When I was at school we all had the opportunity to receive "misplaced" careers advice from a so called "qualified" professional who spent her days keying random bits of info into a computer and calculating a useless list of careers that we would all be most suited to. I kid you not that my biggest job choices came out as hairdresser and flower arranger. This vital conclusion was reached after asking me a series of inane questions such as "do you enjoy stacking things such as shelves?" and "what kind of meat would you not be willing to pack in a warehouse?" and so on...Aside from the fact that I would make a terrible daffodil arranger, there are at least three jobs I am quite positive I would never be recommended to try out.
I mean can you imagine what it would be like? Being sleep deprived for days. Being woken up at 5am by the sound of a man in uniform shouting at you. Eating leftovers from the bin as a main meal and running aimlessly for miles without a clue where you are going. Before you ask, I am not talking about freshers week at uni as a student. I am thinking of what it must be like to be in the army.
In all honestly, being some hot shot SAS soldier is probably one of the things I am least suited in the world. I sort of share the army's motto to BE THE BEST, but my "best" doesn't stretch to doing 1000 press ups naked because I forgot to shine my shoes before my potato peeling shift.
Another career I would be certain to underperform at is that of the professional athlete (how to state the obvious I hear you say). One famous basketball coach once said "For an athlete to function properly, he must be intent. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.” The reason I would be rubbish is that I am too caught up with doing the fun things in the moment. I sometimes think I would rather have a short term kitkat break than a long term gold medal plan.
Finally, The Farmer is one role that I am in awe of and think is something that has been wildly undervalued over the last few years in Britain. I don't think I could ever do it. I have great respect for anyone who can have the resiliance and commitment to ensure that everyone has enough food on their table often at the expense of having it on their own.
Whilst the roles of soldier, athlete and farmer freak me out in the natural, I open my Bible to 2 Timothy and find my good friend Paul encouraging young Timothy to consider and copy the mindsets of these examples.
Like a soldier we must obey the commands of Jesus and not get caught up with affairs that are "civilian" or in other words "temporary not eternal" and not worth getting sidetracked by. These are the things that can hinder our lasting legacy. These affairs seem to be different for each one of us, but the challenge is always about heeding the call to longterm obedience rather than the draw to short term pleasure. I wonder what these things look like for you? This picture of the soldier is a stark reminder that we need to toughen up and realise that our walk with God may sometimes simply be downright difficult and hard. Something I rarely hear preached on a Sunday.
The key to not being caught up in "civilian things" is to take on the attitude of the athlete who learns to keep one eye on the rulebook and the other eye on the prize. It is about a disciplined approach of setting your sights on the eternal prize without letting go of knowing the right steps to take along the way. It is a form of earthly self control with heavenly vision that each of us must consider to ensure we win our race.
The great principle that we reap what we sow is of course correct in farming terms as well as in the spirit. It is simple justice that a farmer should be the one to taste the best of their crops, even though nowadays they rarely seem to do so. Not so in Pauls times, the farmer knew the season, knew the seed and expected to reap. So too in my life, I am to prepare for the season I am in, sow the right seed and live with fresh expectation for my share in the harvest. This is the attitude of the legacy leaver.
Lord, may we all live with the perseverance of the soldier, the vision of the Athlete and the wisdom of the Farmer. After all, these are three jobs I could never do, but three attitudes I am challenged to live by. Anyway, I am off to arrange some flowers and attempt to cut my wifes hair...
Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things. 2 Timothy 2:3 - 7
