Play By The Rules
“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” 2 Timothy 2:4-7
Do you realize that there truly are rewards and blessing for labor and diligence in the kingdom of God? Yes, there are! Some of us have gotten our thought patterns crossed up and thought that because of grace that we don’t have to work at things. That is only true in a sense. We cannot earn the blessing of God upon our lives; that has already been accomplished by the finished work of Christ. However, earning and appropriating are two different things. There are certain principles that have been set up and established, long before you and I ever came along and in order for us to reap certain benefits and rewards, there are principles that we have to play by. Diligence is one of those principles. Notice in this Scripture that the Holy Spirit uses the soldier, the athlete and the farmer as illustrations to get His point across. These are three types of people that have to play by certain rules in order to reap the reward associated with their position. They must be dedicated, focused and diligent in order to reap the rewards. I would, by the Holy Spirit, challenge you today, just as Paul did, to look at these three examples and meditate on what it takes for these three types of people to receive the fruit of their labor. And just as Paul said, “Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.” The Holy Spirit will reveal to you how you are to receive the best in your life.
Scripture reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-7; Hebrews 6:10-12