Iron Sharpens Iron

Today I was privileged to spend about 8 hours with some men of God that I quickly learned to esteem very highly. In our fast-paced society, these times of getting to be with brethren of like precious faith are a rare commodity, and I have learned to truly treasure them. Since I was the youngest man in the room, I did not speak much (after all, God did give us "two" ears and only "one" mouth), but rather sat and listened to the stories, thoughts, ideas, and wisdom that poured forth from these other men. It was an humbling experience that spoke much to my heart. At the end of the meeting, I packed up my things and walked out of the room with the following thoughts on my heart.

1. None of us are in this alone. We all face pain, disappointment, heartache, and frustration. Much of it is just life, but God, in His wisdom, uses every one of these situations to perfect His plan in us and develop us into the men He wants us to be. I got a fresh glimpse of the fact that preachers are just men. They bleed when you cut them. They hurt when you betray them. Their light bill comes due at the same time everyone else's does. I remember a time when I thought preachers were 10 foot tall and bullet proof. I've grown since then and realized they are just men, and regardless of how invincible they may seem, they have their own real battles to fight, and sometimes the outcomes of those battles are not attractive at all.

2. I have no reason to complain - EVER. Regardless of how bad I think I may have it at times or how unfair I feel life may be in certain seasons of my life, I have yet to experience some of the heartbreak that was shared with me today. I have no reason to despair. I have every reason to lift up my hands to a gracious God and thank Him for the benefits he daily loads me with.

3. Iron sharpens iron. Proverbs 27:17 makes this powerful statement, and I experienced it today in a powerful way. After spending time with these great men, I felt challenged, encouraged, and stretched to become more than I've ever dreamed of becoming. As I listened to them speak, I was able to catch glimpses of deeper places in God to reach for and greater things in the Kingdom to pursue. I felt growth ignite in my soul today and I realized it's been way too long since I have experienced that feeling.

4. I am a very small part of a very big thing. In I Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul uses the analogy of a human body to describe the function and inter-operation of the church. It was powerful to watch the various talents and gifts of these men come into play today in our meeting. There was diversity in the abilities and strengths in the room, but their was unity in the purpose and desire present - to see the Kingdom of God grow! I realized afresh today how important it was to regularly fellowship and spend time with other brethren that share my calling. It keeps you humble because you realize how much you need those around you. It challenges you to grow, because you realize that every man is, in some way, your superior and in that you can learn from him. To isolate myself would be foolish and would spell certain destruction for both my ministry and my walk with God.

I will close my comments with this (since it is getting late) the younger generation of ministers that are stepping up to the plate need the type of exposure that I had today. If for nothing more than to communicate to them that the true concept of ministry is not fancy sermons, nice suits, and unlimited power to heal the sick and prophecy blessings into people's lives. Real ministry, Christ-centered ministry, will not come without a high price tag, and only those that are truly in love with the Master and with His sheep will be willing to pay it.


Desiring to be sharpened,

Paul Nolan