Cutting Wood

Cutting Wood
You don't have to be a carpenter to know that when you cut a piece of wood you ought to cut with the grain. If you cut against the grain then you will end up lifting wood fibers rather than cutting them. The edge that you desired to be straight and smooth may come out a bit rough and rugged if you cut against the grain. The wood will be cut either way, but the end result will vary.

Consider the reason for man's existence. Why does man exist? The Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us that “man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” All of mankind exists for the glory of God and for our enjoyment of Him. If we fall outside of this then we will inevitably go against the grain of life that God has set out before us. 

Timothy Keller put it this way, “If God created you to love your neighbor, then you ought to love your neighbor, and if you don’t love your neighbor, things will fall apart because you’re going against the grain of the universe.” Keller seems to point out the underlying cause of many problems that certain Christians seem to face. Some of our issues are self-inflicted because we do not live as God intended. We are to glorify God in all of our life. We are to enjoy God in all of our lives. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are to love Christ’s Church, encourage the brethren, not forsake the gathering, and more. Yet, we tend to get off track. We tend to go against the grain.

A piece of wood that is cut against the grain is not entirely useless. It may not be as neat and tidy as one might have liked, but it can still be put to use. If any Christian takes an honest look at their life then they will notice areas in which they can observe error. Perhaps you can identify one even now. Let us resolve, by God’s grace, to readjust. There are always areas where we can grow in Christ. There is always room to grow in grace. Let us not be those who intentionally go against the grain in God’s creation. Instead, let us strive to live in light of what our gracious God has revealed to us. 

Grace be with you,
C. R. Hamilton