Tuesday // Sept 4 :: 2 Corinthians 10

Paul gives us a glimpse of his humaness here - "some say I'm bod in my letters but timid as a person." I so identify. I can be bold in some ways and timid in others - when I ponder the Church and the Lord's ministry I think boldly - I even share thoughts and ideas about how things should be boldly ... but often when it comes to being active about that boldness, I feel timid and weak. That's my own doing - and it's not good.

I like that Paul is one that can sit back and see what needs to be done but then when it comes to being a friend, he stretches out the hand. (that's how I interpret what he he is saying here).

Paul is definately on the "offensive" in today's reading. We can understand this with our current state of war dominating our news and politics. Even the Iraq conflict is a "religious war" in my opinion - Muslims seem to have taken up "human plans and methods" while Paul urges Believers here to use "God's mighty weapons." It's with God's weapons that all things will be knocked down - and built back up. V7 hits the nail on the head : "The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance" (or TB paraphrase - you decide things with human logic). That is so true of the Church today (and most Believers) - we are living in what "makes sense" vs. what God is calling us to do.

I wish there was a "Paul" alive today. Someone who spoke the Truth in boldness and challenged the Church to get back on track. At times, I'm so afraid of what the Church is becoming.