Iron sharpens Iron

Iron sharpens Iron

As iron sharpens iron,
So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Proverbs 27:17

The word of God is deep. The book Proverbs is certainly no exception. On reading this verse, I wondered at how many ways this verse is true.

Firstly, of the metals used in sharp tools and weapons, iron was the hardest for thousands of years. A tool or spear is only useful if it is sharp, but to sharpen metal, you generally need something harder to scrape away what is dull. If you tried to use a bronze file, the softer (bronze) metal would have little effect on the iron, and the harder iron would scrape the bronze.  You need iron to sharpen iron.

In our lives, we may hope to be a positive influence on those around us. But if we are immature, if our character is not developed – we won’t have an impact on the lives we are trying to help – instead, we ourselves will probably find ourselves wounded by the abrasiveness of others.

Secondly, it’s not just any iron that can sharpen iron. The iron tool I would use today is called a file. It begins life as iron with added carbon and is hardened through heat treating on a fire – heated until glowing hot, then quenched in water. In this state, it is actually too hard and will shatter easily if you don’t do a second heating, not quite as hot, in a process called Tempering.

In our lives, we will endure seasons of fire. Jesus never promised that life in faith would be easy. He promised that Christians will have tribulation (John 16.33), and James said to ‘Count it Joy’ when you face trials, because at the end of the trials, your faith is tested and you may become perfect and complete. (1 James 1:2-4) This is what hardening does – not hardening of the heart but becoming more resilient against attacks.

Tempering of our Character (temperance) is a concept that is all-but forgotten in the modern world. It speaks of the end result of the tests and trials: self-restrained, calm  and not overtaken by circumstances, emotions or temptation. Perhaps it is a concept that we should hope to see in the church again.

Lastly, there is another way to harden metal, through fatigue until the point of breaking. In metallurgy, it is called “work hardening”. It produces a hard, jagged edge that can easily cause a painful injury. The edge lacks temper and is of little use without being removed and reworked. Even if it is caught before it begins to crack, it is only through the fire that it may be soft and useful again.

In life, trials and testings are hard – but when we try to do it alone or unprepared, we may lack the endurance to pass the test. When we go through such trauma, especially trauma to the point of rupture, we must find healing. There are many bitter and hurt people who carry the hard, jagged edge of their injury and display it for the world to see. They are of little use, except to cause injury to others. It is only after they have gone through a healing process that they may again find themselves ready to be sharpened, and perhaps in the future, they may be useful in sharpening others.

In every command of God, there is a need for action. The term “Christians” in itself describes a people that are sent out into the world as envoys of God’s kingdom, as Christ was to us. We do not want to be needlesly abrasive, nor do we want to seek to wound those around us. Instead, I am sure we all hope to be ready to pass whatever test we face. Trials are a part of this life, and our response will determine how the world sees Christ through us. We are iron tools in God’s hand, collectively and individually. It is in our best interest that we help our brothers and sisters become sharper; it is also important that we can be there for them when we know they are going through trauma – lest they fatigue and develop a sharp, craggy edge. They may be the ones we need when we, too, are going through trials.

 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:2-8