“As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.”
Proverbs 27:17
This is an often quoted and very well-known verse, and for good reason! It sums up one of the most important aspects of Christian faith – the need for community. To start, let’s reflect on our own lives. Do you have a community of faithful followers around you? Are you regularly having conversations that build you up spiritually?
The answers to these two questions will probably say a lot about your current faith life. It is very difficult to live faithfully without a community to build you up, challenge you, and encourage you. It’s not impossible, but it is absolutely easier and much more effective.
The main focus of this verse is the ability of Christian brothers and sisters to sharpen one another – that is to make each other better. It’s important to note that for iron to be sharpened, it must come into contact with the other piece, consistently scraped against each other in a specific way. It’s not enough just to have a few Christian friends that you seldom see or don’t discuss your faith with. It does no good for a knife to sit next to a sharpener. It has to make contact, create friction, interact with the sharpener.
Share your life with other Christians. Talk to them, serve with them, share struggles with them, confess your sins to them. You need them in your life if you will grow and become stronger in your faith.
If the answer to either of the first two questions from this devotional was “no” then start today on making a change. Get involved in a church, join other Christians in service and ministry. God designed you to exist in community with others. Allow that plan to enrich your life.
Prayer:
Father,
Let me be surrounded by other Christians who can sharpen me, and let me sharpen them as well. I pray that you would help me to seek out community and create relationships that will build me up.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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