Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Proverbs 27:17 KJV
One of the first casualties of a busy life is friendship.
Often we don’t even realize it is missing, because the more activities we have, the more people surround us. Yet because we are in a hurry, we don’t form real friendships with most of these people.
We all have a need for close friendships. We need others in our lives who will challenge us to make us sharper, bolder, gentler, and more Christlike.
For married women, husbands provide much of this needed intimacy. But no man can meet every need for female interpersonal communication; women need women.
Some may think that a sharpening friendship is characterized by leisurely conversation and prayer over a cup of tea. And sometimes this does happen. But the greater honing comes when abrasives are applied. Days spent helping a needy friend or nights spent beside the bed of a dying one develop patience, strength, and courage.
Friendships like these take time. It’s beneficial for our health and countenance—and those of our friends—to make that time.
Dear Jesus, I know You are a friend who sticks closer than a sister, yet sometimes I need the comfort of friends I can see and touch. Help me to say no to extra activities so I have time to invest in friendship. Amen.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2013 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Helen Widger Middlebrooke.