Every good cook, or someone somewhat familiar with a kitchen, knows that a dull knife is frustrating. Even more so, a dull knife can be dangerous because it requires much more hard work to get the job done. Have you ever sliced uncooked sweet potatoes? They are probably the most difficult thing to slice because they are so hard! Combine a dull knife and an uncooked sweet potato and your just asking for a trip to the E.R. with a sliced finger!
Every knife will become dull eventually. So when our knives are dull, how do we sharpen them? They don’t sharpen on their own that’s for sure. Iron sharpens iron right?
We’ve all had experiences with friendships that made us better and we have all had friendships that didn’t. Friends with a calm personality inspire us to be calm. Friends that handle situations with grace, inspire us to show more grace. A godly Christian friend can inspire us in so many ways and can be beneficial to both of your fruits of the spirit.
Back to my knife reference, we sharpen our knives for a purpose. So shouldn’t we keep our friendships godly so that we can sharpen our purposes on earth? God created us so unique and we aren’t any comparison to a knife physically. You see, we can be sharpened by whatever we saturate in everyday. Are you saturated in friendships that are sharpening your spiritual journey or are you saturated with friendships that are non-fruit producing?
Let’s quickly glance at the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
As Christians, we should be searching for God’s direction in all aspects of our lives. Sometimes this means letting go of friendships that are hindering us on our journey. And sometimes, God removes those friendships on His own for our good. Growing as a Christian is so very important and it should be something we strive for everyday. Choosing and keeping friends that will sharpen us is biblical. “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17 KJV
Be mindful though friends, just because the Lord takes a friendship away doesn’t mean we should stop loving or praying for them. We can’t always understand why somethings happen the way that they do but we are called to love.
“But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” Matthew 5:44