Human friction

“Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” – George Elliott

I never wanted a dog until I got one, and then I wondered why I ever wanted to live without one.

She and I lived together before I married and it was the best of times. She was the perfect roommate. The amount of joy, love, loyalty, and companionship she gave me was ideal. She never challenged me and we had zero conflicts. We got along beautifully.

And then I got married.

It wasn’t long into the marriage when I began learning a great deal about myself. I now had another human being in my space challenging me on a regular basis. He loved me, no doubt, but he didn’t always agree with me. He had his own opinions and preferences, too.

“Life was so much easier when it was just me and Scout,” I would think.

“Life was so much easier when I lived by myself,” he would think.

And we were both right.

It was easy. We could be entirely selfish. We were entirely selfish. We had no one to check in with or answer to and we never had to compromise. With no accountability or push back, our faults and shortcomings were nicely tucked away.

God himself said it wasn’t good for man to be alone. Humans needed human relationships. Humans were created for human companionship. So why is it so hard?

What do you get when you rub two sticks together? Friction, sparks, fire.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

The friction from human relationships is how we are refined. God uses us to sharpen one another, which can be an uncomfortable process, but don’t resist it. Accept it. Press into it. It’s necessary for our growth. Because as we sharpen each other, we are shaped and strengthened and ready to be used by God.