“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2Ti 2:4 AV)
When we think of
entangling, we think of a fish that is caught in a net. He may or may not have a level of freedom of
movement. The net and the fish are still
separated by their nature. The fish is a
biologically separate being while the net is inanimate and has no identity of
being. The fish may be trapped, but he
is not entangled as the word above would indicate. The understanding of entanglement as used
above is to be interwoven as to be one and the same. Although one could see a form of one or the
other, their separate natures would be indistinguishable. The affairs of this life are part of
life. Paul assumes their existence. We need to eat, sleep, pay the bills, and
keep up with our health. We need to take
care of the kids, do our laundry, take care of the dog, and make repairs to our
house. These affairs of life are not
going anywhere. They need to be
done. They take our time, energy, and
attention. The question is, what defines
us?
I read, with interest, an
article regarding the possible location of Noah’s ark. It appeared this week in most major news
outlets. It appears as though a certain
formation in the shape of a ship was found atop a mountain in modern-day
Turkey. The shape looks like a giant
football. This site has long been suspected
of being the resting place of Noah’s ark, but no one could prove it. Geologists claimed it was nothing more than a
rare symmetrical rock formation laid down millions of years ago, probably from
a volcanic eruption. From the surface,
it is impossible to determine whether this really is the site of Noah’s
ark. Attempts in the past have
failed. There was no technology
available that could assist in determining once and for all if this was truly
the remnants of the famous ark. One
might say the earth and the ark were entangled.
Although there was a shape resembling the ark, for all intents and
purposes, the mountain and the ark had become one. Not until deep earth-penetrating radar was
deployed did the research team become excited.
They were able to see a framework at right angles all along the outer
edge of this formation. Something that
would be impossible in a naturally occurring catastrophic geological event.
The good soldier of Jesus
Christ will not allow the affairs of this life to be his definition for
life. These things need to be tended
to. Paul is not suggesting the saint
ignore the things of this life. Paul is
not suggesting the saint ignore an oil change.
He is not suggesting we don’t waste our time with doctor’s appointments. Paul is not suggesting we allow the sink to
fill up with dirty dishes. He is not
suggesting we ignore our children. These
things, and many more, are the affairs of this life. Paul is not suggesting we leave off work to idly
sit by while the bills mount up. What
Paul is saying is the things of this life cannot be so entwined with who and
what we are that we forget we are to be a soldier for Christ, first. So, how do we do that? If these things need to be done, how do we
incorporate the affairs of this life with the fact we are to be a soldier for
Christ? If we see the affairs of this
life as a means to an end rather than an end in itself, we will accomplish our
goal of being a soldier for Christ. For
instance, when we take our car to the repair shop, do we spread the love of
Christ and leave tracts? When we go
shopping, do we share the love of Christ?
When we cook or clean, do we fulfill the commandment for the elder to teach
the younger? The affairs of this life
are the means by which we can show forth the glory of Christ and minister to
the needs of others. Especially if it
concerns salvation in Christ.
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