Walking the Tightrope

     God is faithful in my current role as an under shepherd (Jesus is the Chief Shepherd Hebrews 13:20). He is helping me to walk in the admonition of 2 Timothy 2:24-25a). "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness..." (ESV) I need continual guidance from the Holy Spirit on when to speak and when not to, how far to pursue something and when to let it go for a time, and when to intervene in a situation and when not to. The exterior issue is usually not the most important one. Most of us have deep wounds going back to our childhoods that only God can ultimately heal. As we become adults those wounds are usually still there, lightly bandaged but affecting much of what we say and do. One example of an exterior issue being affected by internal realities is the ongoing gender role debate. Is it truly possible to be equal in worth and value but different in role? I admit that it is male sin that fueled the feminist movement. I also believe that the devil has seized upon a legitimate desire for respect and godly treatment and used it towards his goal of destroying the family, and thus the surrounding society. Biblical truth gets lost in the emotions and the resultant controversy.
     Can there be any greater worth and value given to anyone than God the Father giving what is most precious to Him, His only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins? (1 John 4:9-10) If we are not receiving the revelation of the Word of God through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12-13) then it probably means little to us. If we are receiving this, then we begin to recognize that our worth and value in God's eyes is incalculable.
* Fun with Words-  The Portuguese pronunciation of the name of the prophet Habakkuk sounds very similar to the English phrase "have a cookie."