#8-Discipleship-Challenge

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Forging metal requires intense heat and pounding of the blacksmith’s hammer. Without the heat and the hammer, the metal cannot be shaped. The same is true of us. Like the blacksmith, the Lord refines our faith by fire. He uses difficult circumstances and He uses the words of faithful friends, like heat and hammer, to shape us as well. Like a potter, and like a blacksmith, God is constantly shaping us to be more like Jesus so we can live for Jesus.

None of us can survive or thrive without spiritual encouragement and challenge from faithful friends. King Solomon confirmed this principle in his famous book of proverbs. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend … As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:6, 17). In other words, wise people invite other people to speak truth into their life.