Iron Sharpens Iron

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

This passage was the foundational passage for a men’s ministry I helped lead many years ago. It is the foundational passage for a number of ministries. The idea of one man or woman helping to mentor or hold accountable another – is foundational on many levels.

Are you in fellowship with another person or a group of persons? Do you have someone who knows you so well that they can help you in your daily spiritual journey? Are you in an accountability group? Is your relationship with your spouse so good that you can hold each other up spiritually?

Accountability is essential. We can rationalize almost anything in our lives – if left to our own thoughts. Most sin is rationalized behavior or thought. If we are to strive for holiness – we must be honest and faithful. Find someone to help you along the journey.

The Importance of Fellowship

Ecclesiastes 4:12

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

A men’s ministry I was blessed to work with in years gone by used a very similar passage as their base Scripture – Proverbs 27:17 – As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. They believed that part of the benefit of being in fellowship together was the way they could enhance each other’s walk with Christ. They called themselves Iron to Iron. They met monthly for a meeting. Many of them were in the same weekly Bible Study and Sunday School class. We had 25-30 men in a weekly Bible Study and over 80 adults in one class for Sunday School. It was a time of great spiritual growth. A number of the men took road trips together to Promise Keeper events. One such event was Stand in the Gap in Washington – DC – on October 4, 1997. I was there and some reports say there were nearly 3 million men. It was a life experience I will never forget.

I mentioned recently – to our current Bible Studies – that part of the reason we spend the first portion of our studies talking about praises and prayer concerns is to get to know one another better. Small group ministries are very important. I would imagine that upwards of 50% of a typical congregation only attend worship each week with the church family. If folks only spend an hour plus with one another a week – with the pastor – with the family of God – at their local place of worship – they will not know each other well. Spending time in a small group where one could ask questions – where others can interject their thoughts – always opens up dialogue.

Iron Sharpens Iron

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

My wife and I have gotten into the habit of binge watching TV shows. Recently we have been watching All American on Netflix. It is a sports related TV show. Players trying to become better.

If you ever played a team sport – you know that practicing with your teammates often improves your game. The better the teammate(s) – the better you will become – because you are competing against the best in practice. Offenses that practice against strong defenses – often say they improve their game. They often say it makes game day easier – because they have been practicing against a top 10 defense all week or against an All-Pro in certain positions – and they often play a lesser defense or player on game day. Going against a future Hall of Fame player every day in practice has to improve your game.

Do you remember growing up – and being influenced by your peer group – your close friends? Parents typically spend a lot of energy trying to influence us about the people who influence us – because it really does matter. The old saying – one bad apple spoils the whole barrel – is so true at times. Most of us are not leaders – most of us are followers. We are more easily swayed by others than we sway them.

Who Are Your Real Friends?

Proverbs 17:17

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Do you know who your real friends are? I mean – the people who will be there through thick and thin? The people who will go through tough times with you and not just the good times? Do you really know who your real friends are? Who are your real friends?

Growing up – I experienced what many of us have experienced. I’ll call them fair weather friends. The kind of friends who are your friends as long as everything is going well. As long as there is not real challenge or difficulty. But the minute things get rough or tough – they bail on you. Can you identify? Who are your real friends?

In the sports world there are fans like this. As long as their team is winning – everything is fine – but let them go through a losing streak – like the Orioles and their current streak of bad seasons – and the fans – the fair weather fans – leave the team. When the team begins to win again – folks will jump back on the bandwagon and come out and claim to be fans again. A real fan wants to win – of course – but they are fans whether the team is winning or losing. I have been a fan since 1965 – I was 10 years old and really started following the team. I started collecting their baseball cards and listening on my transistor radio late into the night. They won it all in 1966 and several times in the next two decade but have since hit a snag. I remain a fan.

Have Mercy on Me A Sinner

Luke 18:13

‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

It seems so easy for some – maybe even for most – to point out the sins or wrongs performed by others. Little children learn to tattle on their siblings to mom and dad at a young age. It is easy to point a finger at someone else and report their mistakes and sins.

I remember – being told as a child that when I point a finger at someone – I have three fingers pointing back at me. I also remember this passage of Scripture. Matthew 7:3–5 – ³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

In the news – we often hear stories from media sources of perceived wrongs of the current administration – yet we don’t always hear the reports that the previous administrations did the very same things. Wrong is wrong – whether someone else did it before us or not – just saying. When we have a penchant toward picking out the mistakes of others before correcting our own mistakes – we leave ourselves open for ridicule and judgment.