I was having a conversation with someone this week (ranting, really) about some things that were frustrating me, specifically about a relationship that I was having issues with. I was expressing how I didn’t understand why I was feeling so much pain, why the situation had to be so hard, etc. The dear sister I was talking to made a comment in passing that I don’t think she realized had a nuclear impact on my soul.

“You’re really just being iron sharpening iron right now. And the thing is that’s not a gentle process. There’s fire and friction and slamming pieces together.”

I realized in that moment that I’ve heard that phrase from Proverbs thousands of times, but never really got to thinking what it means in a practical sense. I’ve always pictured it just being a christian “ism” that people use to mean “you’re making each other better.”

That got me googling the process of sharpening iron. Usually, you use something like a whetstone and gradually wear down the iron until you’re left with a sharp, thin, edge. If you’re trying to use another piece of iron to sharpen the piece you have, that process get’s tricky. It takes much longer, and can often result in sparks and fire because of the friction generated by the two pieces and all the repetitive motion. For this reason, using iron to sharpen iron is not common.

This is not to say that every situation where this is conflict is a sharping (sanctifying) experience, but I begin to wonder how many times I have shied away from certain situations when, really, the conflict I was seeing was just the beginning sparks of a sharpening experience.
When I looked up the meaning of the Hebrew word used in the famous Proverbs passage, the meaning is tied to sharpening swords, making ready for battle, or preparing for a slaughter. This got me very excited, and my mind instantly jumped to 

Psalm 144:1.“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.”

Through the process of iron sharpening iron, we are better prepared to fight the spiritual battles and good works that the Lord has laid out for us in advance! (Ephesians 2:10)
I don’t know about you, but I think I’m carrying this confidence and this new thought into my week and walking a little bolder in my interactions with the people around me.

He who is mighty has done a great thing!
-M