City Life Starter

I. The Word: 2 Timothy 2:3-7
3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
 

II. Reflection Questions:
Think of some things you do on a daily basis (i.e. brushing your teeth, looking in the mirror, etc.). Are these things you have to think twice about doing? Or is it second nature to you? 

Think of something you are highly skilled at. Is it something you’ve devoted a lot of time and energy to? 

Who is someone you admire or would like to emulate at church? Are you in fellowship with that person? 

Today’s verses describe a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. These are three vastly different occupations, with one common theme: Discipline. 

In order to be a good disciple, we must embrace the idea and practice of “discipline” with dogged determination. Let’s consider the three different roles mentioned today. 

First, Paul encourages Timothy to share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. He goes on to say that soldiers do not get entangled in civilian pursuits. In other words, soldiers live lives that are completely separate and independent from the whims and pursuits of the general public. Soldiers live sacrificially, submitting themselves to the authority of their commanding officer in order to serve a greater purpose. 

Next, it says an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. I’ve never really been into sports, but I recently developed an affinity to the group exercise classes at the gym. What I’ve noticed the most is that in order to see the best results, you can’t take shortcuts. You’re not helping yourself if you don’t do the exercises in the proper form. What’s more, it’s when you fight against your body’s fatigue, that you reach new levels of strength and endurance. Similarly with athletes, they have to train their bodies to do things that ordinary people can’t. Then when they get in the game, they have to conform to the rules of the game less they be disqualified. It’s only when they can achieve the object of the game, according to the rules of the game, that they get the victor’s crown. 

Lastly, we see a picture of the hardworking farmer who gets first dibs on the best of his crop. A farmer is diligent to cultivate the ground he plants in, sow seeds in the right season, and water and protect his crops until harvest time. It is only upon doing all these laborious tasks, that he gets the harvest he’s worked so hard for. 

With all of these examples, we see that discipline is certainly not easy, but it’s very rewarding. 
 I think we should approach discipleship with the same mindset. Similar to discipline, discipleship involves following a set of rules or teaching. Jesus appointed disciples who followed him wherever He went, adhering to His teaching and learning His ways. We also see other models of discipleship in the Bible: Moses and Joshua; Elijah and Elisha; and of course Paul and Timothy (as seen in our text today). 

 I’m sure in all the above examples, the disciples were rebuked, corrected, and told to do things they may not have wanted to at the time. Is it always easy? No, of course not. Discipleship goes against the desires of our flesh, which feeds on being puffed up, prideful, and autonomous.  

While it may not always be easy, and absolutely go against what our flesh is screaming to do differently, discipleship is essential to carry on the mission and vision of the Gospel and advance God’s Kingdom here on earth. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been encouraged and set on the right path by leaders in our church (Kacee Pate, Christine Ross, Natalie Dawley, Heather Mattingly, just to name a few). 

Bottom line, we can’t do this alone. Nobody’s perfect. Not yet anyway. We all need a mentor or confidante we can turn to and be vulnerable with. Remember, it takes humility and wisdom to accept correction. 

At the same time, we also need to be mentors to those who are newer to their faith. We should make time in our schedules to meet with new believers and be patient with them as they mature in their faith. 

I leave you with this scripture to consider in your approach to discipleship: 
“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11 ESV)

 

III. Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I pray You will show me whom I can reach out to be my spiritual mentor, somebody who will help me develop in my relationship with You. I also pray that You will show me whom I can be a mentor to. Lord, I am willing to lay down my will, and follow Yours. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.