Life Coach - Wisdom from the Proverbs

“As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.”

– Proverbs 27:17

A friend who wants you to become your best is a friend indeed. This kind of a friend may include a spouse, a parent, another relative, a pastor, or someone that is not a relative. Whoever truly wants you to be the best that you can be and have the best future possible qualifies for this Proverb. The picture of iron sharpening iron shows us that one piece of the iron must rub on the other. The rubbing done the right way will result in sharpening.

Sometimes it takes a really good friend to tell us the truth so that we can move into being something better or having a better future. How much are we willing to receive a rubbing that results in sharpening us? How sensitive are we? Can we take it? If not, we may remain dull and not fulfill all that we could be and do.

How willing are we to really love someone and take a risk as a friend to sharpen him or her? If we want to be effective, we must do this with care and love. The timing and the manner that we choose to speak to a friend when we perceive a need will have a direct affect on the outcome. As one piece of iron approaches another piece of iron we need to make sure we are not rubbing the wrong way. That would only serve to dull the iron and possibly harm a friendship.

Action: Seek to be a sharp friend!