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What Does it Take to be a Good Soldier for Christ? - Part 5

"An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules" - 2 Timothy 2:5

A soldier competes according to the rules.

When an athlete competes, and the Greek verb used here for compete means to express great effort and determination, he must give is all he's got.  He cannot go half-speed and expect to win the prize.  Olympic athletes don't just train every four years.  They are constantly working to better their bodies and their skills.  They know that if they do not compete at their best that the odds of winning are unlikely.

I'm sure we have all heard the phrase, "All is fair in love and war."  But there are still some rules of engagement that the military must practice.  And there are rules in any sport that athletes must follow if they want to be crowned the winner.  Even if an athlete wins, if he is found out to have cheated or broken a rule, he will then be disqualified. 

As Christians, we cannot tell others what the rules are, and then not live by them ourselves.  I believe that people pay twice as much attention to what we do as to what we say.  Our successes in business, in life, and even in ministry won't matter if we lied, stole, or cheated our way to the top.

Work hard, do what it takes to be crowned.  But do so within the will of God.

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