Iron Sharpens Iron: The Power of Friendship and Community

What do genuine friendships and a blacksmith's forge have in common? Discover the profound answer as we journey through the entrepreneurial path, examining how community feedback and meaningful relationships can shape our endeavors. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of the hidden progress in our lives, much like seeds growing unseen before they sprout. Gratitude for our listeners' engagement shines through, affirming the importance of our shared work. Through the metaphor of "iron sharpens iron," we delve into how the sometimes challenging interactions between friends can lead to personal growth and resilience, drawing inspiration from both biblical wisdom and the craft of blacksmithing.

Reflect on the fleeting nature of time and the enduring bonds we form, inspired by Ecclesiastes 10:10. We explore the value of embracing friction in friendships, akin to sharpening a dull axe, ensuring our relationships are strong and lasting. With insights from history, such as Abraham Lincoln's methodical approach to tree cutting, we underscore the importance of investing time and effort in nurturing friendships. These connections, strengthened through endurance and understanding, enrich our lives and help us weather life's inevitable trials together. Join us in this engaging discussion on the transformative power of friendship and community.

Hope you enjoyed today's episode! You can find and subscribe to our show on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Theycallmemistayu

Follow us Monday-Thursday on our Youtube, Facebook, IG, Linked In, and X platforms @theycallmemistayu. For audio listeners, TCMMY is everywhere you enjoy your podcasts. 

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! 
Start for FREE

Chapters

• 0:28 Sharpening the Ax With Friends
• 11:33 Embracing Friction in Friendships
• 20:21 Friendship

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:28

Thank you, welcome back to the All Purpose Pod for an all-purpose life. Wherever you are and however you're listening to the Call Me, mr U the podcast. Thanks again for making this part of your week. We're excited to be back with you guys. It's been a thrill ride so far A lot of great things going on, but I'm excited about where we're going as a brand. I'm also excited about what I'm hearing from you guys Every once in a while, whenever you try to start well, every once in a while, if you are a pioneer or if you are someone who is an innovator, you're creating things, you're building new things.

Speaker 1: 1:09

If you have any of that in you, any kind of entrepreneurial spirit in you, you're going to be facing some discouragement. At some point in time, you're going to feel like people don't have your back. You're going to feel like you're not doing enough. You're going to feel like what, the all that you are doing, isn't making enough of a difference. You're going to feel a lot of those things we all do. I do just being transparent, but that's not what my hope is. My trust is in Jesus and I recognize that everything I'm doing is a seed. In my opinion, I'm not wasting my time. I believe that it's making a difference. So every time I hear back from you guys and you tell me how a specific episode impacts you yeah, baby, that's hitting the spot, because that's telling me that you know what everything you do is to see. You know you can't see it and you know, if you're at all involved with gardening or planting, you get that the sea is not outside of the ground, it's underground, it's in darkness, it's in total darkness. Actually, you can't even see it growing until it begins to sprout and root. Then you begin to see evidence of what's grown. So every time I hear from you guys the comments, the questions you've been asked about topics on the show, suggestions you may have things you want to see on our brand of shows. It's encouraging, man. It lets me know that I'm doing a work that's worth something.

Speaker 1: 2:30

So thank you for you guys listening to audio and our audio favorites out there Apple Podcasts, spotify, iheartradio, pandora, amazon Music All the ways that you listen to us while you're doing all the things you do in life. Thanks for listening. It means a lot to me personally. I really appreciate it. And for those that are watching us on our YouTube channel or simulcasted on your favorite social media platform. Thanks again for doing that as well. Please hit the subscribe button on our YouTube channel. It helps us go forward. It helps us move into areas of monetization, which is always a good thing. Of course, do the same thing on Apple Podcasts, where you can download all of our shows from the past four plus seasons and, of course, hit subscribe there as well, please, as well. Thank you very much for all support.

Speaker 1: 3:27

Let's chat a little bit. This episode is the sharpening of the ax. Uh, you know, I know I talk about friendship a lot and hopefully you guys that know me consider me to be a good friend, cause I do aspire to be that I give a lot of myself to my friends. Uh, not in a way that people might do in the world around us, where they kind of just waste time and they don't have anything of value to offer. I try to take a different route, but I really believe in friendship, I really believe in that level of relationship and I try to really invest in it. I've done it over the years, to some degree to my detriment. I've shared some stories about that on previous podcast episodes. You can definitely catch them on Apple Podcasts for sure. But I've done that. I've done that a lot. That's because it matters to me, that's why I do it.

Speaker 1: 4:16

When I think about sharpening the ax, it was something that just kind of hit me when I was reading some scripture. Proverbs 27 and 17 was where I kind of landed to kind of start some of that. But it says as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. I think we're using it now even in the sports room. They say iron sharpens iron. I'll be real with you, they don't even know what that means. They don't even understand what the scripture is talking about. They're just using scriptural catchphrases. Now I don't know what's going on with some of these sports networks, but that's what they're doing. But I'm taking a different route. I want to stay as close to God's heart in this as possible.

Speaker 1: 4:58

So when I think about iron sharpening iron, if you've ever seen the process, for example, let's see if you've ever seen a video or watched a documentary on how swords are made. I've seen some of my videos. Recently of my birthday gift. I got a Claymore sword. I'm in love with it. I don't touch it, I don't play with it, because it's really sharp. No mistakes allowed there, but I'm just enamored by it. It's such a majestic weapon I know we've seen it in movies and in cinema and stuff. It just it's up on my wall in my office. It's like, wow, this is a sword. I mean, this is like I'm kind of just giddy about it. It's weird, but hey, that's who I am. But if you've ever seen a documentary on how swords are made and how they're sharpened, it's awe-inspiring.

Speaker 1: 5:50

Now, a blacksmith's hammer on a sword isn't a pleasant sight. If you were a sword and you had feelings, you would hate to be pounded on and struck so many times. All the friction and the sparks that come off of it because iron is hitting iron it's not a pleasant situation by looking at it. I know swords don't have feelings, but nor does metal. But to look at that it lets you know that there's a lot of friction involved with the process of iron sharpening iron. Now, you don't use cotton to sharpen iron. You don't use wood to sharpen iron. You don't use wood to sharpen iron. Use something that's just as strong as what you're trying to sharpen, if not stronger. So the idea of iron sharpening iron makes sense. So in this context the scripture says in Proverbs 27 and 17,.

Speaker 1: 6:41

As iron sharpens iron, so does a man sharpen the countenance of his friend. What does countenance mean In basic terms? It means your face, your demeanor, your attitude, your behavior. It also goes on to mean moral support, encouragement, your composure, your conduct, your ability to have restraint All those things mean countenance. That's a lot to chew on but I want to try to keep it as basic as possible here.

Speaker 1: 7:10

But if you have a friend, ask yourself do you sharpen your friend's countenance, do you encourage your friend to that level? Is there friction involved? What's the response to that friction? Now, I know if a sword did have feelings and he's seen that blacksmith hammer coming their way, the sword would probably take off and run because they don't want to get that kind of friction, that kind of activity, that level of impact on their life, because it's hard, it's sharp. If you watch a documentary on how metal is sharpened, you see it, it's very, very explosive and impactful and it probably doesn't feel good if a sword or metal had feelings.

Speaker 1: 7:56

So, as you, being a friend, are you willing to allow somebody to sharpen you? When I talk about friendship so much, because it means so much to me, I've had a lot of bad experiences with it and something that I desire and ascribe to be a better friend because of what I've gone through, because of what I've seen in my life. But I had to ask myself that question and I'm asking you the question I ask myself. Hopefully my answer is self-explanatory, but I asked a question today to you to ask myself Are you willing to allow somebody to sharpen your countenance? If you heard the example I just gave you about how metal is sharpened, you understand that friction comes with the sharpening of a friend's countenance. We need strong friends in our lives, no question about that. I know a lot of folks that have friends. Do they have strong friends? Different question, different episode. We don't need friends that provide us with an advantage or first crack at opportunity to be spotlighted in some way. We need friends that are strong, friends, that are faithful, friends, that are consistent. That's what we need.

Speaker 1: 9:04

The quote about sharpening the axe comes from, or has been attributed to, abraham Lincoln. In his famous quote he said give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Take a minute to ponder that. Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I'll spend the first four sharpening the axe. What does that mean? What does that indicate in the day? What that's saying is that preparation is key, and we'll get into that a little bit. It's going to be a little bit of a part of this episode today, but take the time to kind of hold on to that for a second. We're going to come back to it. So when we're talking about an axe, we know what it's used for. It's used to chop down trees, to make wood for fireplaces or for kindling, whatever. We understand that. But we understand in the process of sharpening any kind of metal there's going to be friction.

Speaker 1: 10:01

Ecclesiastes 10, verse 10, reads like this Ecclesiastes 10, verse 10, reads like this If the ax is dull and one does not sharpen it or sharpen the edge, excuse me that he must use more strength, but wisdom brings success. I love it. The reason why I saw him with the wisest man in the world. Listen to that. I'm going to read it again. Ecclesiastes 10, verse 10. It reads if the ax is dull and one does not sharpen the edges, then he must use more physical strength. But wisdom brings success.

Speaker 1: 10:36

How many of you ever felt like you've been wasting your time doing something that just had not been working out for you. You have not been working small, but you have been working hard. You know a lot of folks that work hard and they're miserable. They don't see the benefit of anything that they've done, they just work hard. They don't see any fruits of their labor. Do they have sharpened axes? Do they have sharpened edges or are they having to use more strength? That's the epitome to me of working smart, not hard. Abraham Lincoln's point was just spot on. He was spot on. If you gave him six hours to chop down a tree, he's not going to spend six hours chopping a tree down. He's going to sharpen that axe for four hours to make sure that the time he spends is as minimal as possible having to chop down that tree, in his assessment, two hours.

Speaker 1: 11:33

Think about things in your life in that same way. We haven't forgotten about friendship. We're still there. I want to come back to it. But just think about that In the light of Ecclesiastes 10 and 10,. If the axe is dull and one is not sharp in the edge, you have to use more strength. You have to use more physical when physical isn't the main requirement. You need strength to chop down a tree. But that shouldn't be where your strength is coming from. It should be from the impact of the axe against that wood If it's sharp enough. Your time is less. You're using less of your physical ability and draining yourself or potentially injuring yourself, and you're getting the job done. But wisdom brings success. What does all that mean?

Speaker 1: 12:18

In light of what we're talking about, it feels as though to me that we operate and function as if we have time. We live our lives like we have time. We look at the calendar as if we have plenty of time to get project A, project B, project C done. But in reality, time is brief and it's very fleeting. Every time you drive on the interstate and you see an accident or a car is turned over or a car is on fire, or an ambulance taking somebody to a hospital, or you see a funeral procession, or even look at the news and in the media, those are all great examples or great reminders of why time and life is fleeting. We don't have it to waste. We should talk about friendship. I'm still getting there. I'll be taking the long road to get there, but we're still there. We take our time for granted. That's pretty clear in a lot of ways and we probably can see that.

Speaker 1: 13:23

But, talking to you as a friend, you cannot fear the sharpening process. You can't run away from the process. If that sword had legs and it had feelings, as soon as the blacksmith's hammer started in their direction they'd be gone Because they don't want to deal with the pain and the friction. That's the challenge of friendship, our main point today. That's the challenge of friendship, our main point today. That's the challenge of friendship. We don't want to deal with the friction, we don't want to deal with the pain. Honestly, I know a lot of folks who have friends. I can name them all, one by one, people who I know who have a lot of friends. But I'm challenged to find people who I know who are willing to endure the sharpening of the countenance, who are willing to endure the friction and still maintain a strong bond between them. See, bonds of brotherhood are deep man.

Speaker 1: 14:23

In this time and in this climate, we should never be walking alone, but so many of us are. We're not walking together, having a mutual concern. We're not facing some of the same things. We're not bonding together to get past struggles and tribulation and issues and conflicts. Many of us are walking alone and a lot of times and this is just commentary, generally speaking, it's not about anybody that I know but generally speaking, most of the time that people are walking alone is because it's not because they don't want friendship, it's because they don't want what comes with friendship.

Speaker 1: 15:06

See, real friendship involves a little bit of cutting. Real friendship involves a little bit of friction. There's going to be times that you will not agree. Me and my best friends growing up we didn't agree on everything. Sometimes we had some knockdown drag out. At the end of the day, if you mess with him, you mess with me. If you mess with me, you mess with me. If you mess with me, you mess with him. And it was powerful and it was real and it was long-lasting. I was willing to endure the friction, endure the cutting, because I knew that at the end of the day, I understood that man's heart. I knew he was my friend for sure.

Speaker 1: 15:46

How many of you can see that in the friends you have right now? Don't point fingers at them. If you're watching it right now together, don't look at a person, don't bring them out. I'm just asking a question for you to ponder and meditate on. How many of you have that level of friendship. Where you have friction, you have a sharpening, and it's not pleasant. It doesn't even feel good to be where you have friction. You have a sharpening, and it's not pleasant. It doesn't even feel good to be in the midst of that process. But you're willing to do it because at the end of the day you'll be sharpened, or in other words, you're improved and developed. You don't fear the sharpening process.

Speaker 1: 16:27

Have you ever had somebody who just rubbed you the wrong way? I don't care what's going on. They're not doing evil against you, they're not bringing mischief into your life. But every time you talk to them it impacts you and it stretches you and it challenges you in a way that you have not been able to understand up to this point. I've heard from some folks that I'm that person. Not sure that feels good, but I think I understand.

Speaker 1: 17:02

But there's some folks that just rub you the wrong way. They don't they irritate you in a good way Well, it should be a good way if you receive it that way but they stretch you and challenge you in areas that maybe you don't want to deal with, things you ignore because they were comfortable to you. These folks address those things straight away. They can get into a whole bunch of different areas, but they don't. They go right straight to the heart of that thing you don't want to deal with. They rub you the wrong way.

Speaker 1: 17:30

There are people who call me big brother, who call me uncle, you who call me big brother, who call me uncle, you who call me dad or papa and all kinds of stuff. It's not because I need to have all these titles and these hats to wear so I can feel good about me. But what I think is going on from what they explained to me is that when they hear me talk to them in this very unique way that I do, when they hear me talk to them in this very unique way that I do, it hits something inside of them that makes them feel challenged, but they also feel safe. They know I'm not trying to hurt them. They know that I only want their best. I got their best interest in my heart and they respect me for it their words, not mine. They respect me for it and they respect what I it their words, not mine. They respect me for it and they respect what I'm trying to do and what I'm trying to hone and encourage them and sharpen in me and not only do I do that for others, but I am excited about that being done for me.

Speaker 1: 18:33

I want to be improved and developed. I want to be sharpened by a friend, this friction that comes with that, this conflict that comes with that, this loud sounds and noises and grinding that come with that, but at the end of the day we're sharper for it. Do you have that kind of friend? I wish I had more time to stay on this, but I don't. But it's something to think about.

Speaker 1: 18:58

If there's a person that rubs you in that way that reminds you of somebody and they don't know why, or every time you talk to them, they stretch you, they impact you, they challenge you. In that way, don't do what the sword would do if it had legs. Don't run away, don't hide from the person, don't try to avoid them, don't try not to make eye contact with them so they won't come and talk to you. Run towards them. I know this is crazy advice, but it's good advice. Trust me on this one. Run towards them. If that person moves you the wrong way and they're not bringing evil and mischief in your life, if they're not bringing foolishness into your life. Run towards them. Let's find out why that challenge is happening, why we're impacted the way that we are. Let's embrace it, let's explore it, let's be brave and courageous. Run toward that person. Spend time with that person, have coffee with that person, have lunch with that person, invite that person over for dinner. Spend time with them. Find out why you feel what you feel. Find out why they impact you emotionally, psychologically and spiritually the way that they do. Rather than run and hide and try to avoid it, run towards it. From past experience, I guarantee you you'll learn something about them and, most importantly, you'll learn something about you Wherever you are and however you're listening To the Call Me, mr U, the podcast. We thank you for making this part of your week.

Speaker 1: 20:21

Sharpen the countenance of your friends. Iron sharpens iron. Sharpen the countenance of your friend. If you got six hours to cut down a tree, do what Abraham Lincoln did Take the four hours to sharpen that axe, so you're not wasting your time and your energy. Friendship takes work. Put the work in, have a great day, enjoy the music. Coach out you.