The Weekly Word - A Devotion for the Week of September 23
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
-- Proverbs 27:17
If you’ve ever tried to slice a fresh tomato with a dull knife, you understand the necessity of a sharp blade. While a dull knife will render the tomato a squished, pulpy mess, a sharpened blade will cut cleanly and efficiently through the soft skin, resulting in the perfect tomato slice.
Knives grow dull with use and need to be re-sharpened from time to time, which is why even the most basic set of kitchen knives usually includes what’s called a honing steel. By gliding a dull knife up and down along the honing steel, a chef is able to realign the edge of the blade, pulling it back closer to its original position and making it sharper in the process.
As Christians, we are called to be a honing steel for our brothers and sisters. Our words of guidance, wisdom or gentle admonition can help to realign a friend who has wandered astray, guiding him or her back toward faith. Likewise, when our own faith has become dull or diminished, a kind gesture or a word of constructive advice can lift us up, sharpening our worn edges and centering us once again in Christ.
As a honing steel for one another, we are called to shape, clarify, realign and refine each other’s faith, strengthening one another for the journey ahead.
Dear Lord, give me the courage and strength to be the honing steel to those in my life who might need guidance along the way. And give me a humble and open heart to receive the wisdom and advice of my brothers and sisters when I am in need of spiritual realignment as well. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.