Proverbs 27:17(KJV)
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
The truth is, your company affects your destiny. The company of those you keep goes a long way to determine your values and beliefs. There is an adage that says “birds of the same feather, flock together”. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says “evil communication corrupts good manners.” We can easily become like those we spend time with. Just like one piece of iron can make the other piece of iron extremely sharp and thus more effective by rubbing up against it. Likewise, when believers are involved in one another’s lives, mutual edification occurs. Two solid Christian friends can also have the same type of positive effect on one another by sharing their own personal walks in the Lord with one other. Friendship is an integral part to our growth in Christ, our growth as a person and helping others grow.
By having other good and solid Christian friends to share your journey with, you will literally accelerate your spiritual growth and development in the Lord because you will have more than one source in which to feed and learn from. Sharpening builds people up, so don’t see the words of another as a critique, but as a way to grow more in your faith. As we bring out the best in one another, our character is refined, just as an iron blade is sharpened by the grinding from another piece of iron. Sharpening may not always be easy to hear and to say, yet if we are not challenging each other, then our lives can easily slip away from God’s best for us. As Christians, we are to be sharpened and to also sharpen others, in order to advance the Kingdom of God. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.” The best way to get sharpened is to hang around with those who are sharpened. Let serious-minded people be your friends. If we are surrounded with unserious and undisciplined people who lack self-control, our lives will also turn out exactly the same way as theirs.
Beloved, you cannot say you are a born again Christian and all your friends are drunkards, womanizers, criminals, prostitutes or liars! It means that your Christianity has a question mark. Do not let anyone force you into a relationship that you are not sure of or comfortable with. Friendship is not by force, friendship is by choice. There are some friends you may need to disconnect from if you must reach your future and fulfill your destiny. One bad choice in friendships can lead to your ruin, whiles one good choice in friendships can be one of the most rewarding and beneficial parts of your life. Examine your association and make sure you are with the right company. Choose the right kind of friends to be around you, for much of who you are is the result of who you chose to be your friends. True friendship is when you have a friend that can challenge you, correct you, encourage you and build you to be the person God intended you to be and visa-versa. Today, let your heart be touched and be opened to listen, so you can sharpen each other as you all grow more and more in faith! Always bring your will under the control of the Holy Spirit. Get involved in Bible based fellowships and Prayer groups.
O LORD, thank You for Your Word, I ask that You bring the right people my way as you continue to bless my friendships and deepen my trust in You in Jesus’ Name.