Iron Sharpening

Have you ever felt a little bit dull? Rough around the edges? In need of a little bit of some much needed care? I sometimes feel like I could go through some much needed refining in order to knock off some of the rough parts in my life. In Proverbs 27:17 (MSG), "You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another." We are called to be connected with one another. One working with the other during the refining process in order to build each-other up as believers. We are not meant to do it all on our own. Even Jesus couldn't do it on his own, and that's why he had his twelve disciples that could help him spread God's word.

In Joel Osteen's book, Become a Better You, he talks about bringing the best out of people. "I want to spend most of my "discretionary" time with people who will strive to bring the best out of me. The Scripture says, "iron sharpens iron." The way we live out our lives with one another should encourage one another to do better." He asks his readers to consider the following questions, "Are the people in my life better off or worse off because I passed their way? Am I building them up in conversations, and bringing out their best, or am I dragging them down? Do I believe in somebody? Do I give them the confidence to improve their lives? Or am I focused on myself?"

We should be choosing to bring out the best in everyone, from our family and friends, to our coworkers. We should be helping them and inspiring them to be and do their best, even if they don't personally know what their best actually is. Everyone wants to be encouraged and supported in what they are doing. I know a lot of people at church that are lifting my wife and myself up in prayer during this time in our lives, and encouraging us by speaking God's blessing on our lives. We have our prayer warriors out their speaking God's blessing on us and this is so encouraging. These prayers and words lift us up in our time of need. We then can go out in the world and speak God's love to others.

On Sunday, we had to run over to Walmart in Caldwell for a newspaper so that Kerstin could get some coupons. As we walk into Walmart and pass the greeter, and she was standing on her gray mat with her head down. We could have walked past her and said nothing, as some people do, but we chose to greet the greeter. We were friendly and spoke encouragement into her. She brightened up right way. Positive words had changed her whole attitude in an instant. This is what it means to me when I hear "iron sharpens iron." We are called to help one another to knock off the worn and rusty edges in order to lift them up during their time of need.

We are blessed by our many iron sharpeners in our family and our community. Thank you for helping us to keep shining God's light in the world. God Bless You.

"I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love." - Philemon 1:7