Saturday 2 June 2018

June 2: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

Key Verse: 2 Timothy 2:1
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Devotion:
There is nothing in our bibles that tells us we do not have to work for a living; in fact our bibles will tell us exactly the opposite. We do have to work so we can survive be it for obtaining money to buy supplies or from actually farming those supplies ourselves. Without due diligence, our work may not be to any effect either. We have to set our minds to the work and do the work before we can expect some reward afterward. So why should we expect anything different from our spiritual lives in Christ?

Should we expect to have everything given to us without having to lift a finger? Should we really act like a spoiled child and expect everything to be given to us on a plate? Whilst God would love to give us everything on a plate, we are expected to do things as well, but not for the sake of being saved or for keeping us alive. God will make sure we live as long as He would have us to live. We are expected to do things for Him so we can be strengthened ourselves. He does not want us to be lazy but to be prepared. If someone would ask us about Christ when we ourselves have not learned about Him, how are we expected to answer? But if we have spent our time learning about Him, then answering questions will become easier.

If we are going to train to be a soldier, then we have to take on that mantle and become a soldier. We have to listen to the people in charge and act according to their commands. Without doing so, we would not be an effectual soldier since and army has to work together towards a single goal. If we are a farmer, then we have to work towards making the next crop a good harvest. If we simply sow the seeds and stand back and watch, we may well have a complete failure. Working throughout the year to make sure that harvest time is plentiful will give us our final rewards.

Being a Christian means that we need to work at being Christians all the time. We cannot expect to understand things and to move forward if we are a part-time Christian. God requires a full-time commitment from us because He has already given us an eternal commitment!

Points to Ponder:
Would you expect to get paid if you did not work?

How much more can we expect if we commit our lives to Christ?