The Soldier, the Athlete, and the Farmer

2 Timothy 2:4 KJV
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

We’re on the battlefield for our Lord. Are we the soldier armed and ready to meet the enemy or are we the soldier looking behind him longing for our past life? If we look back, like Lot’s wife (Gen. 19:26), things don’t turn out well.

Christian soldiers must live a life with Jesus as the central focus. Must we have jobs? Yes. Do we have to care for our kids? Yes. Should we have friends? Absolutely. But our life’s goal should be to serve Jesus with the singular focus of a soldier.

2 Timothy 2:5 KJV
And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

Athletes have the ability to orient their entire life to reach a goal. They change their diet, their lifestyle, and they work tirelessly to reach their goal. We must do the same and run the race to get our prize: a heavenly crown!

2 Timothy 2:6 KJV
The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

The farmer puts in a lot of work to see a successful crop at harvest time. He also gets the be the first to taste the fruits of his labor. This is a blessing! Spiritually speaking, the fruits of a Christian walk are love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (self-control) (Gal. 5:22-23).

If we don’t see these fruits increasing in our lives, we’re doing it wrong. In addition, we should not be telling others to *work* on creating these items in their own life. It is our job for them to taste and see of our fruits that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8), and He will do the work of creating fruits in their lives.

Whether you see yourself as a soldier, an athlete, or a farmer: we must all put in the effort to serve our Lord.

Corresponding Sermon: Nathan Smalley 5/22/22 AM