As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. – Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. – Proverbs 27:17 (KJV)

This week’s theme:  Living According to God’s Word

It’s good for us to spend time with each other, and it’s clear that God didn’t intend for us to go through life alone. If you’d like evidence of this, then look no further than Genesis 2:18. After He created Adam, God Himself said that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone. However, it’s also critically important that we choose the right people to spend time with (see our verses from the last couple of weeks, Walk with the Wise & Blessed is the One). 

In our verse for this week King Solomon provides a fantastic illustration of how we shape one another when we spend time together. In Solomon’s day, the strongest and sharpest weapons were made by blacksmiths who used iron hammers and iron anvils to shape iron swords. Solomon tells us that, just as an iron hammer shapes the iron it comes in contact with, we also shape, and are shaped by, the people we come in contact with. That’s why it’s so important to surround ourselves with people who are Godly influences…and why it’s so important that we serve as a Godly influence on those who spend time with us.

As a closing thought, note that if the iron hammer doesn’t come in contact with the iron sword, then the blade remains dull. In other words, it takes contact for these items to shape each other. Similarly, if we want to be sharpened into the people that God desires for us to be, we absolutely must have consistent contact with God’s people. Again, it’s good for us to spend time with each other.

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