2 Thessalonians 3:13 “But as for you, brethren, don’t grow weary in doing good.”

i know we all understand how hard it is to do the right thing especially when it seems justice would be better served by doing the wrong thing. Doing what is right occasionally or for a short while doesn’t bring the breakthroughs we need in life, and don’t you know, so many, many people need a breakthrough of some sort. 2 Thessalonians 3:13 exhorts us to not just do the good and appropriate action only when it suits us, but to continue doing the right thing, and sometimes we’ve simply got to do it over and over and over and over before we see results. Anyone who has ever trained a pet knows they have to be consistent and repeatable, doing the same thing repetitively in order to communicate what it is we want the pet to do, or not do. Isn’t it also true with our kids? We can’t just tell the truth within the sight and hearing of children, they need to see us being honest over and over so they get the idea that not only are we, the parents, honorable and honest, but that they should act similarly to our actions, hopefully even surpassing us in doing right.

How do you act when you’re just worn out with the behavior of other people? It is the truth, people can be very irritating, but if you’re listening, then you’re a people too. What is a right action to you? When you’re in the grocery store, there always seems to be someone who is shopping as if they are the only person in the world, and i must admit, there are times when i feel like just yelling at them, telling them to “Move!” But that wouldn’t go over well i would imagine neither would my actions likely garner the results i was hoping for.

When we feel ourselves becoming impatient and fatigued in our well doing, go to God and wait on Him to give us fresh strength so we are enabled by His grace to press through to a righteous conclusion. James 5:13 says if you’re suffering then pray, which implies to me prayer is the beginning place to resolve any and all of our problems. We really need to learn to pray. And by the way, the word “suffering” there is not just any old suffering, but is in the idea of diseased affections, noise in your head, and even enduring hardship.

Doing what is right when we don’t seem to be getting right results is not easy, especially when all the little details seem to be against us. When a farmer plants seeds in the ground, he must keep a patient watch over it all until there finally come sprouts and eventually produces a harvest. It is a process that takes time and effort. If the farmer gives up on his garden and stops caring for it, he will miss the harvest of all the hard work.

One of satan’s favorite things to do is to try and get us to give up! However, God tells us to endure, persist, continue, and finish. The Lord teaches us to be long suffering, patient, determined, and steadfast. Everyone loves the gifts of the Spirit as seen in 1Corinthians 12:4-10, so let us also love the fruit of the Spirit too! (Galatians 5:22)

i heard someone say in their experience, though maybe limited, they found that often have to treat people right for a long time before there is a beginning to being treated the same way. For me, often, i have to do the right thing with a right attitude for a long time before i start getting right results. There it is and it’s the truth. Just as natural seed finally takes root and the beginning of a plant breaks through the ground, we too will see breakthrough if we continue to do the right thing, regardless of what others do.

People frequently give up too easily, i know there certainly have been times when i have. When our feelings quit on us, we tend to quit too. But after living through a lot of thick and thin, i have learned that i can feel wrong and still choose to do what is right.

Jesus said in Luke 6:27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”

1 Peter 3:11 “Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil“.

One sign of spiritual maturity is the ability to live beyond our feelings. When only our feelings are the engine which drive our train, we’ve got real trouble. People who are spiritually mature live by decisions made based on God’s Word, not on how they feel. C’mon, risk with God again and let us pour out our well doing to our neighbor. i believe one of the things most missing in the church today is simple hospitality.

Let me encourage us all: Don’t give up; keep on doing the right thing regardless of the world around you.