“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17 When I read this verse, I picture a blacksmith working in his forge, practicing his craft to produce useful and clever things like knives, tools, and cooking utensils. Of course, that is just the beginning of the story. The action described in this verse happens later, after the tools have been dulled and damaged through use. Then, they are in need of sharpening – a painful and violent process. To sharpen a tool, you expose it to a stronger tool that knocks off the rough edges and smooths out the chipped and dented surfaces. If tools could speak,…