As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27: 17 NIV
I’m sure you have heard of Milton Hershey and if you have not heard of Hershey himself, then I am sure you have heard of Hershey Chocolates—the company he founded—and you may have even heard of the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, where his chocolate factories were originally located and all of his chocolate was produced.
Like so many entrepreneurs, things had not gone smoothly for Milton Hershey; he had tried to start companies before and his first two companies had gone bankrupt. By the time he started Hershey Chocolates, most of his friends and family, who at one point were willing to financially back him, had had enough of his business ventures and would no longer help to support him in these ventures.
Milton Hershey had started working in a candy shop at the age of 14. He started a candy business and it flopped; he moved to Denver, Colorado and it was there that he learned how to make caramel with milk. Returning to Pennsylvania, he started making the caramels and selling them from a pushcart. After three years of selling from a pushcart, he started the Lancaster Caramel Company. He continued to work in this business and dabble in chocolate-making for the next 16 years. Finally, he sold that business and started the Hershey Chocolate Company. This business finally took off! After so many years and failed attempts, finally something was working! But then, one of his employees and friend decided to leave—to start his own candy shop. This candy would use Hershey’s same chocolate recipe but would encase a smooth peanut butter filling in the center. Hershey’s friend’s name who started this? You guessed it—H.B. Reese, maker of the Reeses cups. Instead of getting mad at his friend for using the expertise Milton had taught him to start his own candy company, in the same town yet, Milton still extended friendship to Reese. They created a mutually beneficial relationship with Reese buying his chocolate from Hershey to make his Reeses cups.
How would you have responded if you had been in Hershey’s shoes? I think I would have been mad! But Hershey had the wisdom and maturity to not overreact and instead he leaned into the friendship, and believed the best about Reese, that he was not out to topple Hershey’s empire but rather he was chasing his own passions and dreams, and it led to deepening their friendship.
Sometimes God places people in our lives to challenge us. In Proverbs we are told, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV). Sometimes our friends will challenge us in ways that we like, that make us think of things in a new way. Other times being sharpened by another person won’t always make for the most comfortable experience for us, but it will stretch us beyond our comfort zones, teach us patience, and ultimately shape us into the people God has designed for us to be.
The next time a friend or acquaintance does something that you weren’t expecting and that you frankly don’t like, try to remember they are most likely not doing it to hurt you. Most likely they are just living their life. Extend a little grace, perhaps talk to them about your feelings if it is appropriate, and remember to extend Christ’s example of loving others. Look for ways in which God could use this experience to grow and shape you to be who He wants you to be—who knows what could grow from your efforts!
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