“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” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).
As a good soldier of Christ Jesus, Paul tells Pastor Timothy, share in suffering. Just as no soldier over concerns himself with the futility of civilian affairs so that he might please his commanding officer, so no pastor (or any other Christian) over concerns himself with the futility of worldly affairs so that he might please his Commander, Jesus in Christ. How true this is! When I was a soldier in the U.S. Army, when my NCO or officer gave me an order, I obeyed. Not only because it was my duty, but I also wanted to please my superiors. No longer a civilian but a servant of the United States of America, I was primarily concerned with serving my country by serving my unit. Likewise, no longer a worldly person not only as a called and ordained servant of Christ but also as a baptised child of God, I primarily concern myself with serving Christ by serving my flock and my neighbour.
This is not to say that we become like the Amish—that we entirely separate ourselves from the world, for just as Christ prayed to His Father, “I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). We are still in the world, but we are not of the world (vv. 11, 16). Thus, you can go to the movies, have a job in the world, drink beer, go ice skating, play video games, read a novel, participate in government and politics, and so forth, for all of these and more are part of God’s creation He has given us to enjoy and steward well. Nonetheless, we do not over concern ourselves with these things.
People watch the news more than they read the Bible. People watch sports more than they go to Bible study or church. We fear a certain political party taking control of the culture more than we fear Almighty God who has control over the entire universe. We become outraged that Christians are no longer culturally dominant rather than accepting our lot that “in this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33) and thus suffer as good soldiers of Christ.
Just as a good soldier courageously suffers for his brothers in arms, his officer, and his countrymen, so a good soldier of Christ boldly suffers for the brethren and his Lord, Jesus Christ. Paul continues, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the Word of God is not bound!” (2 Timothy 2:8-9). Being Christian guarantees you will suffer for Christ’s sake. When you do, remember Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, which means you will be, too. Like Paul, you might be bound in chains for professing Christ crucified, but they cannot bind the Word of God! For the chains that chafe our limbs testify the Word of God themselves.
The Lutheran Column 