Reclaiming Our Lost Ax Head
In 2 Kings 6, we see an Old Testament story that depicts our times today.
Men working to get materials for the temple lost their ax head in the water. They cried out to Elisha to help them because the ax head was borrowed and they would not be able to continue their work. Elisha prayed and put a stick in the water and the Iron began to float!
What a unique approach and implementation to solve the problem! Many of us would have dove in to look for it or just plain given up. God gave a miracle!
What is our lost ax head?
We could relate this story to America. In working hard we have lost our ax head. The ax represents our edge, our power, and our ability to advance. We have lost our ax head in the church and in our nation. We have thrown away our liberties for our securities and forgotten our spiritual heritage.
What was the way back? To put a stick in the water. This sounds strange by reason, but the stick here represents the cross – Allowing Jesus to be in the center, HE will do the impossible.
What is our ax head? It is our mission, Our purpose, our faith action, and our call. These are the venues of impact in our chaotic world where people don’t know what to believe or who to trust.
We can lose our Ax head by:
- Trusting people, more than God
- Over demanding schedule without quiet time
- Neglecting our family in the name of other good things
- Needs or task-driven rather than being led by God
The good news if our ax head is getting loose or if we have lost it we can seek the face of God and he will show us how to retrieve it again.
Risk Management
Our spiritual mission can be watered down by risk management. There is a part of all of us that wants to avoid danger. To take the path of least resistance. We want to preserve ourselves and live in comfort.
We learn quickly that this road has meaningless results and no real impact. Risk means we have skin in the game! These days like never before we need to be thinking in faith rather than risk management.
Read: The Role Of A Christian Man In Our Culture Today
Here are some comparisons:
- Risk management is motivated by what I potentially gain
- Faith – God gets all the glory
- Risk management is sight oriented
- Faith is eternally oriented
- Risk management pleases me at the center
- Faith pleases God at the center
- Risk management causes us to hesitate partially committed
- Faith means we’re ALL in regardless of the price
- Risk management – I am Leading
- Faith is God is leading me
We can often ride the fence in troubled times. Ecclesiastes 4:11 shows us:
“Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.”
Our Mission
In Ecclesiastes 2:14,
“The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness”.
Now more than ever we need to have our ax head sharp. God has given us a ministry of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5:18. What does reconciliation look like?
It means that we are presenting and demonstrating a clear image of WHO Jesus is so that they can love people where they are! We are not here to save the world or fix the wrongs that are so blatant today, we are here to share and minister healing by loving and serving with Jesus love the person in front of us.
Jason is a graduate from Maryland Bible College and Seminary, and presently he leads the Pastoral Care Team of Greater Grace Church in Baltimore. Since age 16, Jason has been involved with mission work among the former Soviet-Bloc countries in Eastern Europe, as well as in Asia, and in the United States. While living in Ukraine, he helped the church plant three new churches that continue to thrive today under trained nationals. He has also written five books and has his own podcast (www.InnerRevolution.us)
