Sharpening the Edge

At Providence, we've been expositionally moving through the book of Ephesians. It has been a great last few months in diving into the Word together with the rest of the body at our church. The title of the series, "Shine," perfectly nails what the book encourages us to do in the world that we live in. Missionally-speaking, we are called to constantly shine in order to glorify Christ Jesus.

On Sunday morning, our pastor, Barry Keldie, drew parallels between Ephesians 5v.25-28 (in husbands loving and leading their wives and families) and Ecclesiastes 10v.10. More and more, there is a great need for men to plug in to one another's lives and build strong, lasting relationships. This is more than just for men to grow individually; it is in order that men might become stronger leaders.

In Ecclesiastes 10v.10: "If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed." (ESV)

If our hearts, minds and spirits are not sharpened and honed in by the Word, through prayer, and through community both with God and fellow Believers who are men, we must use more and more strength in order to lead our families, churches, and lives. Of course, we know that, on our own strength, we will NEVER be the leaders we need to be. But, we must continue to hold one another accountable in order to sharpen ourselves along this path. Wisdom is the key to leading in any circumstance.

Be wise and continue to hone the iron! Let us continue (or, in many cases, intentionally BEGIN) to meet together in accountability and love.