11 April 2014

Freedom from Entangelment

An excerpt from the devotional "Becoming a Woman who Walks with God" by Cynthia Heald.

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
2 Timothy 2:4

Alone in a Roman prison, nearing the end of his life at the hands of the Emperor Nero, Paul wrote his second letter to his young disciple, Timothy.  One of the great concerns on the apostle's heart was to encourage Timothy in lifelong faithfulness as a soldier of Christ.

In this epistle we are privileged to learn many important insights for abiding in Christ.  One key to remaining strong in our Christian service is to maintain our focus on the concerns of the Lord - to avoid becoming entangled in "the affairs of everyday life."

To entangle means "to twist together so that disengagement is difficult; to complicate, to confuse."  Do you ever feel that you are so enmeshed in obligations that disengagement is difficult?

Early in my Christian life, the Lord made it clear to me that I needed to keep my involvements to a minimum so that I could be available for the unexpected He wanted to bring into my life.  I've learned over the years that confidence in handling the commitments I make is no guarantee that life will be smooth and unencumbered.  When the unplanned intrudes, my life quickly becomes complicated and confused.

This factor of the unexpected has become part of my understanding of what it means to stay free of entanglement.  I have learned to make short-term commitments and to be very careful in accepting a responsibility over the phone.  I'm still in the process of learning to pray in order to seek the Lord's pleasure before I agree to take on a responsbility.

I know few people who do not struggle with complicated lives.  When we allow these complexities to pre-occupy us, they draw our focus away from Christ.  Instead of focusing on pleasing the One who has called us into His service, our lives become driven by our over-involvement in the affairs of everyday life.

It is time once again to heed the words of our Lord to Martha.  We worry and fuss over so many things, but there's really only one thing needful: to sit at the feet of Jesus.  This is what will lead us into a lifetime of faithful service - a life that pleases the One who has enlisted us as His soldier.


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