A Good Soldier

   Captain Mike Dylan was my hero. My brothers and I were fascinated by the Navy SEALs! We had watched a documentary series about different Navy SEAL operations, and strangely, Captain Dylan was the hero in each story. We had a little club we called an “army”, and we did a “boot camp” workout every day. 

  When we think about the military, we think of people who are fit, strong, and determined. 


   “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good          soldier of Jesus Christ.” -2 Tim. 2:3 


   “Hardness.” Hardship…affliction. I don’t like affliction. I avoid hardship. But Paul commands Timothy, as well as you and I, “endure hardness.” 


  One of the great mysteries in life is that almost everything worthwhile is obtained through hardship. A beautiful baby is born after nine months of pregnancy and hours of labor pains. Your muscles can only be toned and strong if you work out. Certainly, no one becomes a professional athlete without putting their body though hard training. “No pain; no gain,” as they say. 


  If you want to have a family, a home, a career…if you want to follow Jesus, you’ll have to “endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” Hardship can and does come to us in many different forms, or we can choose to take up our cross, and follow Jesus. It can be as simple as waking up earlier to pray, fasting, witnessing to others, or just loving others (even when it would be easier to be irritable and angry.) It is easier to backslide, or just to fall asleep spiritually. Following Jesus is hard. But shouldn’t it be that way? After all, the day Jesus bought our salvation, He held nothing back. He paid for our eternity with His blood! The beauty of it is, the hardest path is also the most rewarding. 


  What happens if we apply this verse to all of life? What if we choose the harder path? Would there be any divorce? Any abortion? Would you feel better if you had worked out today? If you had eaten vegetables, instead of ice cream? Is the harder path the happier one, after all? Could we conquer the world, instead of watching life go by? 


  Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness.” 2 Tim. 4:7-8   


  A crown of righteousness! Will you have a crown of righteousness? Will you be a good soldier? 

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