Be the Iron

 As iron sharpens iron, so should one person sharpen another.

Proverbs 27:17

       After being at college for a certain amount of time, it starts to take a toll. All the studying and late nights starts getting to you, and you feel it. Random vocabulary words and definitions I need to know for different quizzes are floating through my brain; I've started to spout off random facts from my Criminal Justice class (which is my favorite, by the way), and it's slowly getting harder and harder to wake up early each morning.

    However, one phrase keeps coming back to me: Be the iron.

  Iron requires a similar type of metal to be sharpened. When the two pieces rub against each other, both pieces are sharpened and the rough spots are removed. Neither piece is changed or shaped until they rub against each other. In the same way, Christians should rely on each other to help shape and refine their lives. 

    One of the most important aspects of the Christian life is fellowship with other believers. Whether this happens at church or elsewhere, Christians should actively be gathering with other believers in fellowship; not simply because you're friends, but to be the iron.

    One of the goals that I've set for myself during college include being intentional with everyone I meet. It's so easy to just remember someone in passing, and to totally forget everything about a person once you've finished a conversation with them and go back to focusing on myself. However, I've found far more beneficial in all my relationships to be intentional with people. If I see someone in passing, I make sure to say hi, or I even stop to talk to them about whatever is going on with them. 

    Building intentional relationships is easier said than done, but it's also vital in the Christian life. In order to be the iron, it takes a lot more than just changing the way you interact with people, or saying hi to them in passing: you have to change your outlook on life. 

    Being the positive person in the room, or smiling at people in passing doesn't just change others' perception of you, but eventually, it changes you. Again, this is easier said than done. More often than not, this change is something that has to come from the Lord, and not from yourself; and it begins with love. 

    As a freshman at Oklahoma Baptist University, I have the privilege of being a member of the inaugural President's Leadership Class. As a group of 22 freshman, we hear from different industry professionals and gain tools to help strengthen our abilities as Christian leaders. One of the most important things I've learned, both in PLC and in life, is that you must truly love others. Not because you're obligated to, or feel guilty if you don't, but because you know that every single person is created in the image of Christ.

    By truly loving them, you begin to see the fruits. You seek those people out, and become invested in them. Everyone says life is all about connections, but the truth is, it's about intentional connections. What good is it if you're faking your way through life, and people know when you're not being authentic? The Lord created you with intention and for a purpose. 

    In short, b the person who builds others up, and loves them without hesitation. Find the iron in other people, and most important, be the iron.