In the Face of Weariness

 

“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.”

(2 Thessalonians 3:13 ESV)

 

As we live the Christian life, we sometimes become tired. We become tired as we witness the evil taking place in the world around us. We become tired as we deal with the sin of those who surround us. We become tired as we’re confronted by the ire of the unbelievers in our midst. We become tired as we deal with conflict and strife in the church. We become tired as we deal with our own struggle with sin. And we become tired as it seems to us that our efforts are futile.

 

Our natural response, in this fatigue, is to give up. Our natural response is to stop trying. Our natural response is to, at best, do nothing. And our natural response, at worst, is to live, behave, and believe like those among whom we abide.

 

Throughout the book of 2 Thessalonians, Paul had been talking to this congregation about the return of Christ. He talked about the Lord’s judgment. He talked about false prophecies and false christs. The talked about the man of lawlessness, and the disruption he’ll bring to the world. And he talked about those who confess faith in Christ while living a life of idleness.

 

As we read these words, it’s easy for us to understand how the Thessalonians may have grown tired. It’s easy to understand why they might want to give up. But in light of these truths, and in light of these circumstances, Paul called on them to press on.

 

He told them that they were not to grow weary in doing good. They’re not to tire of doing that which is good. In other words, they were to continue in their service of the Lord. No matter how things may have seemed, they were to continue to live as they had been called.

 

The same message speaks to us, today, right where we find ourselves. Rather than losing all hope and giving up, we’re to press on. We’re to continue living as we have been called. We are to continue in our service of the Lord, and we are to continue loving our neighbor, no matter how fruitless it may seem.

 

We are to do so knowing that it is never truly fruitless. We are to do so, bearing in mind the encouragement that he gave to the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 15:58, where he says: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

 

Serving the Lord is never empty. It’s never meaningless. No matter how things may seem, God is faithful to do his work, and he is faithful to work through us, that his purpose might be accomplished.

Boundaries

 

“Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.”

(2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 ESV)

 

We often debate, when it comes to political discourse, how to handle public welfare. We often debate to whom this help should be given, and in what instances. And we often debate to what extent it should be given.

 

In the above passage, however, this issue is discussed not as a matter of politics, but as a matter of church life. And, in this statement, Paul is very clear. As Christians, we are expected to work.

 

When I say this, of course, I’m not referring exclusively to work outside of the home. I’m referring to work in all of its forms. I’m referring to work as it is carried out in our typical vocations.

 

A stay-at-home parent, as a case in point, is not considered idle because she fails to work outside of the home. She would, however, be considered idle if she fails to carry out the duties of her vocation. She would be considered idle if she fails to care for her home, her children, and her husband.

 

Paul also does not expect those to work who are incapable of doing so. He calls upon the church to care for older widows. And generosity for those in need is clearly encouraged.

 

However, as we see above, Paul calls on Christians to disassociate from those, who profess faith in Christ, who are idle. He calls on us to keep away from those who are lazy. He calls on us to withdraw from those who are slothful or sluggish. And he calls on us to remove ourselves from those who, while they are unwilling to work, continually involve themselves in the affairs of others.

 

This type of lifestyle, he says, is not in accord with the tradition that he and his followers had passed on to them. He then holds himself up as an example. Even though he had a right to the support of the congregation, he worked hard while he was among them that he might not be a burden on them.

 

He also gave to them the command that, if anyone was not willing to work, he was not to eat. He did not permit those who were unwilling to work to receive such help. He did not allow them to, in this way, prey on the generosity of their brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

He commanded and encouraged such persons to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. He commanded them to work quietly and to eat their own bread. He encouraged them to work in a quiet fashion and to earn the food they ate.

 

As Christians, following through with this command feels anything but graceful. In fact, it may feel harsh and critical in nature. It, however, is a form of discipline. It’s a call to repentance. It’s a way of revealing to the idle the sinfulness of their inaction that they might receive the mercy of Christ.

Our Source of Confidence

 

“And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”

(2 Thessalonians 3:4-5 ESV)

 

We’re often skeptical of people. We doubt them. And we do so for good reason. We do so, knowing that no one is perfect.

 

This is true of us, even as Christians. We know and believe that we are a sinful people. We know and believe that we are born in sin. And, for this reason, we are cynical. We are distrustful of others.

 

And, based on our experience, we may feel that we have good reason for this cynicism. We may feel that we have good reason for our lack of trust in others. After all, even those who love us most have failed us time and again.

 

However, our confidence in others is not dependent upon them. It’s not dependent upon their reliability. Nor is it dependent upon our past experience.

 

We see this in the above passage. Paul had been asking for the prayers of the believers at Thessalonica. He desired that they would pray for him and his ministry. And he went on to express a confidence in them.

 

He’s confident that they were doing the things he’d commanded. And he was confident that they would do the things he’d commanded. However, the basis of that confidence was not them. The basis of that confidence was the Lord.

 

“And we have confidence in the Lord about you,” he writes. It’s clear, then, that his confidence was not in them. His confidence was in the Lord.

 

And this makes complete sense. Even though people are imperfect, God is perfect. Even though they are fallible, God is infallible. And even though they are weak, God is strong. Although we have little, if any, reason to be confident in others, we have every reason to be confident in the Lord.

 

He knew that they were keeping his commands not because of any goodness or strength on their part, but because of the Lord and his work in their lives and hearts. And he knew that they would keep his commands in the days ahead, not because of any intrinsic holiness or piety, but because of the Lord and the strength he would provide.

 

Based on this, he blesses them, asking that the Lord would direct their hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. He asks that the Lord will direct them into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.  He asks that the Lord would direct their hearts into God’s love and Christ’s endurance.

 

This is also the reason that we can be confident in others. We can be confident in them because of the Lord. We can be confident in them because of his ongoing work in their life.