Blog Article Tags
We love building relationships. Subscribe to our blog to receive weekly encouragement in your email inbox.
Search Blog Posts
- Details
Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas
Proverbs 27:17 reads, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (ESV).
For iron to sharpen iron, there must be two pieces. One piece cannot sharpen itself. We NEED each other. In the beginning, God saw it was not good for man to be alone, so He created woman. This was before the fall… before sin…so, think how much more important it is now in our sinful nature to have someone we can depend on.
Most of us have had the experience of sharpening a kitchen knife. A knife is a small saw with a micro-serrated edge. When it is sharpened, any uneven spots or “burrs” are removed, and the sharpness is restored. Often, it is polished to make it shine.
We all have uneven and rough spots and have become dull because of the ups and downs of life. We need encouragement, admonition, and even confrontation from someone who cares about us. That’s iron sharpening iron.
Think of lessons we learn from Scripture.
DAVID… in 1 Samuel 25 David asked Nabal for food for his men. It was sheep shearing season, and David’s men had been protecting Nabal’s sheep and workers. Even so, Nabal refused to feed David and his men. David was angry and took 400 men, intending to kill Nabal and the males in his household. Abigail, Nabal’s wife, heard and went to meet David with gifts of food, stopping him from this bloodshed.
Jonathan, son of King Saul, protected David, comforting and making a covenant with him when Saul sought David’s life (1 Sam. 23:16-18).
The prophet Nathan confronted David (2 Sam. 12) after his sin with Bathsheba, making him stop and think about what he had done and God’s laws he had broken… coveting another man’s wife, adultery (possibly rape), and murder. Only someone David respected could have said, “YOU are that man!”
Three friends with different types of help… three ways iron sharpens iron.
NAAMAN (2 Kings 5) was a commander of the Syrian Army… a gentile… a pagan… an enemy of Israel… and he had leprosy. The Syrians had captured and enslaved a young Israelite girl who told Naaman’s wife there was a prophet in Samaria who could heal him. When Naaman went to Elisha, he became angry at being told to dip in the muddy Jordan River. He had cleaner rivers back home. He had his reasons for not doing what the prophet instructed. BUT… Naaman’s servants confronted him, encouraging him to follow Elisha’s instructions… and he was healed. Again, iron sharpens iron.
SAUL… the early believers were afraid of him… with good reason. In Acts 9 Barnabas stood by Saul’s side, introducing him to the Jerusalem church who knew him as one involved in the death of Stephen and persecution of Christians, and telling them what happened to Saul on the road to Damascus. Where would Saul have been if there had not been a friend to stand by him? In Proverbs 18:24b we read: “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” We see iron sharpening iron in friendship.
JOHN MARK was given a second chance by his cousin, Barnabas. Because he left the first missionary journey early, Paul refused to take him on another missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41). Barnabas parted from Paul and took John Mark. If it had not been for the encouragement of Barnabas, we might not have had the gospel of Mark. An older relative who cared… iron sharpens iron.
There are many ways that “iron sharpens iron.” Confrontation, encouragement, support, kindness, and rejoicing, all done in love can heal relationships with others as well as with God.
We can share ways we have persevered through the storms of life. When there is an established friendship, people are generally more willing to listen. Let’s work on building relationships that focus on the important things in life… so we have someone to turn to when life’s storms come.
- Details
Written by Wendy Neill, Advancement Coordinator for Iron Rose Sister Ministries
Hopefully you have caught on that this year’s blog theme is “Teaching and Learning through Relationships.” But we can’t get to the point of teaching and learning unless we make meaningful relationships a priority.
For most of my life, I have not been good at “friendship,” but Iron Rose Sister Ministries has taught me the importance of investing in relationships with Christian sisters. It takes effort, but if I make the time for friendships, then I learn and am encouraged. With this, I can teach and encourage in return.
Here are some ideas for prioritizing various relationships in your life. If it seems like a lot, don’t worry! It’s great to start small and just pick a couple.
- Christian sisters – Do you have two or three close friends in your “inner circle”? Jesus had Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1; 26:36-38). Identify two or three women you’d like to know. To spend more time with them, get lunch or coffee now and then, go on a walk, pray for each other, memorize a scripture passage together, read a book of the Bible over the course of a month and discuss it, or make a pact to avoid “unwholesome talk” about others (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).
- A Christian sister who needs a mentor – Find someone younger than you to spend time with. Don’t view them as a “project,” but show that you truly care what is happening in their life. As appropriate, share what God has taught you in various aspects of your own life. Use some of the same ideas above for this Christian sister.
- Children – Children need multiple adults speaking truth and love into their lives. You may not have children of your own, but I bet you have children around you such as nieces, nephews, or children at church. Give them your undivided attention. Ask what they’ve been learning at church, find out what they do for fun, celebrate milestones, invite them on an adventure or a game night, go to their game/concert, or send them a card. If you have children of your own, schedule one-on-one outings with them once a month. Those are precious times when they will open their hearts to you and will be more open to deep spiritual truths you’d like to impart. Those bonds will carry through your child’s teen and adult years.
- Neighbors –Do you have leftovers from a meal or big gathering? Knock on a neighbor’s door (particularly if they are single) and see if they would enjoy a portion. Invite them for ice cream or dinner sometime. Offer to get the mail, feed the pet, or mow the lawn when they are away. Listen to their stories. You never know when there will be an opportunity for teaching and learning.
- Employees – Remember that those who serve you as waitresses, checkers, and post office workers are people who also need connection and relationship. The time I have invested showing love to two grocery store employees has opened a door to study the Bible with a Hindu! It’s all about relationship. If you work, invest in building relationships with your colleagues, customers, and employers.
You will bless others−and you will be blessed−if you take time to make relationships a priority in your life.
What are two ideas you can incorporate into your week?