NEVER TIRE OF DOING WHAT'S RIGHT

2 Thessalonians 3:13 “And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.”

Doing right is a personal matter. Doing what is right lies squarely on the shoulder of the individual. No matter what others do, you know what you have to do. If you know the difference between right and wrong, then you know what you need to do to please the Lord. God makes this personal. The Bible says, “Never tire of doing what is right.” He puts it in our lap.

This is similar to what we hear in Joshua, “...as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) We may not be able to speak for others, but we can speak for ourselves. We may not answer for others, but we will answer for ourselves. Therefore our chief concern is that we are doing right. Every Christian is judged on his individual service. We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, by ourselves. No one will be there to run interference; none will offer defense. It will just be us and the record of all our deeds.

When we were little we tried to blame other kids for what we did wrong. My parents used to ask, "If they jumped off the bridge, would you jump off too?" or "If they stuck their head in the fire would you stick yours in too?" The lesson they were trying to get across was that we should act based on our own knowledge of right and wrong. That’s what God is saying here. Doing right is not an option in the Christian life. James says, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:17) It’s not like doing right is a luxury enjoyed only by the super-righteous. It is all our responsibility.

When Paul says we are to never tire of doing right, he hints of the effort required to please God. It isn’t always easy to do the right thing. Sometimes it means disagreeing with a friend. They might get angry with you if you refuse to cover for their sin. It may require that you stand on principle. You could lose your employer’s approval. You may have to choose between money and integrity. Doing right could mean you have to stand up against a bully for someone else. Whatever the price of doing right may be, it will be repaid in the judgment. In the end, the cost of doing right will never be as high as the cost of doing wrong.

The Thessalonians lived in troubled times. They faced the threat of persecution. They feared the danger of corrupt teaching. They knew the challenges of the Christian life. They struggled with one another, and they struggled with personal issues. It wasn’t any easier for them to be Christians than it is for us. Isn’t that encouraging? If it wasn’t any easier for those who fleshed out Christianity in the first century, it isn’t any harder for us in the 21st century. You and I can enjoy the same peace they enjoyed. We, too, can have peace at all times.

That’s not pie-in-the-sky-theology; it’s a spiritual reality. Is it always easy? Never was. Is it possible? Always has been. How can we have peace in troubled times? We just need Jesus. We need the peace Jesus gives. Christianity is lived out one Christian at a time. But it is also lived out simultaneously within a community of other believers. Those who seek to live a life pleasing to God are encouraged by the hope of his peace. Serve God individually. Keep a watchful eye on one another and enjoy the presence and peace of Jesus.