Stewards and Soldiers

2 Timothy 2-Part 2
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  2 Timothy 2:3


LET IT GLOW

(If this illustration is a repeat, forgive me.) My granddaughter enjoys playing in a small  hole that she has dug in our backyard. However, usually the next morning it has often filled in and she repeats the process again. There is no gold, silver, or precious stones found. Occassionaly there's a piece of glass or a rock dug up. Why does she keep on digging? The only thing I can figure out is that she enjoys the process. She has me fill up a little bucket with water and pour it into the empty hole. During the hot summer she'd stick her feet into the water. Sometimes she'd float a boat in it. Now she floats fallen leaves in it. Maybe that hole is a learning tool of science. Who knows what goes through a three-year olds mind. She certainly is the only one who takes care of that hole.

Warren Wiersbe, in his book Be Faithful states this:

We are stewards of the spiritual treasure God has given us. It's our responsibility to guard the deposit and then invest it in the lives of others. They, in turn, are to share the Word with the next generation of believers. It takes strength to teach the Word of God. We must dig out of the rich mines of Scripture the "gold, silver, precious stones" that are hidden there. This strength can only come from God's grace. The secret of Paul's great ministry was the grace of God (1 Cor.15:10).
The ability to study, understand, and teach the Word of God is a gift of God's grace. "Apt to teach" implies apt to learn; so a steward must also be a diligent student of the Word of God.

Am I a good steward of God's Word, diligently studying and teaching as the opportunities arise? I have lots of gold nuggets, yellow highlights, marked in my Bible. How about you? Am I sharing them when I find them, or keeping them to myself?


LET IT GROW

In this chapter, Paul gives the characteristics of a good soldier of Jesus Christ:

• endures hardship (verse 3). Ministers and Christians often endure jokes, being made fun of, and prejudices from the world. A soldier is at war so he may have to endure wounds and suffering. God didn't start the war, Satan did. Are we prepared to endure what he shoots at us? Am I properly armed as Ephesians 6 tells me to be?
• avoid worldly entanglements (verse 4). A good soldier can't be distracted by business or faimly affirs while serving. A soldier is totally committed to his Commanding Officer, the One who enlisted him, Jesus Christ. He can't let his focus be on other things, but on the task at hand. So it is with a Christian, his or her focus must be on the Word and aiding in meeting needs of others. 
• magnifies Jesus Christ (Verses 8-9). Jesus is the Captain of our salvation (Heb.2:10). Our purpose is to bring Him honor and glory. His example is that of suffering and dying for God's cause. Since Jesus was treated as an evildoer, His soldiers can expect the same treatment.
• thinks of the whole army (verse 10). Not only did Paul suffer for the Lord's sake, but for the church's sake too. The elect are God's people, chosen by His grace and called by His Spirit (2Thess. 2:13-14). 
• trusts his Commanding Officer (verses 11-13). We don't fear the enemies because Jesus has already conquored them. It is faith in Him that gives us victory (1 John 5:4). We obey our Commander because he knows what is best for us. We trust our very life and soul to His care.
• must be brave. Fickle soldiers are of no use in the heat of battle. Neither are untrustworthy soldiers who go AWOL (absent without leave) at the first sign of stress. Good soldiers bravely accept suffering as the mantle for service.

[Resources: Be Faithful by Warren Wiersbe, Paul, A Man of Grace and Grit by Charles Swindoll, Liberty Bible Commentary]


LET IT GO

Be a good steward of God's Word.

Be a good, brave soldier for Jesus by enduring hardships, avoiding wordly entanglements, magnifying the Lord, thinking of other Christians, trusting in Him.