Value!

Value!

Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17 KJV 

The Context and Contention:

Again, we look into the book of Proverbs, where each line is a full message on its own. Today's extract looks at the value of human interaction, and seeks to establish how best my life can impact others the way God planned it to. It must be established from the outset that God does not create that which He has no use for, and He will do all that is required for me to be a blessing in my generation. However, I have a role to play: subject myself to divine discipline. If I want to be used, I must submit to the process.

Only iron, or a material of its kind, can sharpen iron. You can't change the established order, or seek to do it any other way. You can melt iron in the fire to make a different tool, but as long as the need is sharpening, only iron will do the work well. The same principle applies in the spiritual; God has placed me on earth, and amongst people, so that my life can be a tool He can use to impact others. Think about this: there is nobody alive on earth who is not connected to other people, and as we relate, we show off the contents of our inner state. 

The Charge and Conclusion:

God did not create any man to be self-sufficient; the gifts in me are best used in the service of other people. I flow into other people's lives, just as other people flow into mine. What then am I bringing into the relationships that God has surrounded me with? Am I living to please God, and to serve others to the best of my ability, or am I all about what I can get first? Am I toxic to the people who surround me, or am I full of grace, with my conversations and conduct seasoned with salt the right way? I must recall that I sharpen the countenance of my friend. 

If I am your friend, it means that we share similar interests and impact. Those who come in contact with me would know what kind of person I am, when they see the kind of people I am comfortable around. Also, the more of God in me shines out, as I impact my space, the more friends are able to see, appreciate and embrace God in me. Is that the kind of impact I have? Before God, I must be sincere and honest; after all, God cannot be deceived. He knows me more that any other person does, and wherever He has planted me is my sphere of influence and impact? How am I faring? God's time of favour is here