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"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
(Proverbs 27:17)
Byron McWilliams is the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Odessa, TX. He is a friend of mine and knows about iron sharpening iron. For a hobby, he builds custom knives. I enjoy seeing his new creations when he posts them on social media. Pastor Byron will tell you a knife is only useful if it is sharp. A dull knife is not very helpful. In order to sharpen the blade, you need an iron-sharpening stone on which you swipe the blade of the knife. The two materials are similar in their make-up and only in the friction of grinding against the stone does the blade become sharpened.
It is the same way with friendship. When two friends get together and build one another up, they have the freedom to speak their mind and give both affirmation and constructive criticism. In fact, a true friend will tell you what you need to hear even when you may not like it or want to hear it. He or she will point out (in a loving way) specific areas you need to improve upon. Do you have a friend or friends like this? They love you too much to see you settle for second best, and out of genuine love for you, they point out ways you can grow and improve.
I have men in my life who speak truth in love to me, and it makes me a better person. I also have a great wife, who is also my best friend, who lovingly points out things to me in her own inimitable way. She does so sometimes simply by a certain look she gives me. My fellow married men, can I get an "amen" that our wives have that certain look! I may not like it at the time, but almost always (and I mean like 99% of the time), I have to admit it, she is right!
Notice that Solomon uses the word "countenance" in today's scripture verse. A true friend sharpens your countenance. It is hard to develop a lasting friendship if you never spend time with the person. I know women enjoy face-to-face conversation the most, while guys like a more shoulder-to-shoulder interaction, but the end result is the same: great friendships are forged on the anvil of heart-to-heart communication.
I am grateful to God for the good friends He has placed in my life. In addition to my wife, I am grateful for good friends who love me even though they know me very well. But most of all, I am thankful for Jesus, the absolute best friend anyone could ever have! He is not only my friend, but He is also (more importantly) my Lord and Savior. As the hymn so memorably states it: "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer!"
I hope you have enjoyed this week's devotions on the wonderful topic of friendship. Please know I am praying for all who read this week's messages, that God would bless you, keep you, make His face shine upon you, be gracious to you, lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26). He loves you and is for you. He is that best friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).
Have a blessed weekend!
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