July 12 Bible Reading Plan

Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

-Abraham Lincoln (1)

This quote sounds like something my mentor often says to me. When I was a younger man who had just started ministry, I struggled to rest, refuel, and rejuvenate. (Truth be told, I'm still working on it.) After waiting what seemed like a long time for God to open the doors to full-time ministry, I ran through the doors and never stopped.

I loved my work and gave it everything it had. Since starting Mantour Ministries had some entrepreneurial aspects, I did what most people with a start-up do—I worked way hard for too many hours.

Then I came to the reality that many men face:

You can only chop down so many trees until the ax gets dull. Then, you must choose whether to stop and sharpen the ax or continue exhausting time and energy working with subpar equipment.

In automotive terms, you can only drive so many miles before you decide whether to stop and refuel, run out of cash, or, even worse, crash.

I finally started hearing what my mentor said when I reached this decision point.

Human beings need rest.

We need to refuel—spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically.

These things won't just happen. We need to work them into our schedules and choose to take time to "sharpen our ax."

So how do we do it?

Physically, we need rest. We can't work all the time or be stressed all the time.

We need rest.

We need to set boundaries that say, "This is when I start work, and this is when I rest." This will be challenging if you're like me, but it's necessary.

Here's another point: we must schedule this daily and longer-term.

We need to limit our daily work hours, go to bed on time, and ensure we get enough sleep.

We also need to schedule down times in our yearly schedule—vacations or staycations—when we say, "I'm setting aside some time to rest and regenerate my body and mind."

We also refuel ourselves by eating healthy foods and exercising.

We also need a little fun in our lives to help us relax.

Spiritually, we refuel by spending time in prayer and Bible reading.

If we want to stay spiritually healthy, it's essential that we have a daily quiet time with God, talk to Him, share our hearts, and enter into worship. Time in God's presence refills us and strengthens us to live as godly men.

Bible reading also refills our empty spiritual tank. Spending just a few minutes daily reading and meditating on God's Word changes our perspective. It reminds us of Who God is and who He wants us to be. It encourages us, leads us, and guides us. It isn't a "have to"; it's a "get to."

Another thing that will refill your spiritual tank is worship. Now, I'm not saying you have to grab a guitar and dance around the house singing praise and worship songs but listening to praise and worship music will bring you into God's presence, where you can find rest and restoration.

Giving yourself a break mentally sharpens your ax. You can't work all the time. You need to have a hobby that helps you relax, refresh, and refuel. For me, this is fantasy football. It's a good outlet that gets my mind off work and allows me to interact with friends. I also enjoy listening to music.

Emotionally, it would help if you had people who would support you, encourage you, make you laugh and have fun, and refuel your tank. We can't do life alone. We must invest in the people in our lives for their sake and our own.

These are just a few things I'm learning in my life.

Slowly, I am learning what old Abe said is true. We are not meant to run on empty. It just isn't possible—without refueling, we will eventually break.

If we want to be unbreakable men, we must examine our lives and ask, "Where do I need to sharpen my ax?" Then, we need to make a plan to start doing it.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, ESV)

Bibliography:

1. ”Abraham Lincoln Quotes." BrainyQuote.com. BrainyMedia Inc, 2024. 9 August 2024. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/abraham_lincoln_109275