Wisdom From the ProverbsSample

Proverbs 27

'You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.'

(Proverbs 27:17 MSG)

Do any of you have a friend who knows just what to say to rub you up the wrong way – in a good way?!

You're perhaps trying to voice negativity, and they come back at you with a positive, alternative statement.

Or maybe you're trying to vent about a situation that is bothering you, and your friend reminds you that God is in control and is aware of your circumstance, and perhaps there is something you can learn from your frustration.

Whilst, in the moment, your friend is not comforting you by simply agreeing with you, and that frustrates you a little, often, upon reflection, you see that they were right and that they were in fact looking out for your best interests.

An example of this is my friend Karin. She’s also my life coach, so she has a very special voice in my life.

Now, I struggle to get exercise into my weekly routine. I often find something 'more appealing' to do than work on my cardio, and, as we all know, heart health depends on exercise (amongst other things).

Whenever I meet with and talk to Karin, she encourages me to keep going. All I want to do is quit! I want to put my feet up with a cup of coffee and relax (let's be real – I want to be lazy!). But somehow, after speaking to Karin for an hour or so, I'm motivated to go again. She is helping me shape my life and get some physical discipline into my life.

Good friends will not simply be 'yes men'.

They won't always just agree with you. They often set you on a track to a better character and a healthier heart.

This Proverb reminds us that it is a friend who sharpens us.

When iron sharpens iron, sometimes sparks fly! But that doesn't mean that the sharpening is not good – it simply means it works.

The often-abrasive feeling we get when we're not agreed with could be the very reaction that smooths out that negative attitude we have or the toxic trait we've come to accept.

The next time you feel annoyed at your friend for disagreeing with you or trying to bring you around to a healthier point of view, remember this verse. Thank God that you have a friend who is not going to simply go along with everything that you say but is looking out for your absolute best.

The result of character-sharpening is a smooth, shapely character that reflects the heart of Jesus much more clearly.

Isn't this what we are all aiming for?