“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” (2 Timothy 2:4)
To stand with one foot in a boat and the other on a dock is a dangerous proposition. It demonstrates an unwillingness to commit to either the boat or the dock, and can only lead to ruin.
This is what the Apostle Paul is telling us in our Scripture verse. Warfighters need to keep their focus on their military training and their mission if they want to be successful and rate high marks from their commanders. While community activity done in spare time can be good, it must not ever be at the expense of military readiness. It is all about priorities.
This is also true of our Spiritual lives. Paul is reminding us that we are engaged in a spiritual battle. It is important that as we engage the enemy that we not get entangled in the things of the world. As the saying goes, we need to be in the world but not of the world. We cannot be successful as spiritual warfighters if we are letting the world dictate our actions.
The way to measure if we are tangled in the things of the world is if we worry. Worry is a sure sign that we think we are in charge instead of God.
Today, with God’s help, let us vow to break the bonds that tie us to worldly things, and renew our commitment to serve our Lord with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength. That is how we please our commander Jesus Christ, who by His death and resurrection called us into His service.
My Lord and Commander, forgive me if my priorities have become confused. Give me the strength to follow you as I fulfill my mission to serve you, and you alone. Amen.
