As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
I read this scripture again recently during the #ProverbsChallenge at church, a practical exercise in studying God’s word and meditating on it by reading a chapter of the book of Proverbs each day. 31 Chapters in the 31 days of May.
I had the opportunity of doing the challenge with a small group of ladies from our local church community. Different personalities, different life experiences and goals…plus most of us were just acquintances to each other. I do believe it was my most well spent month so far in 2020. Oh what wealth of perspectives, what rebuke, what learning, what conversations, what laughter!!!! I am doing the challenge again this month with some old friends, ladies who have been and still are my tea life iron/refiners.
The shrieks of iron sharpening iron may often sound like gears grinding on bare metal or even worse, but the result can be such profound personal growth in the individuals. Lately I have come to realise that every individual in my space represents a family, which in turn represent a community, who in turn represent a nation! So, they may be “just” an individual but they carry the significance of a generation, a workforce, a sector of society… The thought is both daunting and super exciting!
When those you have allowed to be your iron play their role.
When those you have not allowed yet seem like they have been appointed by some divine power to sharpen you barge in with no apologies or introduction and get straight to work.
When it gets super uncomfortable and unbearably loud….
How do you respond?
How do we know it is iron?
Truth is most people do not walk into our lives with clear markers on their foreheads of what kind of impact they will or will not have on us (although I personally wish they did). Sometimes that iron may be your significant other, your family, your friends, your office colleagues, a Pastor, a random stranger in the matatu in heavy traffic who ends up being your patience project (yeah remember that prayer you said this morning when you felt totally spirit filled and asked God to mold you, to grow you in patience? Yep, here is your answered prayer.)…
I don’t know about you but just the thought of chalk on a board makes me grit my teeth. So the mere thought of iron rubbing against iron… is a very unwelcome thought.
Do I want to grow in faith, character, skill, and competence? Of course! But could I pleeeeaaaaase skip the process and just get to the product?🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾.
It will be rough.
It will be loud
It will be annoying
It will be extremely uncomfortable
But it will be oh so worth it.
Because growth really is a process, even when most of us only value the product.
For the irons in my life, I apologize for making your work difficult or even next to impossible most of the time.
For those I am in a position to sharpen, I pray I do a great job and thank you for allowing me into your space.
Who are the possible irons in your life? For whom are you the iron and how intentional are you about being sharpened or sharpening them for the better?
Belinda K 