“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17, NKJV). Sharpening isn’t a gentle process. It involves friction, pressure, and heat. This verse uses that image on purpose to describe what real friendship does for us.
It’s tempting to want friendships that only affirm and never challenge. But iron doesn’t sharpen iron by being soft. The friends who’ve shaped you most were probably the ones honest enough to push back sometimes.
This works both directions. Are you the kind of friend who only offers comfortable agreement, or one willing to sharpen someone else, even when it’s uncomfortable for both of you?
As you think about your relationships this year, this verse is worth using as a filter. Who’s sharpening you, and who are you sharpening in return?