The fruit of my labor

My father was a farmer. It was natural that the family benefit from his crop, whether it was grain or livestock. We drank milk from our cows, ate vegetables from our garden and meat from our herds. I thought of my dad when I read today’s devotional verses.

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. (2 Timothy 2:4-7)

Paul is writing about the attitudes and motivations of spiritual leaders and uses three metaphors. The first is that spiritual leaders must focus on what God gave them to do. Like a soldier, they cannot dabble in outside concerns. Their work involves a spiritual battle and they must focus to win that war.

My father did not go to battle in WWII but he did teach us that we should do as we were told, a value that carried into our employment years and spiritual lives. This is a lifetime war. As a Christian, I’m still fighting the battle between listening to God and being tempted by the pull of the world around me, even though I know that everything in this world will no longer exist or be necessary in eternity. It isn’t only leaders who are in that war, but all servants of Christ.

The second metaphor is about the importance of doing God’s work in God’s way. Every four years we see Olympic athletes perform according to the rules. One infraction could mean a loss of their standing, even the loss of a medal. They are very careful to obey every regulation in their sport.

This is important for me too. God lays out His plan. I cannot do things my way and risk losing a place of ministry on His team. I’ve tried that — much to my regret. Even though He restores His wayward servants, learning the lesson of total obedience comes with regrets — besides seeming like a huge waste of time.

The farmer illustrates the reward of serving God. As my devotional writer says, a pastor can be tempted to do what he does for prestige, acceptance, or money, but one who serves with his whole heart will be content only with spiritual fruit.

This means that the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) given by the Holy Spirit to those who deny self and obey God is its own reward. What a wonderful truth!

People think that prestige, acceptance, or money will make them happy, so the world offers happiness when things go right, when I am popular, elevated, well-paid and so on. However, the Holy Spirit offers joy with or without those things. The joy of the Lord produces a stability and strength known only to those who experience its outpouring.

It is the same with each of these characteristics described in Galatians 5. When I love others, and am kind and patient with them, when I am at peace and joyful in my heart regardless of circumstances, when I can be good, gentle and faithful, and when I have that God-given self-control, there is nothing more to want; I am totally content. There will be rewards in heaven, but this is my here-and-now reward!

My father did not become a Christian until late in his life, yet the Lord used farming to teach him many things. I’m sure that when the Holy Spirit finally took up residence in his heart, he had an understanding from those farming lessons that he may otherwise have not known.

For me, the lesson and reminder today is to be happy with the fruit. The other stuff will come and go, but the Holy Spirit and His blessings are mine forever.