The Power Of The Pencil

The Power of the Pencil

5 Things You Can Learn From Your Writing Utensil

11/10/04

I. Introduction

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the

box. There are 5 things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send

you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

1 ... You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.

2 ... You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.

3 ... You will be able to correct mistakes you will make.

4 ... The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.

5 ... On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Tonight’s message is The Power of the Pencil: 5 Things You Can Learn From Your Writing Utensil.

II. Allow Yourself to Be Held

Just like a pencil, in the hand of the right person, can do some amazing things, you can do amazing things if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand.

A pencil can make beautiful drawings in the hand of an artist.

A pencil can craft amazing stories in the hand of a writer.

A pencil can solve the most complex algebraic equations in the hand of a mathematician.

A pencil can sketch the most perfect blueprint in the hand of an architect.

A pencil can write the most touching note in the hands of a loved one.

But in the wrong hands, a pencil can become useless or worse, used for the wrong things.

In the hand of a two-year old, a pencil becomes a dangerous toy.

The child stares at the pencil adoringly before placing it in his mouth where it can do a lot of harm.

In the hand of an enraged fiancé, a pencil becomes a dangerous weapon.

Pictionary wasn’t her favorite game, and she wasn’t the best at it. And as the game wore on, emotions were high, the adrenaline was rushing, and my brother and his then fiancé got into a heated battle. The outcome- I was stabbed with a pencil.

In the hand of an ill-tempered teenager, a pencil becomes an instrument of perverse language on the stall of the bathroom.

But we’re like the pencil, in the sense, that we have the ability and the capacity to do some pretty awesome things as long as we’re in the right hands. In the hand of God, your possibilities are endless. Your story is as yet untold, but your life is being written by the hand of God.

John 10:28-30 NIV 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.

Allow yourself to be placed in the Father’s hand and see the amazing things you can do.

III. Get Sharpened

Just like a pencil has to be sharpened to become better, you can be sharpened by going through various problems and trials, but it will indeed make you a stronger person.

James 1:2-4 NIV 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

The troubles, though not brought on by God, are used by God to make you a stronger person. Jesus promised us that in this world, trouble would come our way, but he didn’t stop there. He said that He’s overcome the world, and thus, because he’s in us, we’re world overcomers, too.

I’m sure you can look back on your life and remember some tough times. But when you think about it, you’ve come through, and it’s made you stronger. I remember some tough times myself. My dad had lost his job and slipped into a horrible state of depression. He slept all the time and didn’t even attempt to get another job. This period went on for the longest time and it was tough. My brother and I were working multiple jobs to help provide for the family, in addition to going to college and keeping our grades up to maintain our scholarships. That was a tough time, but you know, I look back on that, and I can see the hand of God sharpening me and making me better. I never once blamed God, because I knew that it wasn’t His will for me to go through that. Instead, we looked to God to provide and through it all He helped us to persevere and come out on top.