Two woodcutters were competing against each other as to who could chop down the most trees in a day. Both started hacking away within earshot of each other. After an hour, Sam stopped. Fred was puzzled but carried on chopping.
Five minutes later, he could again hear the swing of Sam’s axe. Another hour went by, and Sam again seemed to stop chopping for a few minutes. Fred was thrilled. He became more confident that he would win.
So he kept chopping away, pausing now and again to wipe away the perspiration from his forehead. Sam’s “start and stop” continued for the rest of the day, and Fred’s delight grew.
At the end of the day, however, Fred was surprised to discover that Sam had felled more trees.
“How can this be? I never stopped chopping once but you kept taking a break!”
“Yes, but I stopped to sharpen my axe,” Sam replied.
"If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
he must use more strength but wisdom helps one to succeed." Ecclesiastes 10:10
Lesson: A small investment of time can have big rewards. Time spent to equip yourself can make a difference to your ministry.