"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
A good friend of mine spoke some wise words on this verse as it applied to his college age children, and since it is the marque verse on this blog I thought I should pass them along.
His point was, there is a right way and a wrong way to sharpen a knife, and if done incorrectly it not only will not improve the blade, it will damage it. There is also a right way and a wrong way to sharpen a brother in Christ...and if done incorrectly it can damage your brother as well.
Iron sharpens iron because different specimens, or even different parts of the same specimen of Iron usually have different composition...this creates differing hardness values and make it possible for iron to sharpen iron. The other variable that allows sharpening is heat. If one piece is heated it becomes malleable and can be sharpened by another.
If we carry the analogy forward it would imply that we need to be aware of two things if we hope to sharpen others, or be sharpened ourselves.
First, it is our differences that make us useful to each other. We don't need to be exactly the same to be good friends. In fact it is your differences that will challenge me, and make me defend, or change my position on important matters. In a society that more and more refuses to tolerate differing opinions, we are in danger of maintaining a dullness that comes from conformity. The body of Christ is called to be united, not uniform.
Secondly, we need to be aware that heat makes us pliable. This is both beneficial, and dangerous. As you minister to those who are in the fire you must take great care as a spiritual blacksmith. Aware that now may be the time to gently sharpen your brother, and at the same time realizing that too much force will damage the edge.
So the next time you have an opportunity to help a friend remember it is not just iron smashing into iron that sharpens us. Sharpening requires carefully planned work, using our differences to point out needed change ... and carefully applying gentle pressure at the right time, and the right place.
"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."
- Arnold H. Glasow
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