5月15日
标 题：铁磨铁
经 节：铁磨铁，磨出刃来；朋友相感也是如此。（箴言廿七章17节）
基督徒生活是一段朝圣之旅。道路偶然艰险又寂寞，我们有时可能变得灰心沮丧，甚至想要放弃。在这个时候，神往往会赐给我们一位朋友，与我们并肩前行。在神所赐的宝贵礼物中，其中一项就是鼓励我们、亲切地挑战我们“继续前行”的朋友。
根据圣经，朋友是能够挑战我们成为神所期望的人。约拿单本来可以继承父亲的王位，成为下一任以色列王，但他爱他的朋友大卫，鼓励他的挚友遵从神的旨意，就算这意味着自己会被剥夺王位的继承权（撒母耳记上十九：1～7）。
圣经记述朋友的特征，是他们的友谊能使你更想亲近神。他们“磨”你，并且鼓励你行事正直。真正的朋友会告诉你实话，心里总是顾念着你的利益（箴言廿七：6）。
小心选择朋友！耶稣有智慧地选择自己的密友，祂并没有选择完美的朋友，而是选择愿意衷心跟随神的朋友。检查自己是什么样的朋友，也是同等重要的事。身为朋友，把朋友的需求看得高过自己的需要，是我们所当行的（箴言十七：17）。努力找寻能挑战你成为敬虔的朋友。当你查找他们，要有受教的心，愿照神使用他们的方式来接纳他们，且帮助你灵性更成熟。同时，我们也要努力成为助人更像基督的朋友。
Iron Sharpens Iron
As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the
countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17)
The Christian life is a pilgrimage. At times the
road is difficult, and we get lonely. Sometimes we may become discouraged and
consider abandoning the journey. It is at such times that God will place a
friend alongside us. One of God’s most precious gifts to us is friends who
encourage us and lovingly challenge us to “keep going.”
According to Scripture, a friend is one who
challenges you to become all that God intends. Jonathan could have succeeded
his father to become the next king of Israel. But he loved his friend David,
and he encouraged him to follow God’s will, even though it meant Jonathan would
forfeit his own claim to the throne (1 Sam. 19:1–7).
The mark of biblical friends is that their
friendship draws you closer to Christ. They “sharpen” you and motivate you to
do what is right. True friends tell you the truth and even risk hurting your
feelings because they love you and have your best interests at heart (Prov.
27:6).
Be careful in your choice of friends! Jesus chose
His closest friends wisely. He did not look for perfect friends, but friends
whose hearts were set to follow God. It is equally important to examine the
kind of friend you are to others. As a friend, it is your duty to put the needs
of others first (Prov. 17:17). Strive to find godly friends who will challenge
you to become the person God desires. When you have found them, be receptive to
the way God uses them to help you become spiritually mature. Strive also to be
the kind of friend that helps others become more like Christ.
