Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

~Ephesians 4:24b NKJV

The objective of sharpening my pencils was to create usable points, but I wasn’t getting desirable results because I had a point-wrong sharpener.

The points were crooked every time, and the wood scratched the surface as frequently as the lead. I wanted to journal thoughts, pencil in calendar events, and draw, but crooked points prevented me from achieving these goals. I looked at my notes more than once but couldn’t decipher them.  

So, I threw away a whole box of pencils after none sharpened straight. Every. Pencil. Sharpened. Crooked. I bought new pencils, a name brand, and I was excited to sharpen them to razor-point perfection. Certainly, these would be better than the economy-buy. Wrong. Every pencil. Sharpened. Crooked.

Finally, I realized nothing was wrong with either pack of pencils. My sharpener was the culprit. Although a new sharpener would be expensive, I needed to invest if I was going to get the desired results.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

~Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

So, what’s the point? (Pun intended.) God calls and uniquely qualifies each of us to make a difference. However, we need sharpened points to reach our goals. The Lord has left us an instruction manual—His love letter, the Bible—and when we apply its principles, God equips us to serve Him well.

The Bible has many stories and parables we can learn from, poems we can pray, and proverbs we can meditate on. When we prioritize learning from the Master, we become like Him and are renewed daily. We become sharpened pencils, able to write legible messages, pray prayers according to His Word, and spread the love of Jesus Christ to hurting souls who long to find refuge.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

~Romans 12:2 NKJV

A wise older lady named Dorothy mentored me as a new Christian. She had a rule she followed and advised me to follow it: “No Bible, no breakfast.” She then added, “It doesn’t take many days of skipping breakfast to make Jesus Christ your first priority.”

I asked if she did this consistently, and she assured me she did even on her busiest days. One glance at her tattered Bible convinced me she did. I also saw the results in Dorothy’s life. She was doing the Lord’s work until the day He called her home, never retiring from her calling as a Christian and witnessing about God’s love, whether she was at home, church, the grocery store, or the hospital. She felt she did God’s will in each location and considered it her responsibility to share Jesus. And people were saved, prayers were answered—even miraculously–and everyone felt loved. Dorothy was one sharp pencil, serving Christ in a crooked world.

Friend, be the sharpened pencil God has ordained. The Lord has given us the sharpener—His Word—and when we put our pencils in, they emerge with point perfection. God, the one who sharpens us best, makes every crooked part new. We become honed each time and more effective in serving Him. And that’s the point.

Think of some way to keep your spiritual pencil point sharpened.

Heavenly Father, help me prioritize meditating on the Bible and being made new in You so I can serve You well. In Jesus Christ’s name, amen.

 

Genre: Non-fiction

Copyright 2021: Point-Wrong Sharpener: Diane Virginia: All Rights Reserved

Published: April 2022: Inspire a Fire: Senior Editor Martin Wiles; Executive Editor Cindy Sproles