Rushing to the sidelines, the goalie yanked off his lacrosse helmet and pulled his pads over his head in one swift motion. Calling a “time out,” the coach tried to remain calm as he gathered the team to decide what to do. The foul called against the goalie had earned him a three-minute exclusion from the game and his teammates needed a quick plan to cover for him. As the referee signaled the end of the time out, another player hastily pulled on the goalie’s protective gear and sprinted out on the field. Kneeling in the penalty box, the goalie watched as his teammates tried to block shots on the goal with one less player on the field.
It’s unusual for a lacrosse goalie to receive an exclusion penalty, and it often means the opposing team will score. That day, my son’s high school teammates couldn’t hold off their opponents. Although they had been dominating the game until then, the three excruciating minutes with their goalie in the penalty box shifted the momentum. They were never able to recover and ended up with a disappointing loss. It was a hard way to learn the importance of following the rules. When one player gets called on a personal foul, it affects the whole team.
To me, this is a great picture of what Paul describes in 2 Timothy 2:5, “Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.”
An athlete needs self-discipline to learn and follow the rules of a game to compete successfully. Similarly, Christians self-discipline to study and follow God’s Word if they want to live a life that pleases Him and blesses others. Not engaging the Bible consistently makes it difficult to grow in faith or be effective in sharing the gospel.
Believers also derail spiritual growth when they ignore sin in their lives. Unconfessed sin impedes authenticity in our walks with God, discourages fellow believers, and diminishes our ability to impact others. When we study God’s Word, it studies us. With the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we begin to change our actions and thoughts.
In the same passage in 2 Timothy Paul also gives the example of a soldier, “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.” (2 Timothy 2:3-4, NIV)
Like soldiers, we make it our goal to please God as our “commanding officer.” We don’t entangle ourselves in worldly affairs that will lead our faith off track. Jesus mentions in John 18 that His kingdom is not of this world. We need to keep that in mind and remember we serve God first. Doing this enables the Holy Spirit to flow through us so we can impact others with His love. Rather than letting the light of Christ be snuffed out by ungodly influences, we strive to shine brightly so we can draw others toward God’s love and grace. We follow His lead, not the world’s.
Also, like soldiers, we focus on executing orders from our commanding officer, God, instead of operating on our own agendas. We trust that the Lord sees the big picture that we’re unable to have from our vantage point. Having a vertical focus helps us to trust His wisdom above ours.
Paul’s third analogy compares us to the hardworking farmer who is diligent with planting seeds and patient waiting for them to grow. A farmer knows the seeds are taking root and rising toward the surface, even though he can’t see the results above ground immediately. He understands the crop will come eventually and tends to it with patience and care.
Similarly, we sow seeds of faith in others through our actions and words, patiently trusting that God is at work in ways we can’t see: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11, NIV)
Like the farmer waiting for crops to emerge from the soil, we may not always see the ways God is moving and working in the hearts of others, but we can trust Him and be patient with the process.
Having the self-discipline of an athlete, the focus of a soldier, and the patience of a farmer enables us to be strong in the grace of Jesus. With these qualities, we’ll be equipped to receive the wisdom and truth of the gospel and to entrust it to other reliable people who will, in turn, be qualified to teach others.
For King & Country’s song “Fix My Eyes” describes the actions of a life of faith and reminds us the only way we can fulfill God’s purposes is through fixing our eyes on Him. Listen carefully and you’ll recognize a reference from 2 Timothy 2 in the lyrics to the song.
Beth Moore, Entrusted: A Study of 2 Timothy, Lifeway Press 2016.
