“No one that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier” – 2 Tim. 2:4
This is not a call to a noninvolvement in the goings-on of life, but a non-entanglement. There is a difference. Beloved, you should be involved in this world’s issues without being entangled or trapped as an Army-Bride-in-preparation.
The example of our Lord Jesus
You know, our Jesus was involved with us. He took on our nature and identity unashamedly, although, from His lofty Glory, it was clearly shameful to descend so low to be among His fallen creatures – Heb. 2:14, 16-17.
Yes, the Lord Jesus was not ashamed of Peter, Judas, Nathaniel, Thomas etc. He was not ashamed of sinners, corrupt people, depraved people, backslidden Jews, and God resisters.
Are you ashamed to be an African, Asian, Ghanaian etc? Are you ashamed of your tribe, Church, political leaders and people? Are you ashamed to be a Pastor, Politician etc? If you are ashamed, you cannot identify.
If you do not identify, you cannot be involved. If you are not involved, you cannot help. My friend, you need to identify with people in order to be able to help them to realize what God has ordained for them.
Do not fear the world
Understand that the sons of the Kingdom are sown by God in the world, ‘not’ in the Church – Matt. 13:37-38. Yes, the Carriers of the Kingdom system should be in the world, but the world must not be in them. They should be there with the people, but not entangled with them, their affairs, systems, values, expectations, fears etc.
The Lord Jesus said the prince of the world had nothing in Him – Jn. 14:30. That is how you would be; like a ship in the sea, but with no sea-water in it. You are placed in Africa or wherever you are, but do not let the spirit or attitude of the place get into you. Yes, be like the Kingdom-man Prophet. Daniel, who was involved in Babylon, but not entangled in her.
Involvement can easily lead to entanglement, but refuse to be. To be entangled means to be trapped in such a way that you cannot be available for any other thing. This is where people ask God to fit into their plans, else…
Not so. You do not know when the King will need you, so start disentangling yourself. Start freeing yourself from this world’s system, the credit culture, the world’s standards, insecurities etc. God does not want anything to entangle us apart from Him who called us into the army of His Kingdom. He does not want your desires, needs, challenges, ambitions, Church to trap you, but He alone – Lk. 10:38-42.
First things first
Esau, like Martha, was entangled with so many good things that naturally endear a person to the carnal nature of another – Gen. 25:28; Lk. 10:41-42. Jacob, like Mary however, refused to be trapped in many external issues as against the needful and good part of life, namely: the spiritual aspect of life. You also will esteem the spiritual aspect of life when it is endangered by secular entanglements or commitments. God cares for our regard for our spiritual inheritance, unlike Esau who disrespected his spiritual inheritance and gifts.
Beloved, you cannot be entangled with service to humanity at the expense of our direct commitment to studying God’s Word daily. You know, you can be so practical in your outlook on life that the Word of God and spiritual things will mean nothing to you.
Such was Martha and Esau as against Mary and Jacob. But, faith is what pleases God, not a practically good life which is not born by faith – Heb. 11:6. Your practical life would be predicated on the Kingdomword of God that you study. Amen!
Freed desires
You can be doing many things, but God wants you to have one over-riding desire i.e. to do the will of God or obey God at any time, should He want you to change what you are doing – 1 Jn. 2:15.
God does not want your desire for Him to be so entangled by other desires that, it becomes perverted and changes form; from obeying Him to something else, which was not the original desire in you – Rev. 2:4.
You know, God can build a desire in you, but you can allow it to be entangled with other desires, so that it looks complicated. Satan always tries to plant other desires when men are asleep into the plantings of God, just as he planted Tares among God’s Wheat – Matt. 13:25-26.
God does not want you entangled in the world’s system, but completely set aside to His Kingdom system. This is how to please Him as a soldier of His Kingdom. May you live by the royal principle of non-entanglement that under-girds life in God’s Kingdom! Amen!
