Don’t Become Entangled

Descipleship

4No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him.

– 2 Timothy 2:4
(NASB® © 2020)

The Christian has been enlisted by the Lord, and is on active service for Him. He must not entangle himself in the affairs of everyday life. The emphasis here is on the word entangle.

He cannot completely divorce himself from worldly business. He must work in order to provide the necessities of life for his family. There is a certain amount of involvement in everyday interests that is unavoidable. Otherwise he would have to go out of the world, as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 5:10.

But he mustn’t allow himself to become entangled. He must keep his priorities straight. Even things that are good in themselves can sometimes become the enemies of the best. 

William Kelly says that “to entangle oneself in the businesses of life means really to give up separation from the world by taking one’s part in outward affairs as a bona fide partner in it.”

I have become entangled when I become involved in the world’s politics as a means of solving man’s problems. That would be like spending my time “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”

Or I have become entangled when I put more emphasis on social service than on the Gospel as a panacea for the world’s ills.

I have become entangled when business gets such a grip on me that I give my best efforts to the making of money. In thus gaining a living, I lose a life.

I have become entangled when the kingdom of God and His righteousness cease to have first place in my life. 

Comments (0)

No comments yet.

Share this article:

You want to contact us? Ask a question or let us know what you think! 

Write a message here!

Leave a Comment

Abiding in Christ

This article is about abiding in Christ as both privilege and responsibility: only by living in dependence on His presence can believers bear “fruit” that reflects His character. It stresses that fruit isn’t produced by striving for it, but by focusing on Christ—“without Me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4–5

The Favor of the World

This article is about how the world’s praise can be shallow and fleeting. Using Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction to Daniel and the crowd’s reversal toward Paul, it warns that exaggerated favor can quickly turn into hostility without true inner change.
 Daniel 2,46

Which Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation?

This article is about whether today’s Christians will face the Great Tribulation. It argues the church will be raptured before end-time wrath, explains the rapture vs. Christ’s public appearing, and identifies the believers in Revelation’s tribulation as those who come to faith after the rapture.
Marriage & Family

Situationship

This article is about “situationships”: undefined, commitment-free relationships that blur friendship and romance. Using Leon and Emma as an example, it warns they create imbalance and hurt, and argues from a biblical view for clarity, responsibility, protection, purity, and commitment toward marriage.
Amos 3:3

The Hummingbird – a Masterpiece of God’s Creation

This article is about the hummingbird as a marvel of nature—exploring its unique hovering flight, specialized wing and muscle structure, extreme metabolism, nectar-feeding tongue design, and cooling methods, framed as evidence of divine creative power.
Romans 1:20

Scripture Alone?!

This article is about whether 2 Timothy 3:16–17 undermines “Scripture alone.” It argues the passage supports Scripture’s sufficiency, distinguishes apostolic teaching from later tradition, affirms NT authority, and says the church recognized—not created—the canon.
2 Timothy 3:16.17

Revelation—Not a Book with Seven Seals!

This article is about why the Bible’s book of Revelation isn’t a sealed mystery but an “unveiling” of future events centered on Jesus Christ. It explains key opening verses, symbolic language, the chain of revelation, and the blessing for reading, hearing, and keeping its message.
Revelation 1:1-3
Gospel

My Sin is Great

This article is about sincere confession: admitting our sin is great and seeking forgiveness for God’s name’s sake. It explains that faith trusts God’s mercy shown in Christ’s cross, producing honesty that doesn’t downplay guilt, and notes the Psalms’ purposeful order.
Psalm 25:11
Church/Assembly

All Present Before God

This article is about Acts 10:33 and Cornelius’s gathering as a model for Christian meetings: obedience to God’s leading, awareness of God’s presence, listening to the whole message without picking parts, and speaking only what God commands—nothing added or omitted.
Acts 10:33

Q&A What does it mean, that God has given us “of His Spirit”

This article is about the meaning of “from His Spirit” in 1 John 4:13, explaining it doesn’t mean believers receive only part of the Spirit. Instead, it highlights what proceeds from God’s Spirit—love, truth, holiness—becoming visible evidence that God abides in us.
1 John 3:24; 4:13

Our Great High Priest

This article is about Jesus as the superior High Priest in Hebrews: His once-for-all sacrifice for sin, His ongoing heavenly service with compassion and help for believers, and His continual intercession before God that brings grace, mercy, and confidence to draw near.
Hebrews 2:17–18; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:24
Bible Study

The Old Man and The New Man

This article is about the New Testament concepts of the “old self” and “new self”: the old self judged and crucified with Christ, the new self created in His resurrection, and how believers should live out their new identity by putting off old traits and displaying Christlike ones.
Romans 6:6; Ephesians 2:15; 4:22.24; Colossians 3:9.10