Monday, August 23, 2010

A Sharp Edge Cuts Best

The best tools for change are things that do not change. I’ve been making a headboard for our bed, and part of that process has involved using a router. Routers spin bits and 25 or so thousand rotations per minute, and apart from spinning quickly, the bits must be very sharp. If the bits are dull, they will not cut, but rather basically burn their way through the wood, or not make it at all. Anyone who works with knives or saws or bits of any kind knows the importance of having a sharp edge. Because edges have a tendency to dull, those who make such things have to use harder and tougher elements. Tungsten carbide or titanium carbide can be used on the tips of blades and bits to prevent wear. There are even diamond-tipped bits for cutting the most difficult of materials. The more unchanging a blade is, the more change it can create, the more cuts you can get. As we think of God, His unchanging-ness is what makes Him the greatest agent of change. All of creation, all mankind has the capability of and propensity to change (and that change should always be God-ward). When we allow ourselves to be changed by something changeable, we set ourselves up for failure. No one would use a wooden saw blade to try and cut wood, yet many of us trust in the ideas of man to solve the problems of man. Even if they appear to be working, they will wear down and change, and a replacement will be needed. But God never needs replacing. He gives eternal answers and eternal solutions. As you go through life, allow yourself to by changed by the unchangeable.
nwm