DO NOT GET TIRED OF DOING GOOD

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

Doing good does not come naturally to humans because we are sinners, and our hearts are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). The carnal mind loves doing evil. Therefore, it is burdensome for it to do good. That is why when we do a good thing, we want to publicize it because it is not in our nature to do noble actions.

God tells us not to get tired of doing good deeds. Some people may say, because I helped the poor yesterday, I will not help them today. Others may say I will not serve this week in church because I served last week. Others may think because they served in church when they were young, they don’t need to serve when they are old, even though they still possess the strength to do so.

Right doing will never be a burden when the Holy Spirit works in the heart. Instead, not doing enough of what is right will be a burden.

Revelation 3:20 (KJV) – “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”

Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts. If we let Him in, He will do a work of total transformation in us and make us delight in righteous living. Jesus, when on this earth, never got tired of doing good things. When He was tired and was sleeping in the boat, He still woke up and calmed the storm. He did not tell His disciples to stop disturbing Him.

Every opportunity we have of doing good should be utilized to the maximum because each good action presents a blessing and opens a new door of opportunity. Therefore, do not get tired of sharing God’s love with others. Do not get tired of praying for people. Do not get tired of singing for God. Do not get tired of fasting. Do not get tired of inviting your friends to church. Do not get tired of working on your God-given idea. Do not get tired of treating your boss and your colleagues with honor.

“The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely—because he is required to do so—will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. When the requirements of God are accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination, we may know that the life is not a Christian life. True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right—because right doing is pleasing to God.” – Christ Object Lessons, Page 97.3, Ellen G. White.

The person who keeps God’s commandments as a mere requirement finds it a burden to keep obeying them. His obedience does not come from the heart. He does not love God’s law and does not love God Himself. True obedience delights in righteous living. It delights in having only one God and no other god before Him. It delights in prayer and fellowship. During the week, a person submitted to God will look forward to the coming of the Sabbath because they can’t wait to spend a whole day with God.

Matthew 19:16-22 (KJV) – “¹⁶And, behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? ¹⁷And He said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. ¹⁸He saith unto Him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, ¹⁹Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ²⁰The young man saith unto Him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? ²¹Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me. ²²But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”

The rich young ruler thought he obeyed God, but he did not. His obedience was an attempt by his might to keep the commandments of God. He said that he had obeyed all the commandments since he was young, but when he left with sorrow after Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and follow Him, he showed that he did not obey God. He explicitly broke the first commandment since he placed his money before God. Therefore, he did not love God. His action was explicit that he did not love his neighbor as himself since if he loved his neighbor as himself, he would have sold his possessions and given the proceeds to people experiencing poverty.

“Christ called upon him to choose between heavenly treasure and worldly greatness. Self must yield; his will must be given into Christ’s control. The young ruler had the privilege of becoming a coheir with Christ to the heavenly treasure. But he must take up the cross and follow the Saviour in the path of self-denial.” – From Heaven with Love, Page 347.4, Ellen G. White.

“The ruler was quick to discern all that Christ’s words involved, and he became sad. If he had realized the value of the offered gift, quickly would he have enrolled himself as one of Christ’s followers. He was a member of the honored council of the Jews, and Satan was tempting him with flattering prospects of the future. He wanted the heavenly treasure, but he wanted also the temporal advantages his riches would bring him. He was sorry that such conditions existed; he desired eternal life, but he was not willing to make the sacrifice. The cost of eternal life seemed too great, and he went away sorrowful; “for he had great possessions.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 522, Ellen G. White.

The rich young ruler showed that he cannot go an extra mile in doing good. His actions clearly show that he was tired of doing good.

Psalm 37:4 (KJV) – “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

Isaiah 58:13-14 (KJV) – “¹³If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: ¹⁴Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

“But while we worship God, we are not to consider this a drudgery. The Sabbath of the Lord is to be made a blessing to us and to our children. They are to look upon the Sabbath as a day of delight, a day which God has sanctified; and they will so consider it if they are properly instructed…. They can be pointed to the blooming flowers and the opening buds, the lofty trees and beautiful spires of grass, and taught that God made all these in six days and rested on the seventh day and hallowed it. Thus the parents may bind up their lessons of instruction to their children so that when these children look upon the things of nature they will call to mind the great Creator of them all.” – In Heavenly Places, Page 152.3, Ellen G. White.

The Sabbath is meant to be a blessing, and all God’s commandments are meant to be a blessing. Let us not get tired of obeying God. Let us not get tired of doing good.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Father Lord, fill me with Your Spirit so that I may delight in doing good, not out of duty but out of love for You. Take away the weariness of self-centeredness and replace it with a heart that overflows with compassion. Please help me to keep doing good even when no one sees, because You see, and You are my reward. I open the door of my heart to You, come in and give me strength to serve with joy. In Jesus name, Amen.