Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus.
No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him.
And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down).
[It is] the hard-working farmer [who labors to produce] who must be the first partaker of the fruits.
Think over these things I am saying [understand them and grasp their application], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything.
2 Timothy 2:3-7 AMPC
Recently I was reading through this passage and I realised these Scriptures hold much deeper meaning than their sentences added together.
A Soldier need endurance.
God expects us to be First-class with it. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
A Soldier is loyal and obedient , he trust his Commander- In- Chief’s decisions , for the battles that we had to fight.
A First-Class soldier is focus on the task at hand. ( Luke 3:14)
[Above picture – me on 3rd April 2001 during the infamous “hell week” renamed to Rites of Passage for Special Forces trainees]
An Athlete strives for an upward prize. (Philippians 3:14)
His/ her way is straight and narrow. (Matthew 7:13)
No doping , no cheating.
Honor and integrity.
[2015 , Spartan Super , 13km race , I came in third for age 39 category in Kluang, Malaysia. ]
A Farmer is hardworking ,
No doubt about it (1 Corinthians 9:10)
A lazy farmer only produces thorns and weeds ( Proverbs 24:30-34)
A farmer knows that the seeds will grow, but faith without works is dead (James 2:17)
Before every harvest , the farmer pays the price
From sowing , germination, transplanting , pests and weeds clearing , harvesting , roots cutting, washing and packing.
Then repeat.
Jesus preached the Gospel in parables,
From farming , pottery , shepherding to fishing ,
The agrarian Jewish Society would understand it.
Properly not so much for urban city dwellers, maybe too comfortable in air conditioning setting , sheltered walkways , instant gratifications and buying off the shelves.
Until we do experiential learning.
Focus, obedience, perseverance , tenacity , integrity and hard work .
Hard work (1 Corinthians 3:6-8)
All these are values imbued in the illustrations of the soldier, athlete , and farmer.
That is why Paul asked Timothy to consider the things he had written on the perspectives of the soldier, an athlete and the farmer.
And may the Lord gives you understanding in all things. (2 Timothy 2:7)
Hard work.
May I live up to the godly values.
[Tan Kok Siang, Adrian , farming over the past 2 months, January- March 2018]
This train of thoughts was carried over from a book of the same title by Ps Paul Chase of New Life Church , Philippines.
Distillate 