Iron Sharpens Iron

Proverbs 27:17, "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

I am so looking forward to Tomball Love Machine this morning. It is a small group community of people who for the most part share little in common besides a desire to choose life. All of us are learning to truly live in this chaotic and confusing world. It is a time, like the proverb says, of iron sharpening iron. It is a time to look critically at oneself, and to see the truth in Christ reflected back. These thoughts are not only mine.

Henry Nouwen had these thoughts as well. Someone titled them A Choice Calling for Discipline. I think the title could have been different, regardless this is what he had to say on the subject.

"When we look critically at the many thoughts and feelings that fill our minds and hearts, we may come to the horrifying discovery that we often choose death instead of life, curse instead of blessing.  Jealousy, envy, anger, resentment, greed, lust, vindictiveness, revenge, hatred ... they all float in that large reservoir of our inner life.  Often we take them for granted and allow them to be there and do their destructive work. 

But God asks us to choose life and to choose blessing.  This choice requires an immense inner discipline.  It requires a great attentiveness to the death-forces within us and a great commitment to let the forces of life come to dominate our thoughts and feelings.  We cannot always do this alone; often we need a caring guide or a loving community to support us.   But it is important that we both make the inner effort and seek the support we need from others to help us choose life."

Choose life, and find a community, a small group, some friends who will support you in that choice, and walk the same path in their own life.