Welcome!
Today: Be the best you can be
Passage: 2 Tim 2
3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. (2 Tim 2, NIV)-emphasis added
Apostle Paul was reminding Timothy the requirements of a good minister
Paul highlights the high standard that he expects from Timothy
A good soldier, a competing athlete and a good farmer are three standards/examples mentioned here
A good soldier is not expected to involve in civilian affairs but only to focus on his task and somehow please his commanding officer
The “commanding officer” mentioned here is not Paul, but Jesus Christ
Today, many people want to please other people or themselves, than God
If you look at the people joining the military, the reasons could be different
Some join because they couldn’t get another job
Some others join because of friends or because of other pressures
But then, there are some who join the military because they want to serve the nation. Those are the best
Similarly, there are many reasons why people become followers of Christ
Are you a genuine follower of Christ?
Some follow him for bread. Some follow because of signs and wonders (John 6)
However, there are some who started with the wrong intention, but they happened to be in a good church or somewhere, or God touched them
through some incidents and later became genuine. On the other hand, there are many who started sincerely and with good intentions, but later became corrupted!
The good soldier’s only intention is to please God, not any human being
When we worship/pray/sing, is it that we are pleased or that God is pleased?
We see so many “performances”; God must be wondering, “what in the world is going on?” with all these performances
If we want to be a soldier of Jesus Christ, be a good one; not just a soldier!
Be ready to suffer/endure hardship for Him!
God bless your day
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you did your best, in your task. Help me to be a good soldier of yours. Help me the best employee in my work, the best
father/mother/husband/wife/son/daughter-the best everywhere. Amen
“God is about our preferences, not perfomances”