Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Don't Grow Weary

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

Do you ever grow weary in doing good? Cooking and cleaning for unappreciative family members? Doing your best and working overtime for your employer without thanks or adequate compensation? Do you ever grow weary of all you do around your church to the point you begrudge others not helping to shoulder the load with you? Do you weary of inviting family and friends to faith in Jesus and continually getting rejected? Do you grow tired of praying and trying to get ahead but ending up against a brick wall time after time? Are you exhausted from trying to complete your education, hold down a job and raise kids as a single parent? Are you spent from trying to keep peace among warring people? Do you ever weary of constantly giving of yourself and money but not having enough for your own needs at the end of the day? Are you tired of turning the other cheek to rude, overbearing, insensitive bullies? 

There is a football team in Texas that has lost 77 straight games. Think about it. That is nearly eight full seasons of losing. Seven straight years without one single win. The previous year only three wins. Can you imagine what that does to the morale of coaches, athletes and fans? Let's just say it is not good. Think of all those athletes who ran, lifted weights, did agility drills and prepared themselves for the goal of winning. They came and went through their entire careers without achieving that goal. How discouraged must they have been and their coaches. During the losing streak the team has gone through more than one coach. Coaches tried and failed. How discouraged must they have felt each Friday night.

You know what I love about this story. They still practice. If they lose 6 more games they will hold the national record for the longest losing streak. Sure those young men and coaches think about that. They also think about the day they finally win a game. Th day they come out on top because they did not quit. The day they are the victors because they overcame adversity. So they practice. They do not give into the belief of what is the use practicing if they just keep losing. They believe some Friday night this season or the next or the following one they will win a game. Here is to hoping the Eagles get that victory in this upcoming season.

Are you tired of enduring a loveless marriage? Don't grow weary in doing good. Are you tired of serving the Lord what appears to be in vain? Do not grow weary in doing good. Are you tired of teaching unruly apathetic students? Do not grow weary in doing good. Are you fed up with preaching to a bunch of lifeless pew dwellers? Do not grow weary in doing good. Are you tired of trying to shape and mold your children to follow Jesus but they don't listen? Do not grow wary in doing good. Are you tired of working at your dead end job while pursuing a dream? Do not grow weary in doing good.

Stay the course. Trust God another day. Fight through the temptation to give up. Persevere through the adversity. Plod ahead one step at a time and one day at a time. Study hard for that next test. Do your best work for your employer even if they do not notice. God notices. Give your best effort at practice even if everyone else slacks off.

Do good. Do good for your Jesus. Do good for your family. Do good for your friends. Do good for those who can't do anything for you in return.

Don't give up. Don't let your mind and thoughts tempt you to surrender. Keep grinding. Keep battling. One more day at the gym. One more rep. One more school assignment. One more load of laundry. One more meal to cook. One more day at the office. One more day welding in the heat. One more day turning wrenches. One more night shift. This is the way life is both done and won. We keep pushing forward. We keep laboring. We keep trying. We keep serving. We keep blessing. We keep loving. We keep doing good.

Jesus is our strength. He helps us to endure. He empowers us to press onto victory. He takes our destructive thoughts captive. He makes us finishers and not a quitters. He helps us to the last lap of life around the last curve down the last stretch to the finish line. Doing good for Him will all be worth it when this earthly life is over. Keep doing good. 

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