One of the difficult realities of Christian
living, is to accept that as believers, we are at war. Our battle is not
against ‘flesh and blood’, but a life-long confrontation against spiritual
powers, against our own flawed human nature and against the swelling tide and
influence of the world. It is a real conflict, a struggle in day to day living,
against all that would dissuade us from pursuing God, and cause us to fail in
our love and service to Him. Paul instructs Timothy to be a good soldier of
Jesus Christ, enduring and tough against anything that would turn him from this
first and primary calling. We too are to take note of this instruction, and
make it ours. We must settle once and for all the priority of our lives, and
ensure that it is and remains - Jesus and our faithful service unto Him. In
days of old and particularly among the Romans, when a man became a soldier, it was
not a casual undertaking or a part time profession. The army became his entire
life, calling and vocation. He was not allowed to pursue any other occupation
in life. A soldier could not also be a farmer, trader or business owner. His
focus, interest and time could not be split or given to anything else, but
being the best soldier he could be. Paul takes this fact, as an illustration to
show us the reality of our calling and vocation to God. Like a good soldier for
Christ, we cannot afford to become ‘entangled’ with other affairs of life.
Successful Christian living is the result of making our obedience and service to
Jesus, the priority of our lives. Paul is not saying we cannot have family, a
job or own a house. He is saying that as true Christians, we should be soldiers
unto the Lord, and therefore cannot become ‘entangled’ that is, ensnared,
caught up and limited by these things, so that we can no longer effectively
serve God, and fight the good fight of faith. Honesty on our part would declare
how real and common this mistake is. It is easy to become so absorbed and
engrosses in pursuing a ‘living’, providing for our families and generally
taking care of the physical needs and necessities, that we lose sight of
spiritual ones. When the cares of life have taken over in our priorities, and
service in God’s army is a mere façade rather than a true profession, prayer ceases
amidst the busyness of daily life, or at best becomes a recited repetition. Meditating
on God’s Word is relegated to a quick read of words from ‘the book’, with
little or no thought attached to them; and evangelism becomes something someone
else is called to do. Attending church becomes optional, and secondary to other
interests, responsibilities or our feelings at the time; while Christian fellowship
with brethren, becomes a luxury we have no time for. Jesus warned that the
cares of life, if allowed place, would be like thorns growing, choking and
destroying our spiritual life. If we find ourselves in these conditions, we
have clearly lost sight of who we are meant to be, and what we are enlisted by
God to do. Paul’s reminder is most appropriate. We are soldiers called by God
to serve Him, to fight as part of His army, in valiant combat for the faith. We
are God’s family whose primary task in life, is to please God who has called us
and chosen us to be His ambassadors in this world. Our life’s commitment and
goal is to do God’s will, and fulfil the purposes He has set for us, and never
allow this to become secondary to any other interest or responsibility!
http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion
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