"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."
Proverbs 27:17
When I was a child, my family raised and butchered chickens in batches of about 150 chickens at a time. Butchering day was a family affair, my grandparents, aunts and uncles, mom and dad would each have a role. One of the images that is forever etched in my mind is of my grandmother with two very large knives. She would hold one out in front of her and run the other knife's blade down the cutting edge of the first one. Then she would flip it around and do the same thing on the other knife. This whole process was done SO fast that it was just a blur. What seemed weird to me was that she was treating the other knife as if it were a sharpening stone. I remember asking her what she was doing and she responded with "Iron sharpens iron." It turns out that a really sharp knife blade, when ran down the edge of a not so sharp knife blade, will actually create a sharp edge on the not so sharp blade without impacting the sharp knife.
Similarly, a sharp (or wise) friend will also sharpen (or educate) a friend when they need some assistance. That's why it's important to choose your friends wisely. The people you hangout with will have an impact on your mental capacity. If you are constantly hanging around with fools, your intellect will not be sharpened. In fact, you will be dulled from the constant sharpening of others. You'll need to spend time with those that are wiser than you so you can be sharpened. People that always hang around together will, at some point, reach an equilibrium where, as a group, they are not getting smarter. The proper mix is important. Think of how difficult it must have been for Jesus as He was hanging out with the 12 apostles! No wonder He went off by Himself for long periods of time! During these times He would spend time in prayer, being resharpened by His Father in heaven.
To this end, we need to be there for others in need so we can provide guidance when they are going through difficult times. In this way, we can redirect them back to Christ so they can reconnect with the rock of salvation. Below is a video clip from a series entitled "Stepping Up: A Call To Courageous Manhood" I'll add a separate area to the blog for the other videos in this series. They are VERY good and will make you think! Check 'em out as you can!
The Shepherd
Return to The Proverbs Challenge
Proverbs 27:17
When I was a child, my family raised and butchered chickens in batches of about 150 chickens at a time. Butchering day was a family affair, my grandparents, aunts and uncles, mom and dad would each have a role. One of the images that is forever etched in my mind is of my grandmother with two very large knives. She would hold one out in front of her and run the other knife's blade down the cutting edge of the first one. Then she would flip it around and do the same thing on the other knife. This whole process was done SO fast that it was just a blur. What seemed weird to me was that she was treating the other knife as if it were a sharpening stone. I remember asking her what she was doing and she responded with "Iron sharpens iron." It turns out that a really sharp knife blade, when ran down the edge of a not so sharp knife blade, will actually create a sharp edge on the not so sharp blade without impacting the sharp knife.
Similarly, a sharp (or wise) friend will also sharpen (or educate) a friend when they need some assistance. That's why it's important to choose your friends wisely. The people you hangout with will have an impact on your mental capacity. If you are constantly hanging around with fools, your intellect will not be sharpened. In fact, you will be dulled from the constant sharpening of others. You'll need to spend time with those that are wiser than you so you can be sharpened. People that always hang around together will, at some point, reach an equilibrium where, as a group, they are not getting smarter. The proper mix is important. Think of how difficult it must have been for Jesus as He was hanging out with the 12 apostles! No wonder He went off by Himself for long periods of time! During these times He would spend time in prayer, being resharpened by His Father in heaven.
To this end, we need to be there for others in need so we can provide guidance when they are going through difficult times. In this way, we can redirect them back to Christ so they can reconnect with the rock of salvation. Below is a video clip from a series entitled "Stepping Up: A Call To Courageous Manhood" I'll add a separate area to the blog for the other videos in this series. They are VERY good and will make you think! Check 'em out as you can!
The Shepherd
Return to The Proverbs Challenge
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