Soldier, Athlete, or Farmer
Did you know that while Timothy is in Ephesus, Paul tells him 25 times to be strong and endure in his work there? I’m not going to lie, I feel like I relate to Timothy quite a bit. For Paul to need to remind him 25 times to be strong and endure, it is likely that he was prone to timidity or discouragement, and I know I can get that way. Anyone else?
In 2 Timothy 2, Paul follows his reminder about being strong by encouraging Timothy to be like a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. He tells Timothy to endure suffering and be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He says in verse 4, “Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted.” In other words, soldiers stay focused on the mission.
As followers of Jesus, we have been given a mission, we are to go and make disciples, we are to share the Gospel with others, and we are to love God and His children. However, we also have an enemy, and he does not want us to accomplish our mission. He will do whatever he can to try and distract us, discourage us, and destroy us. The Bible tells us that when we resist him, he flees.
Don’t let the enemy of your soul distract you from your mission! Don’t let him discourage you! Stay focused on the mission the Creator of the universe has given you. Your specific call may look different than mine, and the things you get distracted by may be different from what I get distracted by. The solution is still the same for both of us, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, abide in him, and seek him. He will direct our steps and keep us focused on the mission.
Don’t let the enemy of your soul distract you from your mission! Don’t let him discourage you! Stay focused on the mission the Creator of the universe has given you.
First, be a good soldier. The second thing Paul tells Timothy is “athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules” 2 Timothy 2:5. Athletes do not get to make up or change the rules of the game. When you break a rule, there is a consequence. The other team now gets some sort of advantage. I know that some people like to push the boundaries and break rules for the sake of innovation. I am not talking about those kinds of rules. I am not talking about what society expects from you. I am talking about the rules of the Christian life, or God’s commands.
If someone tries to keep you in a box, by all means, push the envelope a bit; we are to obey God’s commands, not society’s demands. But the things that God has asked of us, the things He has commanded us in His Word, are to be obeyed. God knows we get it wrong sometimes, and He has grace for that, but we must try to be obedient. We cannot be okay with taking advantage of His grace. Sin is sin, and God’s commands are His commands. The best thing we can do is have an athlete's attitude and be obedient.
The third person Paul encourages Timothy to consider is the farmer. Farmers work hard no matter what. Farmers don’t exactly get the fame, they are not exactly working with glamour, but they work hard. Farmers work hard no matter the circumstances because even if they aren’t sure if their crops will grow, they need to be ready. No matter our circumstances and no matter how gifted we are, we must work hard for the Lord.
Paul also says in verse 6 that “hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of the labor.” Have you ever had someone give you advice that they themselves don’t take? If I told the members of my church to read their Bibles but I didn’t read my own, no one would listen to me. I can’t teach something I haven’t learned.
When we work hard, God tends to do something in our hearts. When He transforms our hearts, we get to enjoy the fruits of our labors. When we have tasted the fruit, it makes it a lot easier to share with others because we know how good it is! We must persevere, work hard, and trust that God will produce something good.
A common thread for the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer is perseverance. None of them will be successful if they give up early. When Paul tells Timothy to be strong, endure, and persevere, he is telling Timothy to not give up. He reminds Timothy that God will give him understanding. God gives us grace and strength which means with Him, we can persevere.
I wonder how you’re feeling today. Do you find it easier to be a soldier, athlete or farmer? When life gets challenging, is it more natural to be focused, obedient, or hard-working? Then, on the flip side, where do you feel you could use God’s help? When life gets challenging, do you find it easy to get distracted, to live by your own rules, or to give up?
We have all experienced seasons where we struggled with one of these, maybe even all of them. But praise God for being our ever present help in times of trouble. Maybe this week, ask God to reveal if He wants to grow you as a soldier, athlete or farmer. Then, look for ways to do that!
Where do you feel you could use God’s help? When life gets challenging, do you find it easy to get distracted, to live by your own rules, or to give up?
Maybe to help you stay focused, you need to memorize a few Bible verses that remind you of your purpose. 1 Timothy 4:13 is a verse that I have memorized because it reminds me why I do ministry and helps me stay focused. When presented with a new opportunity, I want to ask myself, does this align with the mission of 1 Timothy 4:13?
Maybe to help you be obedient, you need to ask God to reveal an area of sin in your life. When you become aware, repent, ask for His forgiveness, and then receive His strength to help you stay away from that sin. I have a group of friends that I meet with each week to go over a few questions. One of the questions we answer with each other is do you have a sin you need to confess? We then are able to help keep each other accountable (see James 5:16).
Maybe you need to work hard no matter what circumstances you face. Maybe you have been wanting to give up on your current challenge so you want to be like a farmer. I pray that God would renew your motivation and fill you with strength to keep going. I was even reminded today of Galatians 6:9, to not give up in doing good. Keep going, for He is with you.
I pray that we all can be strong, endure, and persevere as soldiers, athletes, and farmers for the sake of God’s Kingdom and His glory. May you carry grace for yourself as God does, because we are all Holy in Progress.
With love,
Erica