2 Thessalonians– Chapter Three XV

by Ed Urzi

“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

While it is one thing to honor God in the physical duties and responsibilities of life, the mental and emotional strain of those obligations should not be overlooked. While our earlier look at this chapter focused on the right external approach to the toil and drudgeries of life, this passage offers an opportunity to examine our internal approach.

You see, most people are familiar with “the daily grind” of life. Much like the abrasive effect of a machine tool upon a piece of metal, the monotonous toil of everyday existence tends to wear us down mentally and emotionally. As the days and weeks stretch into the months and years of life, it may be challenging to maintain the right attitude in regard to our lives and work. In other words, it’s easy to become weary in doing good.

For instance, we may be wearied by a sense of futility, the nagging suspicion that our lives and work have no lasting value. (1) As mentioned earlier, we can address that response by engaging in our daily responsibilities as if we were working for Christ.

We might also grow weary as we see the apparent prosperity of those who seem to care little for the things of God. We can respond to this strange disparity by remembering that our physical lives are relatively short (James 4:13-14) and eternity is far longer. Psalm 37 also addresses this subject at length and offers the following reminder…

“I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace” (Psalm 37:35-37 NIV).

Finally, we may grow disheartened by the seemingly never-ending problems of daily life and the prospect of having to deal with those problems well into the foreseeable future. In such instances, we would do well to remember Jesus’ counsel from Matthew 6:34: “So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own” (NET).

Therefore, we should seek to maintain our focus upon Christ each day while remembering the promise of Galatians 6:9: “And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.”

(1) It is significant to note that God inspired a Biblical author to write a book that is almost entirely dedicated to this subject