Be Sharpened!

As iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens [and influences] another [through discussion]. PROVERBS 27:17 AMP

Unless you have strength to burn, or you seek to deceive people with activity, you don't go to work with a blunt instrument. Whether as a farmer, a painter, a teacher, a designer or whatever the calling or specification may be, there is a place for sharpening. I owe it to the world God has placed me to seek to continuously improve myself.

However, a key factor in this process is the human angle. No matter the calling I have received, fellow human beings are the raw materials for the assignment God has given me. It does not matter how gifted I am as a writer, a farmer or a painter, if nothing I do is seen, appreciated, criticized or rejected by man,  I will not know the full scope of what God is doing. Until I bring his gifts in me to bear on the people he has called me to serve, I may not fully understand purpose. I cannot deliberately stay away from people and somehow expect that I will make an impact.

Also, the fact that I am certain of my assignment from God does not guarantee that man will accept me. I must be aware that being backed up by God does not always mean a universal appeal. What is key is to understand that a man with the right message will always command an audience. The audience could be 1 person or many, but God will always give someone a message that is apt for a particular person, in a particular situation and at a particular time.

Iron is always used to sharpen iron, not a blunt instrument. Am I like sharp iron, with grace to make impact in my generation? Can I be trusted with lives by God, and as I relate with people, do we grow together in our relationship, knowledge and experience of God? When I sit down with others to discuss, what is the focus - building up or destroying others? His time of favour is here.