Iron Sharpens Iron
By: Taylor Bennett
“Iron sharpens iron, as one man sharpens another.” - Proverbs 27:17
If you look up synonyms of the word “sharpen,” a few include “to hone or to make more effective, improve, perfect.” This verse speaks to the importance of having people – or a community – around you to learn more about the Lord and live according to His way. It can be challenging to find such community, but there are a few practices that can make it easier. First, be intentional in where you are looking for your people. Second, seek out certain attributes in the people you surround yourself with.
The first may seem fairly obvious, but I think the importance of where you are looking for community – especially if you are seeking community that encourages you to pursue the Lord – is worth reiterating. Three places that I have sought and found such community is:
Church: I encourage you to not only attend a Sunday service, but to get involved in the life of the church by attending Sunday School, joining a small group, volunteering, etc.
Bible study: There are a lot of different bible studies you can become involved in at Hillsdale - whether it be through your dorm, sports team, fraternity or sorority, etc so take advantage!
Hang out with the “old people”: Seek out older people to mentor you! More often than not, people older than you are more than willing to share their wisdom with you.
The second – the attributes of the people you are seeking out – is equally, if not more, important as you look to build your community. In my own life, certain characteristics in others that have been instrumental in my own growth and walk with the Lord. For fruitful relationships, seek out people who have these attributes:
Questioner and Truth Teller: Asking good questions is an art, and a particularly powerful one. You need people in your life who are going to ask you the hard questions and tell you the truth, even when it is a hard truth. Make sure the truth they are leading you to is ultimately pointing back to the Truth of God’s promises to us as His people.
“Practice What They Preach”: Throughout Scripture, we see the importance of not only being a hearer of the Word, but a doer. Seek out people who are attempting to live out God’s commands in their life daily – of course no one is perfect at this (myself and you included!) but having others around you to inspire you and hold you accountable is incredibly powerful.
Fun Loving: You need people who are there in the hard moments – to ask questions, to tell you the Truth, and to pray with you – just as much as you need people to be there when it’s time to have fun. Find people who will give you a good laugh or two; sometimes laughter is the best medicine!
Forming deep, authentic community that sharpens you as God intended takes time and intentionality, so stay encouraged even when it doesn’t happen overnight. Rest assured, you will find your people – there is no better place to form a thriving community than in a town where the motto is “it’s the people!”
Taylor Bennett is a 2019 graduate from Hillsdale that majored in psychology. Taylor is currently working for Hillsdale College as the Freshman Programming and Mentoring Coordinator in Career Services. Taylor’s favorite breakfast food (especially recently) is an Americano and any pastry from a local Hillsdale coffee shop!
