Chainsaw dumbo

There is this person looking to buy a saw to cut down some trees in his backyard. He goes to a chainsaw shop and asks about various chainsaws. The dealer tells him, “Look, I have a lot of models, but why don’t you save yourself a lot of time and aggravation, and get the top-of-the-line model. This chainsaw will cut a hundred cords of wood for you in one day.” Top of the line. State of the art. Quite expensive compared to the rest. But the man decides to buy it anyway.

So the man takes the chainsaw home and begins working on the trees. After several hours and having cut only two cords, he decides to quit. He thinks there is something wrong with the chainsaw. “How can I cut for hours and cut only two cords?” the man asks himself. “I will begin first thing in the morning and cut all day,” he resolves.

So, the next morning, the man gets up at four in the morning, and cuts and cuts and cuts ‘til nightfall, and still he manages to cut only five cords.
The man becomes convinced that it is a bad saw. “The dealer told me it would cut one hundred cords of wood in a day, no problem. I will take this saw back to the dealer,” he says to himself.

The very next day, the man brings the saw back to the dealer and explains the problem. The dealer, baffled by the man’s claim, removes the chainsaw from the case. The dealer says, “Hm, it looks fine.” Then the dealer starts the chainsaw, to which the man remarks, “What’s that noise?”

There was no problem with the chainsaw. The problem was with the man behind the chainsaw.

I could very well liken the chainsaw to education, talents and skills – tools we can use and apply in life. Most parents pound on their children the value and importance of getting good education, developing their talents and building skills that would help them achieve success in life. But not many parents would pound on the importance of godly living so that the education, the talent and the skills would be put to good use.

See if these “sermons” given by parents to their children in the privacy of their homes sound familiar:

“Son, the most important thing in life is to learn how to make money…”

“There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who cheat and those who are cheated. So make sure son that you do not belong to the second category.” (This implies that it’s OK to use their “chainsaw” unethically so long as they achieve their desired end.)

“Do unto others before they do it to you…”

Education, talents and skills become destructive when the character of the person isn’t grounded on ethical and biblical values. Maybe this is the reason why there are many highly educated criminals behind bars, and many more continue to walk in our streets freely.

Thomas Carlyle is right. He said, “Instead of saying that man is the creature of circumstance, it would be nearer the mark to say that man is the architect of circumstance. It is character which builds an existence out of circumstance. From the same materials, one man builds palaces, another hovels; one warehouses, another villas. Bricks and mortar are mortar and bricks, until the architect can make them something else.” This is the reason why the Bible is preoccupied with building the character of those who believe in its author.

Don’t just build skills; build character. Don’t just teach kids to be successful; teach them to become men and women of substance. Learn to use the chainsaw properly, and help make this country a better place. Let this be top of mind for the new year.

Thank you for following this column in 2013. May you have an even more productive and meaningful 2014!

(Mark your calendar for next year! Spend two inspiring days with Francis Kong, learning leadership and life skills, as he presents Level Up Leadership on Jan. 21-22 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. For further inquiries, contact Inspire at 09158055910, or call 632-6310912 or 6310660 for details.)