Rise & Grind vs. Arise & ShineSample

Ecclesiastes 10:10 states, “If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.”

The person who is working tirelessly to cut down a tree with a dull axe is working hard. As beads of sweat form on their brow, and the palms of their hands crack and chafe, they continue to swing at the trunk. It may take them hours, it may take them days.

Yet, if they had taken a moment to sharpen their tool beforehand, this feat becomes more easily realized.

The same is true when God is invited by us into a situation. Our axes are sharper, and our skill is magnified when God is in the equation. To rise and grind is to wake up, focused on what you can do to make something happen on your own. This mindset is reliant on our own power, and our own driving force. It is based heavily on our emotion and endurance. When our emotions and our endurance begin to plummet, so does our efficiency.

On the contrary, to arise and shine is to wake up focused on what you can accomplish with the help of God. How far you can go on your own is a measurable distance. How far God can take you, however, is unfathomable.

So, arise and shine. Wake up and seek the advice and encouragement from the Lord.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Lay your goals out in front of the Lord. Tell Him what you are seeking to accomplish, and ask for the wisdom and fortitude required to accomplish these very goals.

When it comes to rising and grinding, burn out is unavoidable.

But with arising and shining, success is inevitable.

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