Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”.
I have a small collection of pocketknives that I rotate carrying with me in my daily work. I always like to have a sharp knife and small flashlight in my pocket, they come in handy. I also have some nice hunting knives and a good collection of kitchen knives from various places in the world. One of my earliest memories is of my dad sitting in the living room and using his Arkansas wet stone and “Three-in-One” light oil to sharpen his one Case brand knife. He did this every month.
My oldest son has taken up this interest in good knives and keeping them razor sharp. He follows several YouTube experts on the subject and now has me buying ceramic wet stones and a sink bridge to sharpen my kitchen knives. Sharpening has a rhythm and a repeating pattern that can be peaceful and thoughtful. The use of a very sharp knife can be safer than a dull knife, where excessive force in cutting can cause the knife to slip and cause injury.
Humans have been using stones to sharpen metal edges for ages. When an iron or steel edge is used, the edge develops kinks and flat spots and the sharp edge bends out of shape resulting in dullness. Modern cooks use a rounded, long tool made from very hard steel, with a guarded handle to “true” the edge back into a straight line by moving the blade up and down the steel. Barbers who still give straight razor shaves, use a leather strop to do the same thing. If you are old enough, you may remember the strop for its other uses.
The writers of the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments illustrated our need to keep our faith sharp and that moving around in the world would dull our effectiveness as followers of God and in our relationships with others. “Iron sharpens iron” as a Proverb illustrates this well. This depicts not a well-made wet stone being used in solitude, but tools and weapons in the field, in the heat of battle or while harvesting the crops. We need each other, working and fighting together to stay sharp and effective. We need each other to “true” and sharpen our faith through contact, conversation, fellowship, accountability and praying together. We all get “bent out of shape” and need to be “trued” as we fight the good fight and work together in the field.
As we move into this new year and find new ways to strengthen our faith and improve our lives, we should ask ourselves, “Who in my life can I trust to be accountable? Who will support and care even when I mess up, fail, outright sin, rebel and disappoint?” In other words, who will “true” my edge. Maybe for you, that is your Bible or book study group. Maybe it’s old friends from church that you have known long enough to trust with your secrets. John and Charles Wesley did not just preach and make converts, they set up “Bands” and “Classes” wherever they went to accomplish to this same thing, that is, they made Christians accountable to each other and to God. May you form or find that group in your life in 2024!
(Steve Berger is pastor of First Methodist Church Minden, a Global Methodist Church. He is the husband of Dianne, his partner in ministry, they have two adult sons, a dachshund, and love living in Minden.)