Sharpening

Monday, March 20

Sharpening

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17

No believer should live a spiritually isolated life. Together, we are members of Christ’s Body and have responsibilities to each other. Why? So that we can benefit from sharpening each other. No two people are exactly alike, which means that your friend may not think just like you do, but God’s word tells us that is a good thing. If we are truly fortunate, we will have at least one friend who will be honest with us and offer needed criticism that will help us improve ourselves and our walk with Christ.

Today’s verse gives us a command for togetherness. Proverbs 27:17 depicts the interaction between two faithful friends who are seeking the improvement of one another to the sharpening of an iron stone or other iron tool against an iron sharpener. Just as a man might sharpen the face of his sword against a sharpening iron in order to make it more suitable for combat, so does a faithful friend equip his friend for success by constructive criticism.

Personal and spiritual growth is a communal affair, as Scripture reminds us in various ways. In the beginning, God did not make just one human being but two (Gen. 1:26–27). David had Nathan the prophet, a faithful friend who brought him to repentance (2 Sam. 12:1–15). Ephesians 4:25 says, “We are members one of another.” Jesus did not work alone, He had disciples. Also, while Jesus was here on earth He chose for His church to be governed by a body of elders and deacons (Acts 6:1–7). Therefore, Spirit-filled believers are essential to our growth in life. We all need others in our lives to sharpen us and encourage us in the work of ministry.

Do you have “irons” in your life who can help in sharpening you?