Not long ago, a headline read, "Depressing Survey Results Show How Extremely Stupid America Has Become." If we substitute the word "dull" for "stupid" in this headline, the point becomes clear. The world around us has made people grow dull, just as God described in Isaiah 6:10: "Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed."

To Satan, the job is all about wearing people down through separation, division, and contention. It is a foundational part of his modus operandi. He wants to insert himself and his evil agenda between every human and his neighbor and between all of us and God. Remember, not only did he introduce sin by inserting himself between Adam and Eve and God, but he first inserted himself between Adam and Eve. And it is noteworthy that it only took a short time before Adam blamed God for creating Eve in the first place!

Humanity has been dividing and fighting ever since!

Enter our calling from out of this world. God's directive to us is to create genuine bonds, not just with Him but with each other. We need—we require—each other!

God has called us to be different—stand out from the crowd—and to work together to clear a path that He has defined for all of us, our sanctification! The basic meaning of "sanctify" or "make holy" is to separate out and cause to be different. He is creating something new in us that is fundamentally different from what we once were.

But we cannot do it alone. We need God most of all, and He requires that we work together to accomplish His purposes. One of the vital things we do among ourselves is to sharpen one another, as Proverbs 27:17 urges.

Our proverbial blades become dull when, by ourselves, we try to cut, chop, and scrape through the muck, the weeds, and the excess overgrowth of the world around us. On our own, we struggle to keep the path clear for our walk toward God's Kingdom, and what we may accomplish takes double or triple the effort. We become a little—or a lot—weary. At that point, we are likely to start looking for a break, and when we do, the real trouble begins.

At first, our lives become a little sloppy, a little unkempt. It becomes easier to sink back into once-abandoned habits instead of fighting all the time. Slowly, we become surrounded by the tall, unsightly weeds that begin choking off the good fruit we once produced. The result is that we become exhausted, worn down, and even duller. Our vision—both our understanding and our hope of a glorious future—dims. We cease to stand out, blending in with the world.

Human nature convinces us that we are not loved or not much use to anyone—even within our fellowship. Just as Adam blamed Eve and ultimately God, we start blaming others for our problems. We begin to hold grudges, sour on others, and become more vulnerable than ever to follow that voice in our heads that whispers, "Just walk away. It'll be better somewhere else."

This human tendency is exactly why we need each other!

We must recognize that when we find ourselves isolated—thinking we are on the outside, looking in—we do grow dull. But, at this point, we need to ask some tough questions: Are we isolating ourselves? Are we focusing too much on our own individual peculiarities and the discomfort they tend to create when we encounter one another? Have we convinced ourselves that unity of fellowship within our group, our congregation—our spiritual family—is just too hard?

Are we the problem, not our brethren?

What do we picture when we read, "As iron sharpens iron . . ." in Proverbs 27:17?

Iron is heavy and dense, and when it meets with any amount of force with another piece of iron, there may be a loud clang or even an occasional spark. Two pieces of iron rubbing against one another for a time will also produce heat and abrasion. This picture tells us something important.

We should strive to avoid contention, but our fellowship cannot be all mashed potatoes, bonbons, and backrubs. The proverb does not speak of iron tickling iron but iron sharpening iron! When that happens, there will be some discomfort, but in time and with practice, we soon find ourselves sharper, and all those challenges that wear us down today begin to fall as shavings at our feet.

No one enjoys being "sharpened." But if our discomfort is more important than our fellowship as brethren, fulfilling the Second Great Commandment (Matthew 22:39), then we need to question whether we are in God's church for the right reasons.

The world is dividing as never before. Systematically, we are being separated and segregated and partitioned until no stone is left on top of another (see Matthew 24:2). It is a trend that will continue until the very end (notice all the conflicts, troubles, and persecutions Jesus foretells in Matthew 24:4-12). If Satan can drive a wedge between us, if he can separate us, if he can impede, limit, restrain, or inhibit our fellowship, then he can prevent us from fulfilling one of our greatest obligations to God and family: to sharpen one another.

Recognizing how dangerous the world is becoming is just a first step. We must also acknowledge our vulnerabilities when we stand alone and the strengths we acquire when we band together in loving fellowship in imitation of the Father and the Son. We need each other!

With this in mind, we should remember the advice Solomon offers in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.