Leaders Need Time to Rest & “Sharpen the Axe”

Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. Leviticus 25:3-4 In Stephen Covey’s best-selling business book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, he describes a concept called “sharpening the axe”. In summary, this is the idea that we all need to take time to invest in ourselves and hone our skills if we want to continue to be effective leaders and productive in all spheres of our lives. In Leviticus 25 we find this principle practiced for God’s people and their land. Every seventh year was called the Sabbath Year. These special years called for special behavior. God’s people were to stop their usual behavior, alter their daily routines, and change their normal existence. Consider the following 5 lessons leaders can learn from this practice: 1. They gave the people a time of rest – God said these special years were time for resting the land and their lives. 2. They gave the people an opportunity for reflection – These years were considered holy, recognized as a gift from God. 3. They gave the people time for reward and repair – As a reward for obedience, God would supply all their needs, giving them the time to sharpen their axe. 4. They gave the people time for relationships – Everyone was to prioritize people over material gain. 5. They gave people the time to refocus – God reminds His people that they are His servants and He is their Lord. Are you taking the necessary time to sharpen your axe? Do you allow your people time to do the same? I’d love to talk to you personally. For more on help I can provide and how you can reach me, check out… http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com