Take A Friend Who Can Sharpen You

By James Quansah, Pastor 

“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

A MEDICAL doctor-turned preacher, Dr. Paul Enenche, Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre in Nigeria reportedly shared a message which was re-shared by many years ago. The message did not only excite my spirit but also confirmed a bad attitude I have observed in the Body of Christ. I wrote about it years ago, and I am inspired to revisit it considering its commonness today.  

Pastor Enenche purportedly wrote, “Iron sharpens iron. So, look for the kind of person that sharpens you. Beware who you call your friend. Friendship is by choice and not by force. And friendship is not for fun. In the late 70s and early 80s, when believers met each other, their mode of greeting was, “How are you, brother? Have you heard about the Welsh revival? Did you read about Evan Roberts? I saw something in ‘Herald of His coming’ that just shook me.

I read something about Smith Wigglesworth. Did you hear that John Hyde stained the wall of his room with the breath of his prayer? I read that Maria Woodworth Ether was approaching a place to preach and fifty miles from the place where she was, people were falling under the anointing…”

Those were the kinds of things we said to each other. When you heard it, it set you ablaze. Your friend might say to you, “When I read that, I locked up myself for ten hours. I did not come out.” And you look at him, you said how many hours? I will see you later! You just go into the room and lock yourself up: what! What am I doing with my life? And you go on and on.

That was how we sharpened each other in those days. Iron sharpens iron. We learned of William Booth of the Salvation Army. We learned of Charles G. Finney riding a horse through town and everyone was crying for his or her sins…We read of D. L. Moody: they said, “God is looking for a man to use, and he is looking for a man that will not care who takes the glory.” D. L. Moody, a shoe maker, said, “By the grace of God, I will be that man…”

When you read that, it sets you on fire. And if you heard it from someone who read it from somewhere and shared it with you, you would be sharpened. That was how we sharpened each other. Today, it is different. When two pastors meet, you hear things like, “Pastor, how is the church building? Have you finished it now? I like this neck tie of yours; where did you buy it from? This wristwatch is powerful! Who helped you to get this car? Can you assist me to get the car also? I like it!

Your suit is powerful. Is it ready-made or someone sewed it? Who is your barber? I like the way you cut your hair.” These are the vanities believers discuss these days – things of no eternal consequences. It is very rare before you can come into the presence of a servant of God and leave edified. We rarely hear that a person went to see a man of God, a real man of God and left there challenged, with his soul set on fire. It is very rare,”

In April 2013, the Holy Spirit led me to read the Bible in an unusual way. I deeply hungered for the Word of God. That was after I had begun reading books and sermons written by Kenneth E. Hagin, Bishop Dag Heward Mills, Charles Spurgeon, A. A. Allen and D. L Moody.

I also bought a lot of books and read others on the Internet. The Spirit of God also led me to the ministries of Apostle Alfred Nyamekye, the late Prophet T. B Joshua, the late Bishop Justice Kojo Bentil and other anointed men of God.

My spiritual life and understanding of scriptures improved greatly. The Lord Jesus Christ has a plan for all His followers. When He calls you to follow Him and you sincerely give yourself up to Him to make you the kind of person He wants you to be, He will help you to seek His kingdom and righteousness first. Seeking to be in a holy alignment with the Holy Spirit is the principal thing in a Christian’s walk with God.

Unfortunately, today like Dr. Enenche said, many Christians have no regard for the instructions of God to read, study and obey them. We have no burden to seek first spiritual growth and believe God for material wealth to follow as we work hard. The consequence is the modern church filled with persuasive words but without the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives as expected.

If believers in a church doze off and yawn as the pastor preaches or teaches early Sunday morning, what do you think is the cause? If believers in a church do not gradually grow up spiritually to conform to the image of Christ after years, what do you think is the cause? There is no fire; there is no or little move of the Holy Spirit in the church. So demons have the freedom to put the people to sleep and prevent them from hearing the Word of God.

If we children of God will repent, lock up ourselves in our closets to fast, pray, read good Christians books and the Bible, and rid ourselves of sin, we will do the mighty works John Wesley, John Knox, Evangelist Francis Akwasi Amoako, Billy Graham and Reinhard Bonkie did.

Above all, we will preach, teach and heal as the Lord Jesus Christ did. It is written, “The student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6: 40, NIV).

“Who is it that is sharpening you? Who are the people around you sharpening your life? Please, watch your company. Some pastors had more fire until they entered the circle of friends they are in today. Watch the persons you call friends. Iron sharpens iron. Nothing sharpens iron like iron” (Dr. Paul Enenche).

James Quansah is the Executive Director of Christ-Conscious Leadership Centre (CLC) and lead Pastor of End-Time Christ’s Commissioners (ECC), Kumasi, Ghana. James is also a journalist by profession. He is married with four children.