endurance lessons from a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer

Over the past few days, I've been loving both pastoral epistles to Timothy from Paul. They are so profound, not only to pastors and church leaders, but to everyone - so practical and thought-provoking, so life-changing, if we'll allow it.

Yesterday I was completely smitten with this one:

"Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor." - 2 Timothy 2:3-6 (NLT)

I love how real Paul is here, instructing his young padawan-learner, Timothy, in the delicate art of ministering to a church of sinners and new disciples. Here's my own paraphrase of the chapter: Shepherding this flock will not be easy, but the Lord will help you and give you strength. After all, Jesus is our example, and even He faced suffering and trials. When you come up against opposition remember these three victorious examples as well:

* a devoted soldier who doesn't get caught up in civilian affairs that don't concern him, but rather keeps his focus on his loyalty to his commander. (Remember that we serve THE Commander, and His orders are always for the best of both the troops and also for victory on the war-front.)

* an honest ball-player who doesn't cheat just to win. He plays by the rules and wins the noble way so that no one can question the validity of his trophy in the end. (Remember, righteousness is the good and prosperous way that true champions live.)

* a diligent farmer who toils for his share of the produce. In the end he is entitled to partake in the fruit of his labor because he didn't give up when the work was hard or the drought seemed insurmountable. (Remember, it takes time to grow something from seed to harvest - be it apples, oranges, or a healthy church body.)


I know this will seem like a no-brainer, but we're not in heaven yet. Life on earth is hard work, and once you become a Christ-follower, you don't all-of-the-sudden get to skate by on easy street (contrary to some beliefs). Devotion, honesty, and diligence are key to living the lives God has destined for us here on earth, so let's hunker down and get 'er done! Heaven will come someday soon, and there will no longer be a need for such efforts. We'll all be made perfect in our devotion to the Lord, there will be nothing but honest workings in the new heavens and earth, and we'll no longer have to toil for what we need - God will have it all done for us!

For the time being, let us keep our eyes on Jesus! Though He faced trials, troubles, and persecution, He was able to fight the good fight until the End, and He will help us to do the same.

30-days for me challenge

Ok, so I'm responding to fellow-blogger, Amber, and her challenge to take care of my body for the next 30 days. Starting tomorrow (7/23), we can set some goals together, keep one another posted, share tips and secrets, and keep each other accountable to do something positive for ourselves.



And, for those of you who know that I try to live Biblically (if it's not in Those Pages, it shouldn't be in mine), try this one on for size - no fitting room or full-length mirrors necessary:

"You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God." -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Paul instructs here that it is a good thing to take care of our physical bodies because it is the residence of the Holy Spirit. Just as people took care of their Tabernacle or Temple in Bible times, and just as we care for the maintenance of our church buildings, we should put effort into caring for our bodies. Not just for me, but for Him. Because as much as I love me, I REALLY love the Holy Spirit. And I want my body to be a nice, hospitable, welcoming, and aesthetically pleasing place for Him to come in, put up His feet, and fill to overflowing with His presence. (Pardon the slightly melodramatic metaphor.)

OK, then. So here's my goal for next week: I'd like to carve 30 minutes out of five days next week to exercise. I've got my work-outs recorded on the DVR (faithfulworkouts.com), and I'd also like to give up sugary sweets and treats as well. I never feel worse about mistreating my body than after I've binged on too much ice cream or brownies. I WILL NOT DO IT! And the Holy Spirit will help me to have the self-control to stay away from sweets, because that's a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5).

Won't you join me? You can go to Amber's blog to see more information here.

Stepping out of the traffic

"Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything." - Psalm 46:8 (Msg.)

In light of the sermon this week and the powerful message God sends us, I think it would be beneficial to think about HOW we might go about stepping out of the traffic of our lives. So while it's important to realize that busyness happens, and that even Jesus was busy, we've somehow got to figure out how to regularly and purposefully get away from the hectic pace to be alone with Him.

I've heard of and tried several ways of doing this, and I think above all, it's important to know that this will look different for each individual Christ-follower. For some, (including myself) this will include carving several minutes out of each day to read God's love letter/instruction-manual-for-life-on-earth, the Bible. I'm a reader, though. I devour written words like some people do movie-theater popcorn. (How can we eat so much of the stuff in the span of just two-and-a-half hours?) But not everyone takes a break with pages and words.

Some people step out of the traffic by taking a walk in their neighborhood, or in the woods. They walk and pray; listen and observe. They leave the preoccupation with "doing stuff" by walking away from it. Literally.

Still others might find a place in their home or yard to just be still; to take a deep breath and breathe in the Holy Spirit as they turn theirs back on dishes, check-books, and even conversation with family members. They have a certain spot of seclusion where no one can interrupt or steal their attention away from the Better Thing.

How about you? How do you "step out of traffic"? What deliberate measures to you take to get away from the again-ness of your crazy life in order to sit at the feet of your Creator? Please share your secrets - we're dying to know!