Are You Sharp?

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

            Whenever I read this verse, I think, "Ouch!" Sharpening means that rough edges are smoothed away and dullness is honed by rubbing. Sharpening is part of the care and maintenance of the edged tool because a sharp tool does what it is designed to do better than a nicked, dull one.

       This is one of the reasons we need to be part of a Christian community, and also part of the wider community. It sharpens us. It makes us better able to do what we were designed to do. This is also the reason why the more difficult, challenging relationships are actually the source of greater blessings. By difficult and challenging, I don't mean abusive or toxic, but that they demand our best. Sometimes, these are our closest relationships as well.

   When we feel like we're being rubbed the wrong way, or ground down to nothing, we need to be reminded that the One who is sharpening us designed us and forged us. He knows what it is we are meant to do, and exactly how sharp we need to be to do it. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us at least some of what it looks like when we are finally honed. It is when we have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.