"1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in CHRIST JESUS,
2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of CHRIST JESUS.
4 "NO SOLDIER GETS ENTANGLED IN CIVILIAN PURSUITS", since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.
6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.
7 Think over what I say, for the LORD will give you understanding in everything."
The Apostle Paul loved Timothy dearly, and in doing so, gave Timothy counsel through written letters that GOD continues to use to this day. Paul wrote this script from prison in Rome, therefore he had plenty of time to find just the right words to say to edify and encourage Timothy. The circumstances Paul found himself in may have caused me such distress that I would have sought relief from them, but Paul knew he was on a mission for the KING and in fulfilling that mission he would experience much suffering!
When Paul wrote "NO SOLDIER GETS ENTANGLED IN CIVILIAN PURSUITS" he was letting Timothy know not to let the enemy cloud our minds with petty, worldly concerns. Rather we should keep our minds set on heavenly things (Colossians 3:2) and not be as concerned with the things of "this world". We can become so busy trying to inform people of "this world" of their sinfulness that we lose sight of worshipping GOD ALMIGHTY! There is a time to "preach", but JESUS said in Matthew 22:34-40 "But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
It seems some people desire to enter into discussions on matters having no eternal significance in their lives. Might those people be like the Pharisees and Sadducees of the Bible who were so engrossed in their rituals and "rules" that they didn't have time to recognize GOD in flesh even when HE walked amongst them! "NO SOLDIER GETS ENTANGLED IN CIVILIAN PURSUITS" was Paul's way of telling Timothy that we need to keep our eyes on JESUS, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) and let HIM take care of judging the sins of "this world"!
The Reverend Billy Graham has been quoted as saying “It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict, GOD's job to judge and my job to love.” "NO SOLDIER GETS ENTANGLED IN CIVILIAN PURSUITS" is something that I must guard against in my life and not get into doing the job duties of GOD, WHO is quite capable of judging sin without me attempting to help! Heavenly Father, cause me to love more and entrust the convicting and judging to the ONE's far more capable than I.
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