Friday, October 27, 2006

The Power of Friendship

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)   As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

First note: it is iron we are talking about. Not tin. Not soft rock. Iron is filed by iron to refine its shape, to sharpen its edge or to shine its surface. A lonely piece of iron, by itself, can do nothing.

It should never be “lonely at the top” for effective leadership is not a solitary endeavor. The leader must have around friends who provoke the leader to deeper thinking (energizing the intellect) or provide authentic encouragement --both brighten the countenance.

Testing ideas in conversation refines our skills: its also the penetrating questions of the soul that shapes our spiritual being. The influence is great; therefore, leaders must choose wisely the friends who would brighten their countenance.

Copyright © by P. Griffith Lindell

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