Straight Razor Steady

​Straight Razor Steady
 
I’m an old fashioned kind of guy in a microwave generation.  I enjoy a slow, steady shave with a straight razor, a shaving brush, nicely scented shave soap and an aftershave splash.  I know that’s not the norm these days.  Like I said, we live in a microwave world.  Get it done as quickly as possible – no matter the quality.  This has affected everything from car manufacturing to washing the dishes.  Sadly, it’s also affected the way churches and individual believers look at our service to God.
 
One of the things I learned when I bought my first straight razor was that it would take time to perfect.  It wasn’t something that could be mastered overnight or in a week or even in a month.  It takes months of work to perfect the art.  There’s more involved than just the blade too.  A uniquely thin, but slick lather is best for a straight razor – something that will allow the blade to easily glide over the skin as it removes stubble.  The angles of attack are different because my hair grows in different directions.  And, of course, the edge must be well honed (sharpened).  After months of practice, I was rewarded with irritation free shaves that are as close as I’ve ever had.  But again, it took methodical, foundational learning.
 
The Christian life is much the same.  It cannot be mastered the day one comes to trust Jesus.  No matter ones upbringing (whether in church or not), a new believer is a babe in Christ.  At this point, baby steps must be taken.  The new convert needs to be taught “basic principles of the oracles of God” (Hebrews 5:12).  Like a new straight razor shaver, the new believer is taking in a lot of knowledge but is far from being able to apply all of it.  There’s a limited amount of food that a newborn child can swallow.  And there’s a limited amount of truth that a new convert can take (1 Corinthians 3:2).  Methodical, expositional, foundational teaching must be the diet of a newborn child of God.
 
Many Christians live a life full of ups and downs – times of faithfulness and times of a lack of faithfulness.  There are times when we run like a sprinter in a 100-yard dash only to be followed by periods of laying on the ground gasping for breath.  There are times during a short sprint that we pull a muscle because we weren’t really prepared to run.  This is not the Biblical picture of a Christian life.  The Christian life is a long distance run, not a sprint.  The Christian life is to be run like a marathon.  Knowing this, we must “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). 
 
The Christian life must be viewed as a daily growth that leads to a life-long endurance.  Believers must get into a good habit of prayer, study and fellowship.  Believers must find a solid, Bible believing, Bible teaching church.  Believers must commit to that church.  I have seen many believers with a fire for the Lord early on in their Christian life.  I have seen many of these same believers discouraged or perhaps tire out quickly because they really weren’t as prepared as they should have been.  They recovered but it took much more effort than they ever anticipated.  They simply had not taken the time it takes to train in the things of God.  Perhaps this is partly the fault of the church they attended.  But all learning cannot happen at church.  Children of God who don’t study on their own will never know much.  Therefore, they’ll never be able to do much in the way of service to God.
 
These days, my morning routine begins with coffee and daily Bible reading.  I’ve committed to read through the Bible every year.  I’ve done so for many years now.  Nothing has benefitted me more.  That may sound like a huge statement from a pastor.  I’ve taken classes…I’ve studied Greek…I’ve taught for years expositionally through Biblical books…and yet, nothing has benefitted me more in my personal walk with Christ than my morning devotion time with the Lord in His Word.  You don’t have to be a pastor to read through your Bible every year.  It takes about 15 or 20 minutes a day if you’re an average reader. 
 
Many of the members of our local congregation have committed to reading their Bibles daily…annually.  Some have not.  Most of our members are growing.  However, not all are growing at the same pace.  From the pulpit, it’s easy to see those that have committed to the daily study of God’s Word.  The knowledge and wisdom I’ve seen in those believers has increased exponentially over the years.  They are committed to church.  They are committed to service in the church.  They are committed to “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).  Their zeal for the Lord is always greater than their zeal for worldly things.  When they plan, they plan around church.  They include church in their daily thoughts and no doubt daily prayers.  Those that don’t read their Bibles regularly simply are not as faithful as those that do.  Oh…they may all be present in worship, but it’s not the same.  A pastor can see more than you’d think.
 
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Far too many Christians today are trying to serve God apart from learning His Word.  But that’s impossible.  It simply cannot be done.  Only the word of God can equip you “for every good work”.  Far too many churches have set aside the study of God’s Word for exciting entertainment.  Until the believers of this generation return to the foundational principles of the Word of God, we will never be able to endure healthily in the things of God. 
 
I still shave with a straight razor.  It takes a few more minutes with the prep and cleanup.  But there’s not a better way to shave.  There’s a quicker way to shave, but not a better way.  Most men hate to shave.  I did!  Many are allergic to chemically produced foams that come in a can.  Many are irritated by multi-blade cartridge razors.  But hey, they’re quick and easy, right?  Well, shaving will never have any eternal rewards attached to it.  I use this example only because many face the Christian life the same way.  Let’s commit as little time to God as we can and expect the greatest possible outcome.  It’s the result of the microwave world we live in – popcorn in the push of a button.  But it’s not God’s prescribed way.  Commit to daily devotions in God’s Word.  Commit to a Bible teaching, Bible believing church.  Only in this way can you commit to a life-long, enduring service to God.