Never Tire of Doing Good

“Passion turns duty into delight, and obligation into opportunity”

This quote, attributed to an unknown author, reminds us of the power of passion. And pronounces it as one of the most potent antidotes to weariness in doing good.

For the past six weeks, we have been developing an acrostic of the word “passion,” highlighting 7 qualities and characteristics that illustrate how passion is the heartbeat of spiritual zeal. This is the 7th and final post. If you’ve missed the first six, here are the links to each one

“Pursue God with your Whole Heart”,

“Act in Love, Serving One Another,”

“Stand Firm, Unshaken in the Faith,”

“Spend and Be Spent for His Glory,” 

“Illuminate the World with Good Works.”

“Obey the Word with Joy.”

Even the most passionate disciple can be overwhelmed by the amount of work to do, or be discouraged by the coldness of others, or become disheartened by opposition and adversity. Thus, the inspired exhortation and reminder, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9).

The expression and exhortation “do good” is found 34 times in the Bible. These four are potent reminders and incentives.

Turn away from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it (1 Pet. 3:11).

“But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:16).

To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (Jas. 4:17).

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal. 6:10).

Doing good, however, can become tiring when we feel unappreciated, unrecognized, or unrewarded for our efforts. In fact, there may be times when we go the extra mile and invest ourselves in helping someone, only to receive criticism and indifference in return. It is occasions like those that we must be strong, resist the temptation to withdraw, and realize that God will reward us for the good we do, whether we’re rewarded in this life or not.

Jesus is our example in tirelessly working, serving, and investing His life in disciples and followers. Luke says that Jesus “went about doing good” (Ax 10:34). Even though Jesus was misunderstood by many, rejected by the religious leaders, doubted by His brothers, and even betrayed by one of His own, He still did good anyway. Jesus did good when he was tired, hungry, thirsty, and weary. Thus, He serves as our role model for tireless goodness.

Our passion is fueled by perseverance and persistence. The apostle Paul encountered numerous hardships, including beating, stoning, imprisonment, ridicule, and rejection. His motivation and passion are summed up in the succinct statement in 2 Corinthians 5:14–” The love of Christ compels us.” His passion for preaching, ministry, and his mission provided the energy to persevere. Even when it was hard and he found himself in prison, he said, “I press on.”

Passion is the heartbeat of zeal because it is sustained by a joy that transcends earthly pleasures and temporal enjoyment. Nehemiah declared to the ancient Israelites who participated in the arduous task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). When we serve God, our brethren, and our fellow man with an attitude of joy, we find strength and experience a spiritual satisfaction that nourishes and sustains us through emotional, mental, and physical weariness.

Furthermore, when you are passionate about doing good, you seek, see, and seize service opportunities. Such focus sparks creative energy and inspires us to do more, give more, and be more conformed to the image of Christ, our ultimate example of zeal and good works.

Paul urged Christians to “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11). Such passion, rooted in our Divine relationship and motivated by godliness, will ultimately overcome obstacles, setbacks, heartaches, and fatigue.

Of course, there are times, like Jesus did, when it’s necessary to get away and rest. And rejuvenate our spirits. No one can work non-stop. But our passionate pursuit of good works will persist until the Lord returns.

As Oswald Chambers reminds us, “Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance that what we are doing is worth it.”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman