You need me. I need you. Let’s learn to work together.
Subscribe to enjoy all episodes of God’s Toolbox.
SPEAKER_00
Welcome to God's Toolbox the Bible. Today's topic is iron sharpens iron. Yes, iron sharpens iron, as in Proverbs twenty seven and seventeen that says as iron sharpens iron, so do we sharpen one another. But how does that happen? How is it that we sharpen one another? Well, no man is an island. And as Hezekiah Walker saying, I need you, you need me. We're all a part of God's body. I need you to survive. You see, that's a great theme in the Bible that we need each other. Our God is a relational God. He exists as Father, Son, Holy Spirit, three in one, a relational God, and He saw forth that we need to be in relationship with one another. He said to Adam, It's not good for you to be alone, so he made him a partner. Jesus said that the theme of the Bible is that God is the one that we should love with all our heart, mind, and soul, but the second commandment is like unto it, that we need to love our neighbor as ourselves. That means we love God and we love each other. And so we need to work together to make each one of us the best that we can be. So how does that happen? Because working together with other people, it's not as simple as rubbing one piece of iron against another. We're all human beings, each with a mind, will, and emotions competing for attention. So how do we work together to make it work for all of us? Well, basically there are three things we need to remember. First is that we need a strong sense of our own worth. Our worth is not rooted in the opinion of others, but instead in the unwavering opinion of God. Anthony Brown saying in worth, he says to God, you thought I was worth saving, that I was to die for. Yes, in God's eyes we are priceless. He loves us unwaveringly, and he's there for us, never leaving us nor forsaking us. So that should give us a sense of worth ourselves. And remember Psalm one hundred thirty nine and fourteen says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. So we must have a sense of our own somebodyness, a sense of our worth, that we have something to offer and to contribute to society, to the body of Christ. The second thing is that we should kill comparison and competition. Know our role in the body. Look at our own bodies. Each organ, each body part has a role to play, not competing with the other. But together it makes the body work. You know, John and Jesus, they were cousins, only six months apart. John began his ministry first, baptizing in the Jordan. And then Jesus came to him to be baptized. You see, even Jesus needed John. But then as Jesus began his ministry, John's disciples said, Jesus is taking all of our followers. Now they follow him. But John wasn't in competition with Jesus. He says He is the light, not me. Jesus is the Messiah. I must decrease so that he can increase. That's a person who knows where he fits in the total scheme of things. And he went on doing what he had been doing all along, preaching and baptizing. And Jesus recognized John by saying that no man born of a woman is greater than John the Baptist. Know your role. Paul and Apollos were both preaching, and there was a lot of talk about who was the goat, the greatest of all times. We know we hear it all the time who's the greatest. But what Paul said makes sense. He says I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but it's God who grants the growth. We're all working for the same purpose to glorify God. We're all the creation, but He is our creator. And so the third thing is that if we're going to get along with each other, we must be God centered. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these things will be added. So we have to have a sense of worth, killing comparison and competition, and being God centered. That's how iron sharpens iron. We need each other. It takes a village, and we all stand on the shoulders of somebody else who helped us get where we are. Parents, grandparents, forefathers, ancestors, teachers, coaches, community members, church members, pastors, leaders, even the heroes of the Bible, we stand on their shoulders to know our worth and our place and what purpose God has for us. So today, as you think about what you should be doing, think also about your brother. How you can be a help, a light, give a pat on the back, a word of encouragement, be that salt and light that God wants us to be. That's how iron sharpens iron. God bless you. Join us next week for another edition of God's Toolbox, the Bible.
