Bits of Wisdom | When Iron Sharpens Iron

Note: Bits of Wisdom posts are normally posts taken from my social media accounts and placed here to reference back to easily. Click on the “Bits of Wisdom” tag to read more.

Have you ever wondered why the Bible talks about iron sharpening iron? Do you know what iron sharpening iron looks like? It’s loud. It’s messy. There might be sparks that hurt. Things get hot and loud and ugly.

But what amazes me the most is that, in the case of iron, neither piece is better than the other. Unlike a sharpening tool made of steel or a hard piece of metal, iron will warp and bend and conform. When a piece of steel sharpens a piece of iron, the iron conforms but the steel remains. But when two pieces of iron begin to sharpen one another, they both change. Neither is stronger or more durable. They both bend and mold and shape and sharpen.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

There is no doubt that God knew this when He inspired His word to say exactly this. It’s no doubt that Solomon, the wisest king to ever live, knew a thing or two about what he was saying when he said, “as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The issue isn’t iron sharpening iron. The issue is that many of us walk away from these character sharpening moments without understanding the beauty of what took place. Guess what, it’s hard. When you have an argument with your friend or spouse, it’s hard. When you are offered or offer constructive criticism, it’s not pretty. When you are confronted with conviction by someone else, it can hurt. But what if we took these situations and realized that they were opportunities for growth?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

You have the choice to either grow from it, or die from it. Will you embrace the beauty of friends or family that correct you, encourage you, or are willing to go into battle with you even when they know you are going to swat back at them? Are you willing to accept that maybe that person didn’t mean to hurt you, but instead shared life with you which could, in turn, sharpen you?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Ouch, that hurts. I feel it too, friend. Embrace it.