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“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3).
When I was younger and we used to go “wilderness camping,” we slept in tents, using sleeping bags. We used to endure hardness by placing our sleeping bags on the floor of the tent without any padding under them. The ground was hard, and sometimes a small root would poke into us in the night. But anyone who used padding was considered a “wimp.” I have to admit that we took a certain amount of pride in enduring hardness. But it lasted only a week, and then we were back in our normal beds.
If we wish to work for the Lord, it may mean enduring hardness sometimes. We may have to endure physical discomfort, such as a hard bed or different food. But it can mean more than that; it can mean coping with difficult people, a different culture, sometimes going without certain things that we really like. But it is all part of being a good soldier for Christ!
Even today, soldiers sometimes have to put up with harsh conditions, yet it is all necessary in order to serve their country. It may be necessary for us if we wish to serve the Lord!
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