“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; and encourage us to do more for the Lord. And 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 faithful brethren and saints; that is the Lord’s wonderful plan for all of His children. It was never meant for us to walk this Christian journey alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 states: “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Think about it, do you have certain relationships that motivate you to follow God more passionately? It is vital that we 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. Good relationships with others help us to fulfill God’s plan for mankind and fulfill our duties in 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:” A true friend will always 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 the 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.