Iron Sharpening Iron

Reflection: Today’s Proverbs features one of my favorite sayings, “As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 What a great metaphor for how God uses the Christian community, the Church, to bring about the maturation of the individual believer.  Of course for iron to sharpen iron it needs to be in friction or in relationship with another piece of iron.  This doesn’t happen in vacuum.  I sometimes see the “me and Jesus” mentality, as if a person didn’t need anyone else in their lives, “I am just fine by myself thank you!” 

The problem with that is it robs us of the power of someone speaking into our lives both with what they see in front of them, but also what they might hear/discern God saying to us.  Of course we always want to be careful of those who would say, “I hear God saying for you to do this or that”, “Or God is telling me you need this or that”.  But the bible has many metaphors for the lives of believers, and how we edify and encourage each and build each other up.  And yes, at times, we need to be rebuked for “stubbornness” or “duplicity” in our lives.  I.e. we say one thing and then do another.

None of us are beyond needing this kind of “iron sharpening” that comes through another person.  In a discipleship movement I have been a part they say, “Everyone is a sheep from the front and a shepherd from behind.” Meaning we are all being led by another shepherd or spiritual mentor who has the authority to speak into our lives, and we can also be that for others as we are growing in faith and obedience.  We are all at different phases of our walk with Christ and maturation in faith and character. 

We see Paul mentoring people like Timothy and Titus, who became his ambassadors to the churches across the world on behalf of Paul.  First and foremost though, they had Christ in their lives and were an accurate reflection of the discipleship that Paul first modeled for them. 

I would encourage you if you don’t have a sharpening influence in your life to pray about and ask God who He might be leading you to be in this kind of relationship with.  As you are sharpened, you can then be a sharpening force for someone else God calls you to.  This is the Church and it is much needed now!

Psalm 72:1-11

Of Solomon.

¹ Endow the king with your justice, O God,
    the royal son with your righteousness.
² May he judge your people in righteousness,
    your afflicted ones with justice.

³ May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the afflicted among the people
    and save the children of the needy;
    may he crush the oppressor.
⁵ May he endure as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.
⁶ May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸ May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.
⁹ May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
    present him gifts.
¹¹ May all kings bow down to him
    and all nations serve him.

Proverbs 27

Do not boast about tomorrow,
    for you do not know what a day may bring.

² Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth;
    an outsider, and not your own lips.

³ Stone is heavy and sand a burden,
    but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.

⁴ Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
    but who can stand before jealousy?

⁵ Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.

⁶ Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
    but an enemy multiplies kisses.

⁷ One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
    but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

⁸ Like a bird that flees its nest
    is anyone who flees from home.

⁹ Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart,
    and the pleasantness of a friend
    springs from their heartfelt advice.

¹⁰ Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
    and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—
    better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

¹¹ Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart;
    then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

¹² The prudent see danger and take refuge,
    but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

¹³ Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger;
    hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.

¹⁴ If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning,
    it will be taken as a curse.

¹⁵ A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping
    of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
¹⁶ restraining her is like restraining the wind
    or grasping oil with the hand.

¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

¹⁸ The one who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and whoever protects their master will be honored.

¹⁹ As water reflects the face,
    so one’s life reflects the heart.

²⁰ Death and Destruction are never satisfied,
    and neither are human eyes.

²¹ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
    but people are tested by their praise.

²² Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
    grinding them like grain with a pestle,
    you will not remove their folly from them.

²³ Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
    give careful attention to your herds;
²⁴ for riches do not endure forever,
    and a crown is not secure for all generations.
²⁵ When the hay is removed and new growth appears
    and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
²⁶ the lambs will provide you with clothing,
    and the goats with the price of a field.
²⁷ You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family
    and to nourish your female servants.

2 Corinthians 8:10-21

¹⁰ And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. ¹¹ Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. ¹² For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.¹³ Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. ¹⁴ At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, ¹⁵ as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

Titus Sent to Receive the Collection

¹⁶ Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. ¹⁷ For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. ¹⁸ And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. ¹⁹ What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. ²⁰ We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹ For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions. Psalm 65:3

God made you alive, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13,14

Merciful God, your great gift to us is humbling and inspiring. Forgive us when we stray from you and may we strive to grant our loving mercy to others as a tribute to your great name. Amen.