The most quoted scripture about friendships comes
from Proverbs 27:17: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”
The Sharpening Process
As men, we love the idea of someone making us better but often forget part of the analogy. To sharpen iron you must grind it against a stone or another hard service to refine the blade.
We Need Other Men
All the men in my cohort this year are in their thirty’s with young children. This stage of life often finds men isolating themselves as they pour into their work and focus on their families, yet this is one of the most critical decades in a man’s life.
How many of us know someone who divorced during this stage of life? No matter what stage of life we are in, we must not isolate ourselves. We need other men who sharpen us when we spend time with them. Men who challenge us to repent of sin and also urge us to be more of what God has created us to be.
The Blessings of Authentic Friendship
Nevertheless, the friendship should not be one-sided as we should help our friends become better men as well. So often our culture convinces men that we should pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, but this is not realistic nor biblical. We need other Christ-seeking men whom we can enjoy the blessings of authentic friendship.
Reach Out to Godly Friends
Have you been praying for God to lead you to friends who are also seeking after Him? Have you intentionally reached out and asked these men to breakfast, lunch or to participate in a shared hobby? If not, start praying and reach out this week as restaurants have opened again and the weather is turning cooler.
Another Challenge
Have you avoided a difficult conversation with a close friend recently? Pray for wisdom and grace to communicate with this friend and reach out to them. Awkwardness fades but how many of us are thankful for someone who challenged us to do better?
John Gore
MD5 Facilitator
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