In the book of 2 Timothy Paul is encouraging and pushing Timothy into his duties and responsibilities that he may have been neglecting due to the fear of persecution. In 2 Timothy 2:3-7 Paul said,
“Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.”
All of these examples speak of purpose, vision, discipline, focus and patient endurance. “Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life” because they have a purpose that demands their attention and focus. “Athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules.” There is a prize in a race and you must run that race and win if you want the prize. The only way to win the prize is to train to win which demands focus and discipline. “The hardworking farmer should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor.” There is only fruit if there is first labor. There is no harvest without first planting seed. But the reason you do the work is so you can reap the reward.
The soldier doesn’t get caught up in civilian affairs so that he can please his commanding officer. The runner runs the race according to the rules so that he can win the prize. The farmer plants the seed so that he can reap the harvest.
In John 4:34 Jesus said,
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”
As children of God and representatives of the kingdom of heaven we have a duty and responsibility to develop and use our gifts to accomplish our purpose and call in God. Our mission is to help people encounter the God of heaven and earth. We have been given authority by the one in authority to accomplish our mission. And I tell you the truth, we can do it! We can succeed. We can be the tipping point. We can play a role in the return of Jesus. We can affect culture. We can affect nations. We can affect our communities and families. We, the people of God, can cause this world to look more and more like the kingdom of heaven. We have been given the mission. We have been given the authority. We have been given the Spirit of God and the mind of Christ. My good peoples, let’s get into it!