And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. - 2 Thessalonians 3:13
Some of the believers in Thessalonica were so convinced that the Lord’s second coming was imminent that they decided it was useless to work for their living! Paul was horrified by this, so he told the idlers, in no uncertain terms, to earn their own living, following the example he gave them while he was with them.
As we await his return, Jesus prays for us that our faith and our strength will not fail (Luke 22:32; John 17:15-17). He doesn’t want us wilting while we’re waiting! Think about it—Jesus worked hard. He spent years working for his living. And when he did kingdom work fulltime, he was never too harried to heal, never too faint to fight for a soul, never too tired to talk with those who sought him, never too weary to listen in love. And yet, because he experienced our human nature, he knows how tiredness can weaken our body, and he understands what it is like to be on the edge of tears. Now, as we continue his work on earth by doing good and building the kingdom, Jesus rejoices in heaven over the sheep on earth coming into the fold.
A journey with Jesus is not an easy thing. You won’t get to your destination without sand in your sandals and dirt in your hair, but you will have the incalculable joy of his company. His abundant sympathy and his “Well done” at the end of the day will be worth it all.
For Further Study: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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