A Ministry Life

Sunday Service

2 Timothy 2:1-7

In this Passage, Paul described FOUR METAPHORS for ministry that help us better grasp what God requires of a faithful, effective minister and motivate us to serve Him with greater zeal and devotion.

1. TEACHER; REPRODUCE YOURSELF = DISCIPLESHIP (v. 2)
Ministry essentially looks like discipleship. Spending time with Paul enabled Timothy to learn much and to pass it along to others. The things that Paul shared with Timothy are to be considered a sacred treasure, and therefore, those who Timothy shared these things with had to be faithful and competent. Such a treasure should also be passed along from generation to generation.

2. SOLDIER: FOCUS YOURSELF = DEDICATION (vv. 3-4)
Paul told Timothy that he should expect to suffer with him for the sake of the gospel. We should all be actively involved in sacrificially serving the Lord. To effectively do this, we cannot get distracted by worldly pursuits or unimportant things that divert our focus from Christ. To this effort, Paul wanted Timothy to adopt a wartime mentality (2 Timothy 2:5, 4:7).

3. COMPETITOR: CONTROL YOURSELF = DISCIPLINE (v. 5)
Just as being a winning athlete requires constant training, struggle, self-control, and sacrifice, being a victorious spiritual warrior requires the same (1 Corinthians 9:24). If we do not maintain control over our fleshly desires and our own bodies, we can hardly be considered fit for leadership within the church body.

4. FARMER: EXERT YOURSELF = DILIGENCE (v. 6)
A farmer is usually considered the consummate hard worker. Moreover, he has to wait long periods of time to realize the fruits of his labor. Just as farm work is no place for a lazy person, a lazy person will never be an effective person in ministry. Service for Christ is no place for self-serving people. As workers for Christ, we must maintain diligence with the knowledge that toiling in Christ’s fields is never done in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 6:9).

Thank God for making you for ministry and for providing Jesus Christ to empower you and exemplify for you what a life of ministry looks like. Pray that God would make you strong and steadfast so you do not lose heart and grow weary in doing good.