Prov 27:17 states, “Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” But this, like so many proverbs, has conditions.

The verse, of course, is not instruction on knife sharpening. It is talking about sharpening and being sharpened by others. Being sharpened means we are better people, and more effective for the Lord. Several verses in this chapter deal with this subject. ”Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (27:5-6) ”Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.” (9) ”As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.” (19) ”As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.” (21)
The principle has four applications. First, the more time you spend beholding the beauty of the Lord, the more like Him you will be (providing you have accepted Christ as your Savior so the Spirit can do His work of 2 Cor 3:18). In 2012, spend time in one or more of the Gospels just beholding the Lord Jesus, how He responded to people, what He said. Fill your thoughts with Christ.
Second, seek that kind of friend in others. As the verses above tell us, we can be and will be influenced by others and if the friend is a “sharpener,” then we are the better for it.
Third, be this type of friend to another. It will motivate you to meet some of the conditions below.
Fourth, spend time in biographies, learning from great Christians who have finished their course and kept the faith. Start with Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret. Then choose biographies of Charles Spurgeon, George Muller, D.L. Moody, Amy Carmichael, Gladys Ailward, Mary Slessor and many others. Just be your own blade; don’t try to imitate these people in every way but allow God to prod you toward godliness by their dedication and service.

Now what are seven conditions necessary for iron to sharpen iron?
1. For iron to sharpen iron, it must be as hard or harder than the blade. So you will be sharpened only by people who have risen higher than you in some way.
2. It must have an affinity toward being sharpened. A bolt may be good steel but it will take a long time to make it sharp. So be willing to be sharpened and want to be sharpened by others.
3. The two irons must be in contact. We will never be sharpened by someone who doesn’t not communicate with us. Apply this to the four points above.
4. It takes time. Be willing to let the harder steel do the work; don’t rush it.
5. It requires that the blade give up something it thinks is valuable. Sharpening means losing something, giving up something so that we can be better by concentrating.
6. Iron sharpens much faster when it is hot. The closer you are to the Lord, the easier it will be to conform to the image of His Son.
7. Sharpening is a life-long process. Living, like a knife’s use, causes us to become dull so we need a regular sharpening. Our sin nature constantly dulls us. We need regularly to be sharpened by the Word, and by others.
Never give up in all four areas of sharpening and being sharpened.