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2 Timothy 2:3-4

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Personal challenge

The Apostle Paul is a master at using metaphors to describe for us what it means to live a Christian life. These metaphors worked in his day and continue to work for us today. If we are to live our lives in a way that truly glorifies our Lord then sometimes we must be like soldiers in a great army engaged in warfare. We are at war. We live in a world that is against us and our Lord. This war causes hardships that are sometimes constant and extremely challenging. As a soldier in the midst of warfare, we must keep our focus fixed upon the leader of our army and engagement at hand. We do this by not getting entangled in the affairs of the world around us. We do this in order to please the leader of our army and to win the battle of this life. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

2 Timothy 1:12-14

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Personal challenge

Paul lived quite the life. He grew up as a renowned Jewish scholar and Pharisee. He was on an upward path to leadership, especially when he started to lead the persecution of those new Christians in order to purge them from his society. But God had another plan for him. When he was introduced to Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was changed forever. Paul realized that this Jesus that he had been trying to persecute and expunge was none other than his much awaited for Messiah. Paul became a Christian and was willing to undergo his own persecution. He was not ashamed to be called a Christian and gave us all an example to follow. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

2 Timothy 1:8-9
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

Encouraging Words

What is our Holy calling? Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from the ravages of death and by doing that, He has called us to be a part of His holy family and Kingdom. This calling has nothing to do with what we have done or could do, but everything to do with His purpose and grace in our lives. A purpose and grace that was set aside of us at the beginning of time. Because of this, our calling, our holy calling, is to live our lives for Him, loving our God and our neighbor with all of the love that we can muster and to do good works for Him because of our appreciation for all that He has done for us. We can live for Him and not be ashamed because of how the world might treat us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Encouraging Words

We have been blessed by God to have the Holy Spirit bestowed upon us in our baptism and chrismation. That Holy Spirit, living within us, does not give us a spirit of fear and trepidation in this hostile world, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. This is a promise from the living, eternal God. A promise that we can hold on to in all circumstances. This is how the martyrs through the history of the Church, and the prophets before them, could stand firm on their beliefs even in the midst of persecution and death. Glory be to God!

1 Timothy 6:20-21

O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.

Grace be with you. Amen.

Personal Challenge

We have been blessed with a Church that has carried forth the teachings of Christ from the very beginning. He promised us that even the gates at hell would not prevail against His bride, the Church. We have 2,000 years of teachings and traditions that we can hold on to and learn from. However, even with all of this to guide us along, we must heed Paul’s warning to Timothy to avoid the babblings and false teachings of those who choose to teach heretical things. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Timothy 6:11-12

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Personal Challenge

Paul is telling Timothy to fight the fight and to hold on, informing him, and us, that our Christian journey is one comprised of work and struggles. Jesus also warned us that if we choose to follow Him then we are also to choose the path that He walked, a path of grief and ultimately death. This is what He meant when He told us to take up our cross and follow Him, daily. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

1 Timothy 6:6

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 4:12

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Personal challenge

Even though Paul starts this verse off encouraging Timothy because he is a young leader in his church, he still packs it full of truth for all of us on our journey through life to be like Christ. No matter what role we have in our church, or outside of it for that matter, no matter what our age, we are called to be examples. First of all, we are called to be examples to our fellow believers in what we say and how we say it. We are to be examples in our behaviors, our conduct. And we are to do everything in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. If we can do this toward our fellow believer then this example will spill over to the non-believers in our lives and point them to Christ. Glory be to God!

1 Timothy 4:10

For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.

Encouraging Words

Why do we labor for our Lord? Why do we suffer reproach from those around us for professing to be His children? Because we trust in Him. We have faith that He is the savior of all mankind, both those who are scoffing Him and reproaching us, but especially those who put their trust in Him. Glory be to God!