Iron Sharpens Iron

How many of you carry a pocket knife? As you use your knife what begins to happen to it? It becomes dull, and how much good is a dull knife when you need it? Not much at all, so what would we need to do to our knife? We need to sharpen them and keep them sharp. The same goes for us, in Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Personally I think this verse is pretty straight forward. It is comparing the relationship of two pieces of metal to that of a human relationship. A positive relationship can make you stronger and uplift you spiritually, but on the other hand a negative relationship can weigh you down and drive you away from God. So how do we stay sharp in the world we live in? First we need to know the difference between fellowship and a friendship. A friendship is a condition of sharing similar interests or experiences that can bring you somewhat close to one another, but fellowship  is a strong desire to be around a person and share your life with them in and through Christ.  And when we have a loving Christ centered relationship with someone the bible says that people will know we are Gods disciples, just look in John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” So we need to surround ourselves with positive brothers and sisters in Christ, and while being in each others company we will sharpen one another. I would like to encourage everyone who is here today to strive for an iron like relationship. In doing so, you will be amazed at how much stronger and uplifted your life becomes as a result.