Soldier, Athlete, Farmer

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. 2 Timothy 2:3-6

MANY KIDS WHO GROW UP in the church today view Christianity as a way to add to or enhance their lives, rather than as a death to the lives they are living and a rebirth to new lives in Christ. There is no way young Timothy could have labored under that misunderstanding. In a letter written from prison, Paul did not warn Timothy about the cost of serving Christ and give him strategies for avoiding the imprisonment he was experiencing. Instead, he invited Timothy to endure suffering for the gospel along with him. He used three images that Timothy would be familiar with to help his protégé see what serving Christ should look like —images of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer.

Soldiers don’t expect a safe or easy life, but instead accept hardship, risk, and suffering as part of the job. Soldiers have to focus on their duties and be wholly at their commanding officer’s disposal. So should Timothy and all who intend to serve Christ. Athletes in Greek games had to follow the rules of the sport to have any expectation of being awarded the prize. Likewise, we cannot flout God’s laws and expect that we will one day be awarded a crown. A farmer’s life is not filled with excitement, prestige, or recognition. But neither is it devoid of joy. Paul promises that the Christian who toils for the cause of Christ can anticipate the outrageous joy of fruitfulness in his own life, as well as being a part of planting and seeing gospel fruit grow in the lives of others.

We are swimming against the tide as we seek to implant this understanding of life in Christ in our kids. But just as Paul used the examples of the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer as teaching tools to instruct Timothy, so we can use them to teach our kids.

Lord, would you develop in ________ the obedience of a good soldier, the discipline of a good athlete, and the willingness to work of a good farmer? And would you give us the joy of celebrating with ________ the victory of his battles as a soldier for Christ, the prize of his finishing the race, and the harvest of his toil in your fields?