"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). My take on that verse used to be quite limited. I understood it mostly just in terms of religious pursuits and mortification of sin. While those are certainly parts of the sharpening process, I have discovered another.
Recently I felt compelled to take financial matters into my own hands and pursue any part-time job I could find. After having door after door slammed in my face, one finally opened. Only two days passed and I felt that something was very, very wrong. I realized that there was absolutely nothing about that job that was related to me, my passions, my pursuits, my talents, my skills, or my goals. Part of that realization came from a co-worker at that job, who has absolutely no idea that he had such an impact on my life. He only spoke a couple of sentences, but that was all it took for reality to come flooding into my mind, heart, strength, and soul. By the grace of God, I am out of that job and already hired in a field that is directly related to my passions, pursuits, talents, skills, and goals. I would be foolish to say more, as I have not worked my first day yet. But still, the promise that it holds alone is tenfold over the other.
My girlfriend also played an important role in this whole process. She is constantly voicing truth to me in so many ways, even though I don't listen to her very well. She acts as a light to my darkness, a shelter to my chaos.
This period in life has also reunited me with an old friend. We have always remained strong friends even though we haven't had much time to interact for the last four years. Again, by the grace of God, we are experiencing similar circumstances and feelings, which has sparked a fire in our hearts that cannot be ignored. As a result, we are both working towards goals and seeking dreams that otherwise would have quite possibly been left to wither and fade.
To all three of these peculiar versions of prophets, I owe a great deal of thanks. I have learned that community means much more than the people you like, "man" sharpening "man" does not mean "male" sharpening "male," and that perseverance does not take on a lesser value if done alone. The clanging of spiritual iron is not confined to things that bear the label "accountability" or "small group." In addition to those, and perhaps stronger than them, are the angels in our midst; angels that more resemble resented co-workers or untimely rainy days than white, winged, harp-playing children.
Keep your eyes open for angels - they're everywhere. Keep your iron hot - you never know when you might get struck.
God bless.
