Commands for the Faithful Follower

Paul gives Timothy more commands as he continues his correspondence. His third command in this chapter is to "suffer hardship with me." His encouragement will be that the trials, sacrifices, and pain will all be worth it in light of the future hope the faithful follower of Jesus Christ has.
Paul uses a soldier, an athlete and a farmer to illustrate the kind of diligent, sacrificial effort the faithful servant of the Lord must make. These three examples demonstrate the disciplined, hard-working lifestyle needed to accomplish the work at hand, and he adds the encouragement that all are rewarded.
Another command was for Timothy to “consider” what Paul was saying, to think on it, and examine his own life in light of it. We are too must think carefully on these things, examine our own life in light of it and like Timothy, the Lord will give us understanding to do His work, His way. Ongoing evaluation is necessary to keep priorities in order and make what adjustments are necessary so the work of the ministry of the Gospel is unhindered and fruitful.
Considering these things and evaluating our lives are our responsibility as was it Timothy's. We too must be willing to “suffer hardship” in our life of service to the Lord and prioritize so as to most effectively and boldly to the work of the ministry as we are called.