Godly Living

Paul the Apostle gives Timothy, in his second letter (Chapter 2:3-7), three examples of Godly living. Soldiers, Runners, and Farmers (Workers). It seems to me it makes sense, yet the reality is a multitude of folks seem too miss the idea. As Soldiers we face an Enemy that is at war with God and His Church (us). As Runners we deal with the problem of time and distance. As workers we are both the consumer and the provider.

As Soldiers we must handle entanglements. Those are the actions and behaviors that distract us from the battle ongoing at all times. On a battlefield one uses a gun and bullets, and has no time to waste looking for other distractions of the World. They will only hinder our ability to destroy the evils around us. Our gun is the Word of God, shooting bullets of Truth.

As Runners we are reminded there are rules regarding time and distance. In a race there is a limited time to cover the distance, and in life’s race we are not sure how far away the finish (death) is for us. We can only run a step at a time, focused on a winning mindset (Godliness),  and keep our eyes pealed for that which would trip us up.

As Farmers (or workers of any sort) we are preparing the soil and planting seed. There are good things we can do – water, temperature, fertilizer, and bad things that can damage the harvest, like bugs and disease, cold and laziness.

There are common requirements for success. Four are clear, here in this passage: 1) Attention! (verses 8 and 14); 2) Endurance! (verses 10 and 12); 3) Memory! (verse 14); and,  4) Diligence! ) verse 15. Failure in any of these areas contribute to failure in the faithfulness demanded by Scripture to our Faith, our God, and His Church.