By David ReayWednesday 30 Jun 2021LifeWords DevotionalsDevotionsReading Time: 2 minutes
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. (NLT)
Following Jesus is hard work. Never fall for the lie that if we are Spirit filled or Bible based that it will come easy. Sadly, some who begin to follow Jesus give up as they find how challenging it is. They assume that the faith they embraced lacks integrity, or they assume there is something wrong with them.
Paul doesn’t try to cover up the difficulties of discipleship. In this passage, he uses three images to reinforce his belief that following Jesus is hard work. Soldiers and athletes and farmers are not those who sit back and let life happen to them. What they value is achieved by hard work. And living a life of faith requires effort and occasional pain.
This is not meant to make the Christian life some miserable, teeth clenching journey to the bliss of heaven. Paul and Jesus both promised suffering and both promised joy. Soldiers and athletes and farmers work hard but do so in the belief that what they are doing is worthwhile and will bear fruit.
Discipleship is hard because it is hard. We can make it harder for ourselves by taking on things God does not want from us, or by trying to do things without the powerful help of the Holy Spirit. But even so, effort and hardship will be involved just as joy and gratitude will be involved. It is hard work, but not just hard work.
Blessings
David