A Dull Blade Makes Hard Work

I spend a lot of time outside working in the yard—trimming, pruning, snipping, dragging brush from one side of the property to the other. There’s always something growing, leaning, falling over, or trying to scratch you on the way by. This time of year, I’m waiting for a stretch of dry weather so I can finally get out there and tackle the trees. We’ve got a lot of them, and several branches are hanging so low that if I don’t take care of them before the spring, my husband is liable to get swatted right off the lawnmower.

Thankfully, I have tools: a pole saw for the limbs that stretch high, and my faithful long-handled loppers for just about everything else. I use those loppers constantly—almost year-round—because something always needs trimming around here.

But the last time I took them out, they gave me a fight. Every cut required more force than the one before. It took forever to get through even the smaller branches, and by the time I finished, I was tired and frustrated.

Then it dawned on me… It wasn’t the trees that were the problem. It was the tool.

My loppers were dull. They needed cleaning, sharpening, oiling—care. Without maintenance, they weren’t helping me anymore. They were working against me.

And isn’t that how our spiritual lives can be too?

We move through the routine of life, clipping through each day, trimming back responsibilities and interruptions, hustling from one task to the next. But over time, without even noticing, we become dull. Little things irritate us more easily. Simple tasks feel exhausting. We get frustrated with situations—and sometimes with people—when really, it’s our soul that’s worn down.

It’s not that life has gotten harder. It’s that we haven’t stopped to sharpen ourselves.

Scripture, prayer, worship, rest—these are the oil and whetstone that keep our spirits sharp. When we neglect them, we might still function, but everything takes more effort. Joy feels heavier. Peace feels distant. Our days feel like a struggle instead of a calling.

The tools weren’t designed to work endlessly without care. Neither were we.

So maybe today is a good day to pause and sharpen—to be still with God, to breathe, to refill what’s been draining out drop by drop. A few minutes in His presence can ease tension we didn’t even know we were carrying.

Because a sharp tool cuts with ease. And a sharpened soul moves with grace.

“Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” 2 Timothy 2:21

December 12, 2025 Morning Brew

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