Iron sharpens iron, people sharpen people

Proverbs 27:17 (NCV)

As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.

“Iron sharpens iron” may be one of the most famous verses phrases of the Bible, certainly one of the better know proverbs.  People who don’t know anything about the Bible probably have heard of this term.  You may have used the phrase yourself before you knew where it came from.   

Iron sharpening iron conveys the imagery of one strong material sharpening a like material.  Think of an iron knife sharpening another iron knife.  Think of steel sharpening steel.  Then think of the imagery of one Christian person sharpening another.  For a Christian to be sharpened (the Hebrew word also means to be alert or to be keen), the best way for this happen is through the efforts of another Christian.  To sharpen a Christian friend to improve his/her walk with the Lord and spiritual growth means to influence your friend in the right way, to be provocative at times, even to say things that might be painful to hear.  With friends, it’s much better to say what you think than to hide your thoughts.  We all appreciate a close friend who will reveal our blind spots because it’s the blind spots that keep you from improving even more.    

This sounds easy to do, but much harder to practice.  To sharpen another, you need to be uplifting for sure, but also need to be honest.  Note what the Bible says about properly sharpening another:

§  "Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:5-6).  If your friend is bitter or rebellious or has some kind of negative attitude, you must confront him/her about this and not go along with it.

§  “……consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deads……” (Hebrews 10:24).  If your friend needs to change some attitude or take action that heretofore he or she has not done, you must confront your friend about this and not ignore it.  However, you must give strong thought to how you will approach and talk to your friend.

§  Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29).  The bottom line purpose of mentoring another is to encourage that person even when you might be giving honest feedback that your friend may not wish to hear.   

Who encourages you, prays for you, helps you through difficult times, and sometimes challenges you when you might stray once in a while?  A primary reason why Christians backslide, even pastors, is because they do not have—and do not choose to have-- someone in their life who sharpens them.  When you have no one to whom you are accountable, either you become too full of pride (“I don’t need anyone else to help me”; “I’m too good to listen to others”, etc) or you easily get depressed and discouraged (“no one cares for me”; “I’m not good enough”, etc.). 

If you are a Christian there is at least one person—and likely more--that the Lord has put into your life who can keep you sharpened and to whom you can sharpen.  Who is your sharpening friend?  Thank him or her for what they do for you.  And thank the Lord for putting that person in your life as your sharpening iron.