Hillclimbs
2 Timothy 2:3-7 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
How many roads can we go down with the scripture of verse 3 alone? How many times have we wondered the “why” of the situations that we find ourselves in? God will take us down the paths we would never travel, he will let us sit with unanswered questions for seeming eternities, he will let us take the hard roads for the lessons learned there. How appropriate are the ways of God that seemingly fit the phrase, “I learned it the hard way”. He does his greatest work in these times, and it is on the other side of the trial that we see his purpose in them, if we continued to seek him through them. If we abandon Him in them, his purposes for our lives are not revealed.
When you look at this passage in it’s context, Paul is trying to encourage Timothy for the hard times that will surely come. The summary of this text could easily be two words: Remain focused. Paul uses the example of soldiers, farmers, and athletes; he shows their focus and their rewards. We are to possess that eternal focus ourselves; we are not to become distracted from the trials or pleasures that this world presents. We are to remain focused on Christ and the Gospel of grace that He has given us. Paul pours out his heart to Timothy; he shows him of the pains he has for those in, and outside of the faith. (The Message) 9 It’s what I’m sitting in jail for right now – but God’s Word isn’t in jail! 10 That’s why I stick it out here – so that everyone God calls will get in on the salvation of Christ in all its glory. 11 This is a sure thing: If we die with him, we’ll live with him; 12 If we stick it out with him, we’ll rule with him; If we turn our backs on him, he’ll turn his back on us; 13 If we give up on him, he does not give up – for there’s no way he can be false to himself. Paul is pressing into Timothy the need of a life focused on Christ, and the promises found in Him.
Do you seek Him every day? Do you seek Him only when the going gets rough, or do you seek Him even when it is a path of ease? Those easy days prepare us for the rough ones. The days that we sit in His presence, with praise of the place he has us for the day, strengthen our hearts for the trials to come. Become awestruck in the revelations found in scripture daily; place them in your heart for strength when you need them most. Cultivate a daily prayer time so that it becomes a natural response to the trials that come. You will find yourself resting on the promises that you have found in the Word; you will find yourself focusing on the eternal, and not so much the temporary. A focused life sees the top of the mountain and it’s beauty; not the climb to get there.
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