Carrying A Sword

                When we think of carrying a sword, as Christians we are usually referring to the Bible.  We are supposed to carry the “Sword of God” with us everywhere we go ready to combat sin as we encounter it.  In Africa they physically carry the sword.  I am not talking about physically carrying the Bible, but people will be walking down the street carry a machete.  When I first saw this I was taken back, especially when I saw a young kid about 10 years old carrying his sword.  What really is worrisome is when you see someone who is carrying one of these machetes and does not look very happy.  You wonder to yourself, “If they get mad, I’m out of here.”   In America if we say someone carrying a machete down the road, in town, or in the super market, they would be arrested and taken to jail.  In Africa it is an everyday occurrence for them to carry their ‘sword’ wherever they go.  It is part of their livelihood.  They use their machetes to work on their farms, pruning their crops and using them for the harvest of their produce.  They are not using their sword for harm but for good; to help sustain life by the produce they reap. 

                In like manner, we should be using our “sword,” the bible for these same uses.  We are to use the word of God, the sword, as part of our livelihood (Col. 3:16).  We are supposed to use the word of God, the sword, for good and not for harm (Acts 15:31).  We are to use the word of God, the sword, to prune those in the body of Christ and make them better (John 15:2).  We are to use the word of God, the sword, to produce fruit for God (Matt. 13:23).  I pray that you are using your sword appropriately for the edification of the saints and to the saving of the soul.  May God bless you today.

 

This is Harrison, a brother in Christ in Wotutu.