“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.”
2 Timothy 2:3-7
A good soldier, a winning athlete, a hardworking farmer. What do these 3 have in common? Well, the first thing, the scripture already says: there are certain rules that have to be followed. A soldier who disobeys orders is punished by his commander. An althlete who breaks the rules doesn’t win. And a farmer who doesn’t put in any effort won’t receive any crops.
Another thing is they all involve personal drive. The one can’t lean on someone else to get their job done for them, not can they compare their work with someone else’s. All three require the one to do their part with diligence. A good soldier must work out their own body and practice combat for themself. In doing so, they will save their own life, as well as the lives of other soldiers. A winning athlete must practice on their own time, getting better at their event. A hardworking farmer must know the land, know the seasons, know when to plow and plant and water and till, and he must do these things.
A good soldier can’t stop fighting and let ole’ Johnny take his place for a minute. He will die, and a lot of other people will probably go down with him. A winning athlete can’t stop while he’s competing and look around him. It will slow him down, and he will lose. A hardworking farmer can’t take a season off; he can’t even hire someone else to do the work for him because then he wouldn’t be hardworking anymore.
Do your part with diligence. Don’t get entangled in civilian affairs. Don’t stop fighting. Don’t lose focus. Don’t take a season off- so what if the farmer next door is growing more potatoes than you? It isn’t about them. It’s about pleasing your commanding officer.
