5月15日

標　　題：鐵磨鐵

經　　節：鐵磨鐵，磨出刃來；朋友相感也是如此。（箴言廿七章17節）

基督徒生活是一段朝聖之旅。道路偶然艱險又寂寞，我們有時可能變得灰心沮喪，甚至想要放棄。在這個時候，神往往會賜給我們一位朋友，與我們並肩前行。在神所賜的寶貴禮物中，其中一項就是鼓勵我們、親切地挑戰我們「繼續前行」的朋友。

根據聖經，朋友是能夠挑戰我們成為神所期望的人。約拿單本來可以繼承父親的王位，成為下一任以色列王，但他愛他的朋友大衛，鼓勵他的摯友遵從神的旨意，就算這意味著自己會被剝奪王位的繼承權（撒母耳記上十九：1∼7）。

聖經記述朋友的特徵，是他們的友誼能使你更想親近神。他們「磨」你，並且鼓勵你行事正直。真正的朋友會告訴你實話，心裡總是顧念著你的利益（箴言廿七：6）。

小心選擇朋友！耶穌有智慧地選擇自己的密友，祂並沒有選擇完美的朋友，而是選擇願意衷心跟隨神的朋友。檢查自己是什麼樣的朋友，也是同等重要的事。身為朋友，把朋友的需求看得高過自己的需要，是我們所當行的（箴言十七：17）。努力找尋能挑戰你成為敬虔的朋友。當你查找他們，要有受教的心，願照神使用他們的方式來接納他們，且幫助你靈性更成熟。同時，我們也要努力成為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.