As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend
Into the Text
One thing I’ve learned through the years is that friendships come and go throughout the seasons of our lives. Some friendships feel like we are home: they are safe, welcoming, and easy. Other friendships bring laughter to our tears and joy to our hearts: they are the sunshine on our rainy days or sometimes through a rainy season of life. Yet other friendships require more work and intentionality: they stretch us and challenge us. And, in doing so, they make us better versions of ourselves. No matter the season, friendship is one of God’s sweetest gifts—and also an area where we need His loving wisdom the most.
I love how Proverbs 27 reminds us godly friendships make us better. They have a greater purpose than just enjoying life together—they’re part of God’s plan to refine us, encourage us, and speak truth into our lives. Like iron sharpening iron, godly friendships shape us—not only through the comfort they bring, but through truth spoken from a heart of love and grace that stays when life gets hard. They remind us of who we are in Christ and encourage us to keep going when we feel like giving up. This kind of sharpening doesn’t happen accidentally. It’s forged through prayer, vulnerability, and a commitment to love each other well toward Jesus.
That’s why we need God’s wisdom to know when to speak, how to listen, and what to say when words matter most. Without God’s guidance and wisdom, we can be tempted to speak too quickly, hold back too long, or walk away when things get hard. But when we choose to be brave, to walk toward our friends in love, wanting only the best for them, then we can navigate hard conversations, hurt feelings, or misunderstandings.
I know it can be hard to speak the truth when we fear rejection—and even harder to receive correction when we feel fragile. The key is to pray and seek His wisdom first, and then enter into the hard conversations with a tender heart and a desire to love both our friends and our God well.