“Iron sharpens iron,and one man sharpens another.”
This is a message
we often hear in the church, especially in the context of ministries aimed at
men, though it is equally true for women. It is a powerful metaphor of the
relational element of whole-life character (and perhaps even personality)
development. It has often been said that such engagement might produce sparks,
but it also brings strength and respect.
Pondering the
concept of “iron sharpening iron” causes me to ask practical questions such as,
“How can we sharpen each other for greater effectiveness and faithfulness in
the long work of the harvest? What needs to take place for us to overcome the
dulling effects of living and ministering in a fallen world? I have a 45-year-old boy scout hatchet (see below left) that is a bit the worse for wear. It could stand to be sharpened if it is going to be useful for chopping this summer.
Forged in Fire is currently a very popular television
show, where four contestants are challenged to construct their signature blades
in such a way that they will stand up to a series of sometimes gruesome tests
for strength, sharpness, and lethality. The final two contestants are then
tasked by the judges with building a specific weapon from history in their own
home forge that will be brought back to be tested and a winner will be chosen. While
within our learning cohorts we are not in competition with each other, there is a spirited discussion on matters of importance so that we can hear, learn, and
grow in understanding—all while taking seriously the call to build (not puff)
each other up.
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| Photo Credit Greg Dueker |
A Doctor of
Ministry (D.Min.) program is for those with considerable ministry
experience—having run, walked, or crawled through some victories, some defeats,
some wise decisions, and some foolish decisions. Yet just because we have
experience doesn’t mean that we know everything or can even rightly perceive
what we know. In cohort-based learning, we subject our pet ideas and approaches
to the scrutiny of the community of learners. Untested ideas get tempered and
nicked up a bit while the gouges and notches left by past and present conflicts
are hammered out, heat-treated, and honed through lasting relationships and
reexamination of the Scriptures, learning about the lives of fellow saints and
spiritual soldiers and humbly seeking godly wisdom in our ministry contexts.
Earlier in the
same “sharpening” chapter, the author of Proverbs wrote,
“Better is open rebuke
than
hidden love.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse
are the kisses of an enemy.” (Prov. 27:5-6)
This is also hard to hear…especially if we don’t like having our ideas and methods
questioned. Yet, for the sake of the gospel, we should be willing and ready to
face sharpening if we are going to be effective over the long term. Have you
ever taken the time to consider how open rebuke is better than hidden love? I’m not
sure that I have except to intuitively know it is better. The Book of Proverbs is
consistent in talking about how the wise man responds to rebuke differently
than the fool (See à13:1; 17:10;
28:23; 9:7-8; 12:1,15; 1:7-9, 23-27). The wise man finds value in being rebuked
for he can “learn” or “gain understanding” from the process. Even if the rebuke
is undeserved, it may still help produce humility in the wise man
and increase his dependence upon the Lord.
However, hidden love doesn’t help anyone. This verse (5) reminds me of a technique
you may have seen on the popular TV show, The
Voice, where, in the early stages of the competition, the coaches often try
to sell contestants on why they should pick them as their coach. One coach,
Adam Levine, often is complimentary, but then points out some minor issues that
need to be corrected and how he could help the singer improve. When he uses
this approach, it works almost every time over the “complements alone” approach
other coaches might employ, because serious performers want to get better.
As pastors,
chaplains, missionaries, and Christian leaders, we would do well to seek wise counsel
before going into the spiritual “battle” that swirls around us. As it is
written,
“Where there is no
guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14; See also 24:6)
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14; See also 24:6)
The
Bible—the whole counsel of the Word of God—when we delight in it, provides just
such an abundance of counselors (Psalm 119:24). It is a wonderful thing that we
don’t have to face the enemy, or prepare ourselves for the task before us,
alone. In fact, we shouldn’t even attempt it. The Apostle Paul wrote to a
younger pastor,
“All Scripture
is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of
God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
This means that
the Bible, read and studied together in community is God speaking into our
lives and ministries. It will be very useful since it …
- reveals what is right and true (teaching or doctrine)
- reveals what is not right (reproof)
- reveals how to get right (correction)
- reveals how to stay right (training in righteousness)
The bottom line is
that we all need a heart that is teachable, a mind that is applied to seeking
understanding, a heart overflowing with the love of God, the faith to leave our
comfort zone to join in the mission of God and to encourage others to keep up,
that and the physical strength to do the work.
I am thankful to
those men and women of my cohort who walked with me in full or in part through
the sharpening process—Mark Nicklas, Cliff Chappell, Joe Luce, Eric Knox, Chris
Haughee, Jody Bormuth, Noel Schaak, Jim Polenski, Joe-Silem Enlet, Wilfred Kaweesa, John
McKenricks, Serena Briening, Bill Myers, Will Berkley, Paul Louis Metzger and many
others who supported us along the journey!
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| "In Process" Photo Credit: Greg Dueker |
If there is one
thing I know about axes, it is that a dull ax doesn’t split much wood, and
just might be more likely to cut your leg than a log! Don’t be that person!
