Iron Sharpens Iron

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17

It is a joke in my office (sort of) that I am not paid to agree with my boss. It is true that the representative I work for has specifically told me he is not paying me to agree with him. The joke is the thought that anyone could pay me to agree to anything.

But, it is a common error that people in power (or who want to be in power) surround themselves with likeminded people and do not entertain ideas which are not already their own. My boss has taught me the lesson that he already knows what he thinks. What he needs is to hear from people who will challenge him to think more deeply or differently about a circumstance to determine whether he should stay the course or change direction.

And so, my job is to analyze policy from a conservative perspective. I am paid to tell my boss what I know about a policy issue and how that issue will promote or violate conservative philosophy. Once I have done that, and not until I have done that, do I get to tell him what I think about a policy issue. The fact that I have worked with this particular legislator off and on for 15 years generally means we can reduce our conversations to shorthand or facial expressions because he pretty well knows what I think.

But, I do try to expand my horizons beyond those who agree with me in both my professional and personal life. In policy it is always good to know what lies ahead by understanding beliefs, motives and intentions of those in the arena. In the personal arena of my life I find I have learned the most about myself when I am put in circumstances that make me feel like a fish out of water.

Several years ago I went on a missions trip with a group of like-minded individuals to work in an orphanage in Turkey. Going into the trip, my greatest concerns were whether I would find anything I would be willing to eat (I’m picky) while I was there and how I would be able to communicate. I am so language illiterate that I can’t even speak Pig Latin.

Those concerns were quickly overshadowed when I entered the orphanage. In Turkey it is illegal to proselytize. So, Christian groups are only allowed to work with severely disabled children. Language is not a barrier when the children you work with are non-verbal. A hug and a smile convey the message. What I would eat or drink was not a consideration when I was told that children in that facility die every year from dehydration because there is no one to hold a cup to give them a drink of water.

The entire week was a series of what I know conflicting with what I was seeing. Sharing cups spreads germs. But a shared cup beats no cup. Unsafe playground equipment is a risk. But when a child may get outside only once every six months because there is no one there, you play around the risks. When I walked into a room with 20 disabled children on the floor it could be a depressing sight, except for the great joy that would light up on their faces just seeing us enter.

The moral of the story: Take the challenge to determine whether what you believe stands up to scrutiny. Don’t ever be afraid to sharpen the iron. The very best time to change direction is immediately after you determine you are headed the wrong way.

Lord, help us to see beyond our preconceptions and biases and see your perspective in all things.