre think they're at their best and do nothing more to improve themselves regularly. The world needs us. As Gandhi sated, “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” In other words, when we fail to sharpen the axe, we limit what God can do through us to save lives and change the world.
If there is one thing that is disturbing as a doctor whose mission it is to see people build healthier bodies, better lives, and fully release the gifts God has given them, it is how quickly people lose sight, lose enthusiasm, and lose commitment to achieving and maintaining their potential. Rather, we should constantly do what we can to sharpen our ax.
With God, all things are possible
Dr. Ben