I listened more than 40 years ago as Dr. Marshall Leggett listed the tasks expected of a modern-day minister: preacher, teacher, writer and editor, pastoral care provider, administrator, counselor, outreach coordinator, etc.

Dr. Leggett warned that group of young preachers and leaders: “You will never go to bed at night with the sweet satisfaction of the day’s work done. There will always be more that could be done and that ought to have been done that was not done simply because of the tyranny of time.”

Forty-three years in ministry have convinced me that Dr. Leggett might have missed a few roles, but he was absolutely right; modern ministers have too much on their plates!

But doesn’t that describe a lot of other folks besides just ministers?

Many occupations (including that of homemaker!) demand increasing levels of skill and knowledge and often bring frustration because everything that “could be done and ought to have been done was not done simply because of the tyranny of time.”

In 2 Timothy 2:3-7 (NIV), the Apostle Paul uses three analogies that might help all of us.

Paul writes, “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.”

So let’s reflect.

Soldiers expect difficulty. They know there’s no point in complaining about assignments and they understand that orders must be carried out. Soldiers constantly push themselves to “be all that (they) can be!”

Soldiers know they must stay focused on the mission, that they cannot allow themselves to be sidetracked into lesser tasks.

“Life or death” isn’t just a catchphrase for someone in the military. Soldiers grasp the concept of teamwork, knowing that they are better off when their team is better off.

Athletes master the art of self-discipline.

Olympians often begin their training day while those around them sleep. Diets and nutrients and healthy eating become an obsession; junk food a very rare treat. Bodies are pushed and muscles are sore, but athletes subscribe to that old adage “no pain, no gain.”

Lift a little more weight, do another rep, run a little farther, shave a tenth of a second off of a time – athletes know how to “leave it all on the field” and then push themselves to do even better the next time. They’re never satisfied with “good enough.”

Athletes know never to cheat or cut corners because disqualification is disastrous.

Farmers understand the concept of risk and reward.

In planting season, farmers invest a huge amount of money, often borrowed from a bank, to buy seed and fertilizer and fuel and then literally sink all that into a hole in the ground.

Farmers know their limits; while there are many aspects of farming over which they have control, the most crucial areas lie outside their power.

Bad seed, bad weather and bad timing can ruin a year or end a career. But farmers also know the joy of full barns, full plates and full bank accounts after an excellent harvest.

Patience and faith were required, but God blessed the effort and their hard work paid off.

Farmers know the sweet satisfaction of the year’s work done.

Those principles apply to lots of tasks, not just the job of being the best disciple of Jesus that you can be. Stay focused and don’t expect the job to be easy. Push yourself to your limits, and then a little beyond. It’s not just what you can do alone, it’s what God can give you the strength to do. Remember Philippians 4:13? “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Discipline yourself to make temporary sacrifices for long-term gain. Take a risk or two; nothing ventured nothing gained.

Can we push these principles just a little farther?

That same disciplined, sustained effort is required if you want to bless your family, your neighbors, your friends and your community.

Paul writes in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Keep on keeping on!