ALAN
PATTERSON
BY
He sometimes worked 365 days a year. Yes, my Uncle
Kermit, a dairy farmer for decades, worked virtually
every day of his life unless he was sick, and that
was rare. He labored in this way as long as he was
able from the time he got out of the Navy (World
War II) until he died at the age of 95. How do you
explain such a work ethic? Why did he almost never
take a vacation of even a day during those years?
The simple but inadequate explanation is that he
was obsessed with his work. But he had a deeper
motivation—he loved his work! He was the type
of person Paul envisioned when he spoke of the
“hard-working farmer” (2 Timothy 2:6).
This commitment to hard work is exactly what Paul
exhorted Timothy to exhibit in his life and ministry.
An obsession like this could be wrong, but not
when the work itself is commanded by the Lord
and when the “farmer” loves what he is doing. In this
context (2 Timothy 2:1–7) the Lord is indeed giving
a command, for Paul often uses imperatives: “be
strong” in verse 1, “entrust these to faithful men” in
verse 2, “suffer hardship” in verse 3, and “consider
what I say” in verse 7. He is commanding Timothy
to follow his example of utter commitment. Paul’s
life exemplified an obsessive commitment to see
people “obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus
and with it eternal glory” (v. 10).
IMITATE THE
WHO LOVES HIS WORK
FARMER