II Timothy 2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Paul loved to pile up comparisions to emphasize his point. Here he uses the solider, athlete and farmer to emphasize the strength of commitment to Christ a believer should demonstrate. Farmers work hard, giving attention to every step of tilling, planting, cultivating and harvesting. Atheletes train hard and competes, not using steriods or trying to get away with fouls. And soldiers remember what they are called to: staying strong and alert to protect, suffering lack of sleep, shelter and some of the simple pleasures of life so as to not be distracted from keeping guard. The soldier here is the main illustration, and one more point is made from his/her example: "his aim is to please the one who enlisted him." This is not a reference to the recruiter who signed him up, but to the ultimate authority, his "Uncle Sam", his president and his country. Our goal, as follower of Christ, need to make it our primary goal to please Him, through our obedience and endurance. One of the key aspects of obedience is entrusting what has been given to us to others - passing on the "orders" to the next soldier. He has called us to be and make disciples - to teach others how to farm, to encourage them on in the race, to sign up to join us in the spiritual warfare all around us. May we be serious soldiers, devoted to His call on us.
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