Soldier, Athlete & Farmer
Soldier, Athlete, & Farmer: Staying Strong in Faith
Welcome back to The Twig, friends!
Today we’re diving into 2 Timothy 2, where Paul paints three vivid pictures of what it means to live a faithful and enduring life of love. Writing from prison near the end of his life, Paul encourages his apprentice Timothy—discouraged and weary in ministry—to keep pressing on.
And to make his point, Paul gives us three metaphors: a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. Each one reveals a unique kind of motivation for our spiritual lives: external, internal, and steady.
“Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.”
— 2 Timothy 2:7
1. The Soldier — External Motivation
“Join with me in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs,
but rather tries to please his commanding officer.”
— 2 Timothy 2:3–4
A soldier’s motivation comes from outside—from duty, devotion, and obedience to a higher authority. Soldiers don’t wake up asking, “What do I want to do today?” They ask, “What’s my mission?”
That kind of external motivation helps us stay grounded when life gets hard. Sometimes, we simply need to remember who we serve and why we keep going.
When your faith feels weary or uncertain, let your heart remember:
You’re serving a good and faithful God.
You’re part of a larger story.
Your perseverance pleases the One who called you.
2. The Athlete — Internal Motivation
“Anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown
except by competing according to the rules.”
— 2 Timothy 2:5
The athlete reminds us of internal motivation—that deep, inner drive that pushes us forward even when no one’s watching.
No one can train for you. No one can run your race. Faith, like training, requires consistency, discipline, and a love for the process.
Paul says elsewhere, “The love of Christ compels us.” That’s the heart of the athlete’s motivation.
And when challenges come, we don’t suddenly rise to the occasion—we fall to our patterns. The habits we’ve built before the storm sustain us during it.
Daily prayer, gratitude, community, worship—these spiritual “workouts” build resilience for when life gets tough.
3. The Farmer — Steady Motivation
“The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”
— 2 Timothy 2:6
The farmer’s motivation is simple and steady. No spotlight, no applause—just quiet faithfulness.
Farmers don’t control the weather or the harvest; they just keep sowing, watering, and waiting. Life depends on their persistence.
In the same way, our spiritual lives grow through small, daily faithfulness:
acts of kindness, prayers of gratitude, forgiveness, and love that never gives up.
Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is just keep showing up.
Living the Pattern
Paul’s metaphors remind us that faith is a rhythm—a pattern that carries us through seasons of joy and hardship.
Maybe you’ve seen this modeled in people around you: those who, even in their later years, still carry patterns of grace and steadfastness in their lives.
Like Paul’s charge to Timothy, these examples call us to reflect:
Do I need the discipline of a soldier?
The inner fire of an athlete?
The quiet faithfulness of a farmer?
“Reflect on these things, and the Lord will give you insight into all this.”
