When
I
was a teenager, I had a job that did not have a clear job
description. I did not
know what I was supposed to do and
neither did my employer. It
was
frustrating!
After
reading the first part of 2 Timothy, I was beginning to get that
same feeling
again.
In
this
section, Timothy is told to do his work by God’s power (2 Timothy
1:7). He is reminded to be
strong in Jesus’ grace
(2:1) and to guard the gift he had been given “…with the help of
the Holy
Spirit who lives in [him]” (1:14).
If
God’s work is to be accomplished by God’s grace and power, what is
Timothy
supposed to do? Is he is
supposed to
just sit back and watch?
Not
at
all! Timothy has a role. One that is illustrated in
three ways.
“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 2:4-7).
In
each
case, the person involved is fully committed.
The soldier is fully committed to obeying his commanding
officer and
carrying out his orders. The
athlete is
not an amateur who plays just for fun.
The Greek word here denotes a professional who is fully
dedicated to
winning the prize. The
farmer invests
time, effort and money long before he ever sees a return. Farmers must make a
commitment in the spring
if they are going to receive a harvest in the fall.
Timothy
is to be committed. He is
told to
“Endure” (2:3). He cannot
be half in and
half out, because “lukewarm” does not work (Revelation 3:16).
Too
often we get the message wrong. We
say,
“Do good things and God will be with you” when the truth is, “If
you commit to
God, he will do good things in and through you!”
Timothy’s
role was to be faithful and trust God. He was to submit to God and
say, “Use me
wherever you can”.
That
is
our job description.
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