DEVOTION – DAY 500

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron Sharpens Iron”

Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

In ancient times, people used iron to sharpen iron. This practiced was used to show us that similarly, our friends or family members could be used to develop and mold our character. Thus, our interactions with other people whether good or bad are all seen as opportunities for us to be molded by God. 

I knew someone who often changed jobs. One job was seen by him to be too difficult. Another job was tough because the boss was seen to be too demanding and bossy. Another job was inconvenient because getting to and from work required taking a bus and MRT. Another job’s salary was too low and not very challenging. So, when I talked to this man, he asked me to pray for him. After talking to him and knowing a bit about his background, I had to gently tell him that there was no such thing as an ideal job. As a consequence of sin, God had already said that “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.” (Gen.3:17) Work is not going to be easy and that is a fact of life. But it is how we respond to work that enable us to be molded by God. I had to remind this man that perhaps God is teaching him patience, perseverance and trusting and dependence on God at his workplace. I had to help him see that perhaps his boss and colleagues were used by God to sharpen him, as iron sharpens iron. 

We know of another man who had problems interacting with his teenage daughter. They had become distant. He had been too busy with his work and he complained that she was always engrossed with her handphone. He was unhappy that she seemed much happier texting her friends, rather than talking to him. We had to tell him that relationships have to be built and strengthened. It involves both parties, making the effort to spend time together and doing things together. We had to help him to see that it is an opportunity for him to make changes in his behavior, attitudes, and approach, to the way he interacted with his daughter. Perhaps it was God’s way to help him face his strained relationship with his daughter, just as iron sharpened iron. This man took our advice seriously and he is slowly making changes to the way he interacted with his daughter. He has begun to have more conversations with his daughter, showing interest in her and what she is doing.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for enabling others to come into our lives to sharpen us for our own good. Please help us to make changes in our attitudes and behavior so that we can be the kind of people you want us to be. Help us to be willing to be molded by others. We humbly pray in the great name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

  1. Why do many people dislike the process of being sharpened? Why do people resent the difficulties, the tough interactions with others and not see them as opportunities to change? Discuss.
  2. What changes can you make in your attitudes towards difficulties and tough interactions with others in order to see them as opportunities for you to be sharpened?
  3. How have others “sharpened” and shaped you in the past for the better? Share.
  4. How will you help others to be similarly sharpened and to be molded to be more Christ-like?