Sharpening Iron

Scripture:
"Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17-18

Observation:
This morning I am really sitting with iron sharpening iron. What is God trying to say that He wants me to apply to my life today?

Application:
God has called me to live life in community with others and that is a good thing; but it also can be a bad thing. While iron can sharpen iron, but it can also dull it. If I live my life with others according to how God asks me too, we will sharpen each other. If I live my life with others in opposition to how God asks me too we will dull each other. So what is it that God is asking me to do? It is easy to take this verse and think that it means we are to confront each others weaknesses and encourage each other to grow stronger. Those are good things and there is definitely a time and place for them, but I think that God has something different for me this morning. In Romans 15:1-13 I see four things that God is asking me to consider as ways to sharpen others in my life.

First, I need to learn how to bear the weaknesses of others. In Romans 15:1 Paul says that it is not good to just do what is pleasing to me, I need to live my life in consideration of the weakness of others. That means that I will be inconvenienced. That means that I learn to live life under the weight of the weaknesses of others. That is hard for me because I typically want to get rid of other people's weaknesses because they are aggravating to me. It is easy to feel like my life should not be negatively impacted by the dysfunction of another, but God calls me to live a different way.

Second, I need to recognize that this is a life long journey and we are all seeking the same end. In Romans 15:5 Paul says that we need to pray for God to provide patience, endurance, and steadfastness as we seek to become of one mind according to Christ. This is not a one time choice. It is a daily walk that will require much from me. And we are not just seeking our own preferred life styles. Instead we are all seeking to live life like Christ lived His. As I do this, I need to be willing to share my life with others so that they may be able to find strength on days when they feel dull and so that I may draw from them at times I find myself weak.

Third, I need to learn to accept others. In Romans 15:7, Paul says that we should accept people just as Christ accepted us. There is nothing more comforting than feeling accepted just as you are. No pretending. No hiding. No worrying about what someone may find out about you. Just relaxing in the fact that you are accepted. That is how Christ accepted me and how I should accept others. There is a time and a place to challenge behavior, but that is almost impossible to accept from someone until I feel they accept me or they know that I accept them.

Fourth, I need to learn to be filled by God. In Romans 15:13 Paul prays that God will fill me with joy, peace and that I may abound in Hope. There is nothing that can sharpen my spirit better than being in the presence of a person consumed by joy, peace, and hope. It is uplifting. I need to seek to be this to others. The world is desperate for these three things. I am desperate for these things. Regardless of the circumstances I face, I need to maintain my joy, peace and hope. They are constantly available.


Prayer:
This morning You have given me four really tough things that I need to do to become a source of life and strength to the world around me. These are things that I can not do on my own. I need Your help in bearing the weaknesses of others. I pray that You make me strong. Give me the strength that I need to endure the weight of others. There are times that I lose my strength and energy as it feels like things continue to pile up on top of me. I am depending on You to hold me up.

I also pray that you firmly set my sights on becoming like Christ and remind me that this is a challenge of endurance that will last my entire life. Thinking of constant struggle is disheartening and is not something that I can do on my own. I ask you this morning for the perseverance, endurance and steadfastness required to complete this journey.

Give me the ability to walk in the acceptance You have given to me and the desire to offer that same acceptance to others around me. I pray that You surround me with people seeking to do the same. Set my sights on Christ and lead me to walk in the path that you have for me. I desire this more than anything.

Above all, fill me this morning with joy, peace and hope. Not so that I can feel good, but so that I may be a vessel of honor to those around me. Life on earth can really stink. There is just so much that causes concern, fear, and doubt. As long as I am on earth I will live life as a foreigner who is not at home. But that does not mean I should live a life held captive by fear and concern. I do not believe that is Your will. Help me rise above the circumstances of this world and become a beacon of your joy, peace, and hope.

Live and Let Live

Scripture:
"Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions." Romans 14:1

Observation:
No two people are going to share the same convictions. Each person's life represents a unique path and journey. We mature at different times and experience different seasons. Life is tough enough as it is. Christians have a tendency to make things worse by spending our time throwing rocks at each other.

Application:
The way Christians sometimes act can really make me sick at my stomach at times. There are times that I listen to all that goes on around me and I am baffled. It seems to me that Christians waste an awful amount of energy throwing rocks of judgment at each other. I get really tired of all the pointless arguments around what we should do or should not do. There are certain things that are absolutes. Sexual immorality, for example, contains absolute rules that apply to everyone the same. But then there are things that are just seem pointless to debate. Consuming alcohol. Watching R-rated movies. White lies. Cutting grass on Sunday. Telling jokes. The list goes on. Paul offers something in this chapter that really challenges me to live life in a different way.

First, in verse 5 Paul says that each person must be convinced in his own mind as to what God is convicting him in his heart. That means that we have to allow each other flexibility. I have to stop judging what other people do and looking to others for approval of what I do. It is ridiculous. Nobody has it all figured out. There are things that I see other people do everyday, that it is not ok for me to do. There are experiences I have had in the past that have just taught me to stay away from certain things. For me it is too easy to fall down. But I should never judge another person for not living to the same standards. I also can not allow someone else's freedom to cause me to step away from a conviction that I have. The important thing is to be convinced in my own heart that I am in alignment with my own convictions. At the end of the day God is going to hold me accountable for my own choices and convictions; not those of other people.

Second, Paul says we should live our lives in consideration of others. In verse 13 Paul encourages us to live our lives in a way that does not cause a brother to stumble. There is a consideration that I must have. I have been given the right to do many things, but that does not give me the permission to use it. There is nothing wrong with me having a glass of wine at dinner. The Bible does not forbid it. That said, doing so would really cause some people to stumble. I have to say no. There is not reason to cause confusion when it is so easily avoidable.
The final thing that I feel like God is saying to me is in verse 19. Paul challenges us to focus on things that build each other up. I really do not understand why we spend so much time tearing each other down and dividing ourselves over stupid debates. Why should I ever tear down someone who God has built up in order to make them behave just as I do? It is crazy. I want to just focus on living my life out before God and sharing life with others. There are so many good things that we get to do, I really feel like it is a great shame to waste time on arguing over what we should not be doing.

Prayer:
I pray that You protect me as I think through the application of what is on my heart. It is easy to get side tracked in this type of discussion and end up approving things in my life that You have asked me to stop doing. Help me to stop thinking about others and just connect with the convictions that You have placed on my heart for my own life. I do not want to be divided in my conscience. Even as I sit here tonight I know that You are still waiting on me to cut out some things from my life. I am grateful that I have Your Grace covering me while I struggle with my flesh in these areas.


I also pray that you really place a burden on my heart for the people watching me. Help me learn to live life in a way that will never cause another person to stumble. Give me the love I need to enable me to deny myself for the sake of weaker people around me. I also pray that all my conversations and interactions with others focus only on things that are good. Things that are pure. Things that build another person up.