Day 7

God expects us to live and serve in a community of other believers, and He desires for us to build loving and growing relationships with others..
The process of helping someone else improve their effectiveness requires a positive relationship..
God-honouring, inter-personal connections are designed to help us grow in Christ-like maturity..
This sharpening must come with a heartfelt desire to help the other, with trust & respect – be that person..
As for us receiving counsel, It is much better to accept godly advice or even constructive criticism from someone we know, someone we love, and someone we know that cares about us, than it is from a stranger or simple acquaintance..
We want to know that the person giving us the counsel has our best interest at heart..
Friends may indeed “wound” us at times, but we can understand and appreciate their genuine motives. Conversely, the “kisses” from enemies fall flat and we can imagine their hypocrisy. (Proverbs 6:4)
But our godly relationships and the resulting conversations and discussions must drive us back to the Word of God where our loving and gracious Heavenly Father gives us true life-changing strategies..
God will use the convicting power of His Holy Spirit and the Word of God to rebuke us of the sinful and harmful practices in our lives..
But God never just points out weaknesses without providing a solution..
God’s Word helps us “correct” the problem and provides the step-by-step “instructions” we need to go on living “in righteousness.”
“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend……..” (Proverbs 27:17)