Get Your Irons Out of the Fire

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

Can bronze sharpen “iron” (1270)?  I don’t know.  In this proverb it would seem that it requires a substance at least as sharp as the one to be sharpened.  If that is true then one aspect of this proverb is that we need to pick our friends, associates and church carefully.  That is probably true even if bronze can sharpen iron.  I don’t think that a wooden stick is going to do much to give us an edge.

We tend to like to spend time with fun people.  We tend to avoid people who make us think.  We do all we can to avoid someone that we know who has the spiritual gift of exhortation.  We like them when they encourage us with a “thataboy” but we hate it when they say, “What does the Bible say about that.”  Then they become meddling and nosy. 

So?  When you find some iron, welcome the chance to get sharper.  Don’t run.  Listen.  Think.  Pray.  It may be a long time before you get the chance again.