Left Behind

DEVOTION

2 TIMOTHY

LEFT BEHIND


2 Tim 2:3-7
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.
NIV

A good soldier wants to please his commanding officer is right out in the open. I know Paul told Timothy to reflect on this and the Lord would give him insight. I cannot imagine needed a whole lot of insight here. If I am a soldier of God, then I do not get myself involved in the ways of the world. I simply refrain from becoming like all the rest of society. I do not ascribe to this concept of retirement, which is a civilian affair, a social concept developed here in America in the early 20th century. It has absolutely nothing to do with being a soldier of God. How do I stop living a productive life as a soldier of God? How do I simply say, at a certain age I will stop working. God calls me to labor in his vineyard until I die. I think many believers have adopted the world’s concept of retirement and stopped working in the work force as well as in the body of Christ. I think that have just stopped being, and are just waiting out their last years. In addition as being a soldier of God, I cannot ascribe to the civilian method of storing up material provisions for those years of just being lazy and doing nothing, retirement. How is this outlined in scripture? Where does it say I am supposed to store up as much money as I can so I can sit back take life easy and enjoy my later years as a big bump on a log? What good would it do for me to start a race and somewhere before the finish line decide I have run enough and I need to retire at this place on the track? If I did not cross the finish line I would never stand a chance at the victor’s crown. As a soldier of God, he provides me a place to stay, food, clothing and commands as to what I am to do. If he says jump, I have to respond with, “Yes Lord, how high?” I wonder if a farmer was not hard working and stopped planting crops, he would never every be able to harvest anything, and all he would end up with is a bunch of weeds. Who wants to share in a bunch of weeds? It just seems so simply, to be in the army of God, I have to leave the civilian life behind. I must say onward Christian soldier, and see the civilian life as left behind.