The Blessing of Good Friction
Well, how about you stoppin’ for a lil’ ol’ visit, friend. You came steppin’ right up here to this ol’ front porch lookin’ like someone who just spotted a patch of shade that promised a lil’ bit of wisdom and maybe a little mischief. So, go on and pull up a chair right here where the breeze is wanderin’ through the trees like it’s plum inspectin’ the property and the Honeysuckle bush is standin’ proud like it won a blue ribbon at the county fair. I’ve been sittin’ here watchin’ a fidgety lil’ squirrel tryin’ to negotiate with a stubborn ol’ bullfrog over who gets the best spot near the water trough, and it plum set my mind to churnin’. Folks guard their independence the same way that lil’ ol’ squirrel guards his acorns, but Proverbs 27:17 reminds us, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” And Psalm 133:1 adds, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” God never meant for us to grow sharp all by ourselves.
Sharpenin’ is not a real gentle hobby. You don’t sharpen a knife by whisperin’ compliments at it. There has to be some real pressure. There has to be some real friction. There has to be real closeness. And that’s exactly why so many of us stay spiritually dull. We keep folks at arm’s length like a skittish lil’ ol’ goat that plum refuses to be herded. We git to protectin’ our image instead of our growth. We choose comfort over connection. And we miss the very process God uses to make us useful.
God knows how to bring someone into your life that’ll not be a “yes‑person”. He’ll send someone who sees what you can’t, someone who plum nudges you toward the next step, someone who sho’-nuff’ loves you enough to tell you the truth even when it lands like a pebble in your shoe. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Real friendship ain’t about constant applause. It’s about honest pressure that shapes you into somethin’ sharper, stronger, and more Christlike.
Small groups do that. Real friendships do that. Authentic community does that. They plum help us grow in ways we never could alone. They sho’-nuff’ help us to see blind spots, break bad habits, and step right on into the calling God has placed on our lives.
Father, help me open my heart to the people You send. Give me courage to welcome truth, humility to receive correction, and wisdom to recognize the friends who sharpen me. Shape me into someone useful for Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, as you carry this truth with you, let it settle in your heart the way a soft evenin’ settles over a quiet pasture when the lil’ ol’ fireflies start clockin’ in for their night shift. Sharpenin’ ain’t real flashy like an ol’ proud rooster struttin’ around hopin’ someone applauds. It’s real steady like an ol’ barn door that keeps swingin’ true no matter how many seasons pass. It’s real gentle like the hush that falls over the woods when a lil’ ol’ deer pauses to listen closely. And it’s sho’-nuff’ powerful enough to take the smallest bit of honest friendship and turn it into a whole new direction for your life. You gotta be walkin’ forward with courage, friend, because the Lord knows exactly how to use the right people to shape you into who He has designed you to be.
With joy,
Gwen
