JULY 20, 2015
Faithful
Service
Read:
2
Timothy 2:1-10
You
therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.— 2 Timothy 2:3
Having
served in World War I, C. S. Lewis was no stranger to the stresses of military
service. In a public address during the Second World War, he eloquently
described the hardships a soldier has to face: “All that we fear from all the
kinds of adversity . . . is collected together in the life of the soldier on
active service. Like sickness, it threatens pain and death. Like poverty, it
threatens ill lodging, cold, heat, thirst, and hunger. Like slavery, it
threatens toil, humiliation, injustice, and arbitrary rule. Like exile, it
separates you from all you love.”
The
apostle Paul used the analogy of a soldier suffering hardship to describe the
trials a believer may experience in service to Christ. Paul—now at the end of
his life—had faithfully endured suffering for the sake of the gospel. He
encourages Timothy to do the same: “You therefore must endure hardship as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3).
Serving
Christ requires perseverance. We may encounter obstacles of poor health,
troubled relationships, or difficult circumstances. But as a good soldier we
press on—with God’s strength—because we serve the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords who sacrificed Himself for us!
Dear
Father, help me to be faithful in my service to You. Thank You for the strength
You provide to help me persevere through suffering.
God’s love does not keep us from
trials, but sees us through them.
INSIGHT:
Paul often uses colorful metaphors to
describe the Christian. Sheep (John 10:27), salt and light (Matt. 5:13-14), and
ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20) are well-known examples. In today’s reading Paul uses
three common professions to describe the motivation and challenges of the
Christian life. He speaks of the perseverance and allegiance of the soldier
(vv. 3-4), the dedication and discipline of the athlete (v. 5), and the
diligence and patience of the farmer (v. 6). Paul also uses these metaphors
again in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 9:7,27).
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015
