I don’t know about you, but I want to be an effective “servant of the Lord!” I want the phrase that Apostle Paul used to describe himself to be true of me… “a servant (slave) of Jesus Christ.” There is no higher honor, no greater mission, no tasks more noble! I desperately want to hear Jesus say of me, “Well done good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Lord!”
How can this happen? This morning during my time of “Coffee with the Lord” I read a passage that presents 3 analogies that characterize a “servant of the Lord” who is effective in Christian service (2 Timothy 2:1-7). Here are the analogies (almost a sermon starter, but I want them to be more than that – I want them to guide and motivate my life personally!)
1. Be like a devoted soldier – willing to suffer and do whatever is necessary to fulfill the mission
2. Be like a disciplined athlete – who trains hard to win and competes according to the rules
3. Be like a diligent farmer – who works hard to maximize the harvest
And the passage this was based upon…
“You then, my child [Timothy], be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men [or women] who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 Timothy 2:1-7 ESV)
