So, our second semester of amazing Small Group has begun again, and it has really got me “Praising the Lord” (PTL) about the group of girls I am around. My spiritual life has changed so dramatically since I joined this group, and has blossomed me into a Christian who is beginning to feel like my seed has been planted among the good soil!!
I came across this verse today from Proverbs, and it got me thinking... First let me share the commentary following this verse:
Did you know: It takes iron to sharpen iron. Sharpening a knife requires iron at least as hard as the knife. Once sharpened, a knife is bright, sharp, and ready for much more productive service.
I have recently been thinking to myself in my own kitchen how I need a good knife sharpener. And ironically enough this month’s issue of Rachael Ray Magazine had a comparison of the best knife sharpeners! (I just love funny coincidences like that). So why would I need a knife sharpener, when I am not a culinary guru? Well, when you have a sharp knife, the entire utility of your knife changes.
1)You can cut vegetables and meat more easily
2)Your cuts can look more professional, and less like a chain-saw
3)Sadly, you are also more prone to injury
So just like knife sharpeners (or in the olden days where iron was used), we need to be constantly sharpened in order to be more productive as Christians! Our friends are our knives—and ladies-please feel free to add “wo” in front of the man in this verse. We NEED good Christian women in our lives. We need them to hold us accountable, to be a shoulder to cry on, and to protect us from the injuries of the world. Remember though, that the sharper we get, ladies, watch out, the devil is paying close attention, and he can cut us more easily! That is why we need these special sisters in our lives to be our knife-sharpeners. (Maybe that is why so many of us are afraid to jump in feet first? So that we can be less vulnerable....but vulnerable=on the road to awesomeness with God!!)
I have to throw this one in there too : God places different kinds of people in our lives, just like there are different types of knives for different purposes. There are bread knives, oyster knives, pairing knives, and electric knives, each with an individual purpose. From cutting bread to shucking oysters to carving turkeys-each knife was specifically designed to do a job that can often lead to one beautiful meal that could not have been completed without each tool.
That is how I think of the people God has placed in my life. I have my 2 wonderful Godly sisters and a Godly mother who are great knife-sharpeners, but I also have this great small group that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And I know that each girl (knife) in my family and my small group has a particular purpose in the drawer this semester. We are all going to be knife sharpeners for each other and sharpen each other in very different ways-and I can’t wait to see how!!
That is how I think of the people God has placed in my life. I have my 2 wonderful Godly sisters and a Godly mother who are great knife-sharpeners, but I also have this great small group that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And I know that each girl (knife) in my family and my small group has a particular purpose in the drawer this semester. We are all going to be knife sharpeners for each other and sharpen each other in very different ways-and I can’t wait to see how!!
So if that was too much of a stretch for you, then I do apologize (well not really because it makes sense to me!!!)
So...how will God have you sharpen your friends today? How can you hold them accountable and be there for them? Or maybe, God is calling you to be sharpened?