In the story of David and Goliath, there is a point where Saul wants David to wear his armor. It doesn’t fit, and so David takes it off and then heads off to face Goliath armed only with his slingshot. David didn’t want to be entangled with armor that didn’t fit him. We need to break free from entanglements in our lives as well. There are so many things in our lives that distract us from what is most important. Today Paul encourages us to get rid of them.
2 Timothy 2:3-4
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer.
Be Committed
Paul uses a military analogy to speak to Timothy. The Roman army was prevalent in both of their lives. As Paul writes this letter, he is literally chained to two soldiers in Rome. The point he is trying to make is that in ministry, there needs to be a commitment like that of a soldier. When he goes off to war, there are no attachments to home that go with him. He did this so that he wouldn’t be distracted from his duties.
Remain Focused
As a minister, Paul is telling Timothy that he needs the same commitment to Christ and his work. He is not to get entangled with the unnecessary distractions that life can throw at you. He is to remain focused on teaching the Word of God and ministering to the saints. The minister who is distracted is an ineffective minister.
Break Free From Entanglements
All of us would benefit from breaking free from entanglements. There are so many useless things that distract us from what is essential. Just as a soldier seeks to please his commanding officer, we should look to please Jesus Christ with our actions and words. Part of that is being bold with the Gospel and enduring the suffering that comes with standing with Christ.