Iron Sharpens Iron
Scripture Reading — Proverbs 13:13-20; 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
—Proverbs 27:17
Do you ever notice how people act differently after years of marriage? Constantly having to consider another person can make our wilder side grow a little gentler and give our compassion more depth.
We all have some rough edges that need smoothing and polishing. We all have a few things to learn about wise living.
The proverb quoted above talks about this process in terms of metal working, which is not the gentlest process. We cringe at the sound of metal scraping on metal. We are used to our rough edges and are not always eager to let them go. To lose our jagged edges, we must have a willing spirit that is open to being taught.
Are you willing to be shaped by your Christian community? Marriage is one place where we share deeply of ourselves. In a good marriage our partner will lovingly challenge us to live out our beliefs. Likewise, we value friendships in which we are loved enough to be corrected. True friends will speak the truth in love and help us become the people God intended.
Often it can feel risky to challenge another person. We don’t want to make waves or risk hurting a friendship, so we miss opportunities for growth and deeper relationship. Do we care enough about our relationships to take the risk of correcting with love? How are you growing in your relationships?
Lord, help us to have a teachable spirit so we can contin-ue to grow in you. Give us courage to correct one another in the context of your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Steven and Deb Koster
Steven and Deb Koster have a passion for marriages, families, and spiritual growth in the home. Both are ordained ministers in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Steven formerly served as editor of Today and director of ReFrame's English-language outreach. Deb leads Family Fire, ReFrame’s family ministry at FamilyFire.com and on Facebook. The Kosters have three children.
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