Iron Sharpens Iron

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

— Proverbs 27:17

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There is an interesting and perhaps convicting illustration of both friendship and accountability found in Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (NASB). In Old Testament times, one iron blade was used to sharpen another blade until both became more effective tools. This visual aid of a common implement of work or war provides a practical model for many human relationships. We can see the connections to life and in that, this verse and the principles it contains becomes quite useful and life related.

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One of the greatest lessons I’ve been lucky to learn today is that iron sharpens iron. I always knew, growing up in New Hampshire, that the only way to sharpen a blade was to grind it against another of the same source, but in particular, I had never applied this to my own life.

Iron sharpens Iron, just as one man sharpens another.

This viewpoint, this awareness was like a lightning flash to my eyes, what a paradoxical way to view the world. Whether good, bad, or indifferent, every one of us teaches us lessons we need to learn, not to tear us down, but to bring us back to life, to usher us to becoming stronger, sharper, more resilient.

Without one piece of iron to sharpen the other, the other will become dull, lifeless, useless. This simple lesson illustrates the purpose of being able to thrive, move on from, and grow our personal and professional relationships. It’s not about using people, it’s about acquiring, learning, and putting forth the friction in our personal lives to aid us in becoming stronger, more purposeful, more useful, more wise.

The process of helping someone else improve their effectiveness absolutely requires a positive relationship, and we know this concept is very true. You are the culmination of the five people you spend the most time with, and although our friends and families may wound us at some points, it is to their benefit we can use those lessons and turn those lessons into strengths for the future. It is almost the same as muscles…we must tear the fibers in order for them to grow, recover, and improve for the next round of exercise.

I could write about this concept all day. But, this paradigm shift truly impacted my heart, thought, and desire to find purpose in my work. Don’t let the failures and valleys of your life define you. It is what you do in those moments and how you use them to build yourself back up into something even greater.

Just as iron sharpens iron.

See you out there. Drop me an email.

~ Cam King // info@ckcollective.co