The Pencil Point

In order for a pencil to become useful it must be sharpened, not just once, but again and again. That’s a lot of grinding and shaving, but that’s what it takes for it to be useful, to fulfill its purpose. Life is much the same…painful experiences and challengers come to us all, but it is through these trials and obstacles that we build character and grow. Just like the eraser on the end of the pencil, we are given opportunity and resources to correct our mistakes along the way. Mistakes don’t define who you are; they are merely an opportunity for improvement. We serve a forgiving God, so we need to learn to forgive ourselves.  

The pencil can teach us that what’s really important is what’s on the inside. Without a sharp point on the lead, or graphite, the wood surrounding it can only leave scratch marks on your paper. Who you are on the outside does not represent who you are on the inside. When you’ve struggled in life and you get to a point where you allow God to use you to your full potential, people will know the real you…what’s on the inside. When a pencil is being used to its full potential, if always leaves a mark. When you are functioning in the will of God for your life, you too will leave a mark, a legacy that people will always remember. 

Just think…an egg can’t be used until it’s cracked, an olive can’t produce oil until it’s pressed and a glow stick doesn’t glow until it’s snapped. Cracked, pressed and snapped…sounds like my knees in the morning! No one said being a believer would be easy. We must endure the tests…the trials, the hurdles, the zig zags on the path…in order to have a testimony.