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Devotional Thoughts

 Devotional Thoughts
 The Spiritual Side of Our Website

This part of the site features monthly devotional thoughts by the Association's Chaplain, with the goal of encouraging Signal Corps OCS Graduates to be exceptional in their lives and to live life at a higher level. Our current Chaplain is of the Christian faith, so naturally, his devotionals are fashioned around his Christian beliefs. Your comments and suggestions are welcome and can be offered directly to the Chaplain by eMail at: MaxHolt@ArmySignalOCS.com


by LTC (R) Max Holt, Class 02-67

July 2013

SHARPEN YOUR AXE

Sometimes, even doing the right things will cause you to lose your edge.

LTC (R) Max Holt - TodayLTC (R) Max Holt

I heard a story recently about a young man who asked the foreman of a logging crew for a job. The foreman said, “First, let me see you take this big tree down." In only a short while the young man skillfully felled the great tree. The foreman was impressed and said he could start on the next Monday.            

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday went by. On Thursday the foreman approached the young men and said, "You can pick up your pay on the way out today."            

“But wait a minute” the young man said, “I thought you paid on Fridays."            

"Normally we do," said the foreman, "but we're letting you go today because you've fallen behind. Our daily charts show that you've dropped from first place on Monday to last place on Wednesday."            

"But I'm a good worker," the young men objected. "I arrive first, leave last, and I've even worked through my coffee breaks."

The Foreman thought for a minute and asked, “Have you sharpened your ax?”            

The young man replied, “No sir, I’ve been working too hard to take the time.”

Have you fallen behind in life because you failed to maintain a sharpness that allowed you to succeed? Has your relationship with God faltered because you failed to keep your relationship sharp with prayer, Bible study and church attendance? Have relationships become shallow or ended completely because you failed to keep your personal relationship skills sharp? When was the last time you took time to learn something new in your career or in your relationship life or spiritually? The sit and soak principle may work for relaxing in the tub after a long day but if you stay too long, all you get is wrinkled! Ecclesiastics 10:10 says, “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.” If you allow yourself to become dull in life, especially in your spiritual relationship, more strength (effort) and skill (experience) will be required just to fulfill normal requirements. I encourage you to keep your ax sharp.

 Common Sense Application

1.  Keep your relationship ax sharp by making good relationship decisions. Work on the toughest relationship skill of all, communication. Read books that encourage and illustrate how to maintain quality in your relationships. If you are married, work harder to SERVE your mate rather than expecting them to always serve you. Don’t wait if your marriage is deteriorating; get advice from your minister or a Christian counselor.

2.  To keep your spiritual ax sharp be consistent in Bible Study, prayer, worship and Christian fellowship. Read 2 Timothy 2:15 and 2 Timothy 4:2.  Caution: Avoid groups of Christians who talk a good line but spend most of their time and effort on worldly things.   



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Devotional Song: Uncloudy Day, by Willy Nelson


Prior Month Devotionals
May '11 Jun '11 Jul '11 Aug '11 Sep '11 Oct '11 Nov '11 Dec '11 Jan '12 Feb '12 Mar '12 Apr '12
May '12 Jun '12 Jul '12 Aug '12 Sep '12 Oct '12 Nov '12 Dec '12 Jan '13 Feb '13 Mar '13 Apr '13
May '13 Jun '13 Jul '13 Aug 13 Sep 13 Oct 13 Nov 13 Dec 13 Jan 14 Feb 14 May 14 Apr 14


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