To sharpen means to remove roughness and unevenness from a blade or a point to improve its ability to cut or pierce. For one object to sharpen another, there must be very precise alignment and movement in their relative positions over time; one must be positioned to receive the sharpening influence and the other must be positioned to provide it, and the hands of an experienced craftsman must bring the two together repeatedly. It does not happen all at once, but over many repeated, precisely engineered strokes.
God employs this as a fascinating illustration of how friends edify one another: “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” (Pr 27:17) When friends deliberately invite each other to facilitate their pursuit of holiness, God can use them to this end with miraculous precision.
As the countenance is the reflection of the heart, this sharpening is the refinement of disposition and orientation, the honing of character. It is not merely teaching, or even discipleship or modeling, but a purification, a transformation, something only God can do.
Christ the Master Craftsman (He 3:4), Who indwells the individual believer (1Jn 4:15), the communion of believers (2Co_6:16), and works in and through all men (Pr 16:1), can sharpen us through anyone if we’ll position ourselves to hear Him and submit ourselves to Him. But it is in building relationships particularly for this purpose, cultivating the trust of godly friends, where we can be more open to seeing His way through the loving challenges of those who know us well (Pr 27:6), that His finest work is done.
“And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know. ” (1Co 8:2) There is no topic or concept that I cannot understand more completely and fully, and God could further my understanding at any time through anyone as it pleases Him.
Be patient when sharing new ideas with others; don’t expect them to believe the first time they hear. Let God plant and water truth as He sees fit. Planting seeds doesn’t produce fruit immediately; growth requires watering, cultivation and time. The increase is His.
Count it a privilege to both plant and water; don’t be discouraged if you don’t see fruit right away. Oftentimes the work God is doing will be invisible to us. Let the truth of God shine forth from a joyful, prayerful heart at every opportunity.
This last comment is powerful to me. Exactly what we talked about yesterday morning. Always puts a smile on my face to see how God dips in to our lives in such visible ways. Not 36 hours ago we discussed this very thing.
Thanks Jeremy. I found our conversation sweet on many levels. The moisture in your eyes as you spoke of your lost friends spoke volumes to me.