Friends Sharpen Each Other

"As iron sharpens iron,

so one man sharpens another."

Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

A person doesn't sharpen a knife with a piece of cloth, rubber, plastic, glass, or wood. A person sharpens a knife with an equal or greater strength material like iron.

The Bible says that a godly friend is like a sharpening block to each of us. In other words, having good friends strengthens our character. Friends sharpen each other and make themselves more productive and effective.

Living life alone is not what God intends for us. We were created to be social and to make friends. Just like a knife can't sharpen itself, a loner can't sharpen him/herself. A loner is not able to reach his/her full potential or fulfil the ultimate plan God has for his/her life without friends.

A knife that is not regularly sharpened will go dull and be useless. But a knife that is regularly sharpened will always be sharp and ready to use.

A wise man/woman seeks out wise friends! Never should we be happy in our solitude or desire to live like hermits in the woods. Friends are a blessing from God! They can come in many forms: neighbours, co-workers, fellow students, church family members, husbands, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and adult children. It is important that we establish and foster friendships with others whom we can trust to be honest and caring towards us.

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In case anyone is interested, the knife in the picture doesn't belong to me; it belongs to one of my sons. He needed one to take on a weekend camping trip in the wilds. However, I will be honest and say that I was with my son when he bought the knife, and I did encourage him to buy the Smith and Wesson one. That's probably why God gave me sons and not daughters: I enjoy shopping at hunting stores.