“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17

“A jewel is a godly friend; nothing is more powerful than a loyal, faithful friend who will pray for you.”  This unknown quote reminds me of how valuable it is to surround ourselves with a network of honest and faithful friends. These are the individuals who will stretch us to grow in the faith; to do more for the Lord. Even though they will love us, they are not relaxed in letting us walk in error. If they recognize a particular sin in our lives or see something we could do better, they lovingly articulate the problem.

The apostle Paul valued the relationships of faithful friends. He surrounded himself with godly individuals who could help him achieve two things: 1) his God given mission and 2) his conformity to Christlikeness. While God richly used Paul to influence the lives of others, he was also built up and strengthened by his fellowman. That is the Lord’s wonderful plan for all of His children. It was never meant for us to walk this Christian journey alone. Genesis 2:18 states: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Think about it, do you have certain relationships that motivate you to follow God more passionately? It is important to watch who we allow to enter into our circle of influence. Our heavenly Father equips other faithful believers to encourage us, to pray for us, and to urge us toward a closer walk with Him. This allows us to devote ourselves to serving others. Good relationships help us to fulfill God’s plan for mankind and the up building of His kingdom.

The best relationships are between those who want to see each other grow spiritually; Hebrews 10:24 admonishes us: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” True friends are those who challenge us to walk closer to the Lord. “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:17

So, let us earnestly pray for discernment to choose true, godly relationships. God will send faithful and God-fearing individuals into our lives that will sharpen us for His glory.

God’s blessings of grace and peace be with you all.