PART 3: #IRONSHARPENSIRON

Often times we see #ironsharpensiron when people upload pictures of themselves and their friends on Social Media or we may hear the term in conversation. But what does “Iron Sharpens Iron“ really mean?

I entered into 2019 really reflecting on my friendships and decided to do this Friendship Series not only for myself but for others. Unfortunately I was only able to complete Part 1 and 2 of the series, mainly due to the busyness of work and not feeling that I was in a place to write this particular post. Throughout the year I have been able to reflect more about friendship and what this actually means, as well as the kind of friendships that I would like to have in my life. As we draw close to the end of the year, I think that it is now the right time to write this post. So here we go.

In conclusion to Part 1 and 2 of this series I emphasised that Godly friendships ultimately should be drawing you closer to God and will also sharpen you to become the person that God created you to be.

“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”‭‭

~ Proverbs‬ ‭27:17‬ ‭~

When I think of iron sharpening iron, I think of a process of refining, or producing something that would be more beneficial. Think about it, if you were to rub two blades together the edges tend to become sharper. This makes the blades more efficient in their task to cut and slice. Likewise, when you sharpen your eyebrow pencil, this means that you are making better use of the pencil in order to have more desirable outcomes. Ultimately to sharpen something means to make it better and more efficient and this is what our friendships should look like.

Friendship is a gift from God, however sometimes it is difficult to discern the kind of friendships we should be choosing. We’ve all been there. I believe that when it comes to our friendships we really need to pray and apply wisdom.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”‭‭

~ James‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭~

I have also provided some tips below of the good qualities to look for when choosing people that you want to be in your life.

1. They Offer You Wise and Godly Counsel.

“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

~ Proverbs‬ ‭11:14‬ ‭~

Surrounding yourself with people who are not only able to offer you wise and Godly counsel but are also able to practice wisdom in their own lives is imperative to your Christian walk. Why? This is because it is so easy to make unwise decisions based on our emotions and feelings. Therefore it may take a friend who has knowledge of the Word of God and has more of an accurate perception during these times to give us sound advice.

“A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,”

~ Proverbs‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭~

2. They Pray With You.

Prayer is essential, and what better way to do it with your friends. This year has really taught me the importance of coming together with friends and really laying a hold of God. This is what the Bible says:

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

~ Matthew‬ ‭18:20‬ ~

So if you are looking for breakthrough in certain areas of your life, get around your friends who are prayer warriors. Gods presence will surely be there and you will begin to see things move in your life.

3. They Correct You.

A true friend will correct you when you make wrong decisions and when they see that you are going down a destructive path. This correction will always be in love.

“An open rebuke is better than hidden love!”‭‭

~ Proverbs‬ ‭27:5‬ ‭~

4. They Are Supportive.

A friend that sharpens you is one that not only understands your vision, but also supports it. They believe in you, whilst seeking to strengthen and develop you.

I think about Jonathan in the Bible when I think of a supportive friend. Jonathan understood David’s purpose and chose to stick close to his side in order for Gods purpose in David’s life to be fulfilled. He also helped him through times of trouble.

“Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.”

‭‭~ 1 Samuel‬ ‭18:3-4‬ ‭~

So there you go. These are some of the qualities to look for when choosing friends. Also ask yourself, are you the type of friend described above, are you sharpening those that are close to you? If not then now is the season to start developing these qualities.

I hope that this blog post was useful to you, and that you are able to consider some of the points outlined within this post. Also I do hope you all have an amazing New Year, I believe that God is really aligning people and things into their respective places to bring glory to His Kingdom.

Stay Blessed and Encouraged

Love Nkay

xoxo

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