Like a good soldier
Paul gives Timothy a soldier’s mind
Paul hands Timothy a soldier's mindset: share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. A soldier does not expect comfort; he expects hardship, and endures it as part of the job. Paul adds that a soldier on duty does not get entangled in civilian affairs, but aims to please the one who enlisted him. Hardship and focused devotion are simply assumed in the soldier's life.
This reframes a leader's relationship to difficulty. The soldier does not complain that war is hard or that he must sacrifice comfort — that is what he signed up for. Leaders sometimes resent the hardships of their calling as if they were unfair impositions. Paul says no: hardship is the normal condition of the good soldier, to be endured, not protested. And like the soldier, the leader keeps himself free of entangling distractions, focused on pleasing his commander.
“Wage the good warfare.”
— Paul, to Timothy — 1 Timothy 1:18 (WEB)
Hardship is the normal condition of the good soldier, to be endured, not protested. A leader expects difficulty and stays free of entangling distractions.
“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
Paul gives Timothy a soldier’s acceptance of hardship. A leader formed here stops resenting the difficulties of his calling as unfair. The inner work is expecting hardship and staying focused on pleasing his commander.
Endure the hardships of your calling as part of the job, not an injustice. Keep yourself free of entangling distractions that soften your focus. Lead like a soldier devoted to his commander.
Leaders resent the hardships of leadership as if comfort were owed them. The blind spot is treating the normal cost of the calling as an unfair imposition.
Notice where you resent a hardship of your calling. This week, accept it as a good soldier and remove one entangling distraction.
A soldier does not complain that war is hard or that he must sacrifice comfort — that is what he signed up for. Leaders sometimes resent the hardships of their calling as unfair impositions.
Do you endure the hardships of your calling like a good soldier, or resent them as if comfort were owed you?