How to Stay Sharp

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17

Every knife becomes dull with use. A dull knife can never sharpen itself. Neither will a substance weaker than iron effectively sharpen iron. But iron will sharpen iron. Proverbs uses this analogy to illustrate the value of having a friend who challenges you.

Every one of us has areas in which we are strong and those in which we are weak. A wise friend can sharpen you in the area of wisdom. A friend who knows their bible can challenge you to go deeper in your understanding of God’s word. A friend who is humble can sharpen your humility. A friend who loves deeply can help you expand your capacity to love. 

A good friend will be honest with you and instrumental in helping you become the best version of yourself. A knife is sharpened with iron so that it will become more effective and efficient. As God’s children, our friends can sharpen us to become more effective and efficient in advancing the kingdom of God. 

Do you have friends in your life who sharpen you? Are they willing to risk offending you by offering loving, constructive criticism? Do they lift you up in areas in which you are weak? 

Are there friends in your life who can benefit from the strengths God has placed in you? You may feel that you have nothing to offer because your strengths don’t seem extraordinary to you, but to your friends they are like iron.