I have just been reading 2 Cor. 6:3-10, and although it described Paul and Timothy's experiences as apostles, much of it could and maybe should apply to each of us. What do you think? What might God highlight to you?

"We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us … We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind … We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love … We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defence. We serve God whether people honour us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us … Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything."

"We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defence" and "Our hearts ache" were the two things that stood out to me.

Firstly, our warfare is not just defensive, which is the emphasis in Eph. 6:10-20, but also offensive. The picture here is of being able to engage the enemy from whatever direction he might attack us. The devil is a master of deception. Many of his most successful attacks come through our not recognizing him as being behind whatever painful experience we are going through. However, we need always to remember that we wrestle not against flesh and blood. I take this as a command not to attack and criticise others no matter who they are. Whatever the person might be doing and no matter how remote their actions are from me, I am to identify their behaviour as the work of Satan and attack him not them. This is easier said than done. Due to our fallen nature, our first reaction is to be judgmental.

Secondly, our hearts need to ache. In this life there will always be situations and people that should cause our hearts to be filled with sorrow: loved ones away from Jesus, children being mistreated and exploited; wars that go on for years and years. God's heart aches for the lost, wanting all to be saved. Jesus wept over the sorrow that death brings, and over the population of Jerusalem who would later cry: "Crucify him!" His heart ached over those who were like sheep without a shepherd. I believe we can share in his sufferings by sharing his heart, and we need to guard our hearts from becoming hard and self-absorbed.