Iron Sharpens Iron (Sep. 27)
Read: Proverbs 27:17
As believers spend time with one another, we sharpen one another like iron sharpens iron.
When we were pregnant with our firstborn, Sarah went in for a routine checkup at 27 weeks. At that appointment, our doctor discovered Sarah was in preterm labor. The doctors were able to stop the labor, but the remaining eight weeks of the pregnancy were spent in and out of the hospital and on complete bed rest. During that stay in the hospital (which totaled 40 days) a member of Community Bible Church visited every day. It was not planned or scheduled, but we didn’t go a day without a visitor. Friends and fellow church members would come in to share an encouraging word, a Bible verse, or just their presence in a way to show love to us. We were encouraged, edified, and sharpened during that time. Spiritual growth happened, in part because of what the Lord was doing through the people who chose to pursue fellowship with us during that hard time.
Fellowship and time around other believers is time that is never wasted and is used to refine us. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (NASB) Fellowship can take a lot of different forms. It can look like a visit to a person who is going through a difficult time. It can look like lunch together after church. It can look like a coffee date with a friend to catch up on each other’s lives. It can be a playdate at the park where the kids play and the moms talk. It can be a Bible study. It can be conversations on Sunday mornings, a game night, or a group gathering to play ultimate frisbee. Fellowship spans many different avenues. It may not always feel overly spiritual, but it always has an opportunity to impact lives. Let us not minimize the impact of any of these avenues. God can use them all for His glory.
The result of the bed rest and hospital stay was a healthy 5 lb. 6 oz. boy born at 36 weeks. The Lord was gracious to us in so many ways through that experience. We are grateful for the ways He sustains us and gives us the gift of others to sharpen us.
Action Step: Can we encourage you to take that first step towards fellowship today? Send a text, invite someone over, or make plans with a friend. No matter how small, let us not waste any opportunity to pursue fellowship and gather together to sharpen one another.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of other believers in our lives. Use us to encourage others and build up one another. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen
Author: Tom and Sarah Baltzer