Doing Good as the End Draws Near

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“As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

You see it all the time: As the end draws near, there is a temptation, if not a tendency, to slack off. Businesses retire with their owners. Once the drive to build a business dissipates, advertising and promotion no longer are seen as investments in the future but as drains on the current balance sheet. The intangible value of a company’s reputation and customer base evaporates, and potential owners see little value left to purchase.

Congregations decline as their long-term pastor nears retirement. First, little things go by the way, then secondary ministries drop off because there isn’t enough energy or enthusiasm left in the tank. You can see this happens with the last generation of a family farm, too. Building maintenance slips to the bare minimum. Outdated equipment is not replaced.

Trailing by four points, with ten seconds left in the game, a running back takes a short pass on the sideline and runs the ball ninety yards down the field, starts celebrating at the five-yard line, as a safety comes behind him, knocks the football loose, and recovers it in the end zone for a touchback. A lackadaisical finish ruins what would have been a spectacular highlight.

In our Epistle, St. Paul has a similar concern about the Thessalonians.

In his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul had encouraged them to stay firm in the faith, to continue to abound in love to one another, and to be ready for and take comfort in the imminent return of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-18; 5:1-11).

News from Thessalonica prompted Paul to write a second letter just weeks later. In our text, he instructs his readers regarding their relationships with others who bear the name “Christian.” His sobering instruction here shows us that it may be necessary to withhold Christian fellowship from those who persist in error, doing so to bring them to repentance and to reformation in faith and/or life. It seems that some of the Thessalonians had come to the mistaken conclusion that since Christ’s return was imminent, they no longer needed to be concerned with their daily responsibilities and common tasks and were now meddling in the affairs of others. Paul concludes: “As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).

This epistle lends itself to a practical working out of everything the Lord has taught about the end of time. What should we do to be prepared? How should we live as we wait for Christ’s return? How do we go about doing good?

Doing good the 2 Thessalonians 3:13 way is not special doing good, making some sort of extra effort. What the Apostle is commanding is the rubber-hits-the-road work of living out our callings. Our callings have not significantly changed simply because we have been assured that the end of all things is drawing near. Our callings, our vocations, what the Lord has assigned us in light of the end, these callings are as significant as they ever were because we have as many vocations as we have neighbors to serve.

Good works are the natural, organic outgrowth of being grafted into the Body of Christ. Saints of God cannot help but do good works, in fact, and they are largely unconscious of them throughout their life (see Matthew 25:37-40). But to act as if I can shirk my callings to neighbor is nothing more nor less than ignoring the gift of God, the work He has given me, and the neighbor who needs what my work does to contribute to our life together.

Busybodies (2 Thessalonians 3:11), those busy with other people’s business instead of their own, are not sinful because they are annoying or because they are sponging off some other person. It is no sin in itself to enjoy the fruit of someone else’s labor (and, in fact, the offense that gift-givers feel when gifts are refused, by those who insist in paying their own way or turn reciprocity into competition, is indeed a justified offense). No, the sin of the busybody is their refusal to serve neighbor as if serving Christ (Colossians 3:23-24). It is a refusal to see the needs around them and even more as they see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).

In abandoning their calling, such people will, no doubt, overlook Christ right in front of them — the one who hides behind the mask of need, the mask of the little one, the mask of the hungry and poor, the imprisoned and thirsty, the sick and the sinner, the desperate and the dying.

Here is a warning for all: One does not need to refuse Christ willfully, energetically, and/or expressly in order to face judgment. Blissful thoughtlessness is sufficient in most cases. It can be as easy as ignoring the need of the neighbor right next to you (see Matthew 25:41-45). Good works, fulfilling obligations, discharging our callings, observing our vocations, are not a matter of striving to please or appease God with our labor. God does not need our good works, but our neighbor does.

But don’t think that St. Paul’s strong words to idlers justify a miserly spirit either. These instructions are not an excuse for looking down your nose at the homeless man under the bridge in the park or the unemployed and underemployed. On the contrary, the Apostle’s warning is spoken to the house of faith to encourage the faithful discharge of your callings, not to teach you how to lord it over folks or pat yourself on the back for earning God’s favor by being so industrious. God does not reward the industry or good works of any sinner. He is the respecter of one Man’s industry alone, the work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

And it is Christ’s own industry that needs to be heard in this text in order to receive Him faithfully. Christ is one who is the opposite of idle, one who is the opposite of a busybody. He is always about His Father’s business, doing good. Consider John 15:7, where Jesus says: “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” Or John 9:4, where Jesus says: “We must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.”

How and when does Jesus work? Consider the work of Christ as He describes it in Luke 13:32: “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.” See how the work of Christ is more than simply healing and exorcism. It is that, yes, but it is ultimately fulfilled in Christ’s death and resurrection. Jesus did not weary in doing good but gave everything for us.

As we reflect on Paul’s exhortation not to grow weary in doing good, it’s important to remember that “doing good” is not reserved for extraordinary acts or special occasions. Instead, it is found in the faithful living out of our daily callings and vocations. God places us in concrete situations where His love can be shown through ordinary faithfulness. For example:

1. Faithfully Fulfilling Your Job Responsibilities

Perform your work duties with diligence and integrity, whether at home, in your profession, or in the church, serving your neighbor through your vocation.

2. Supporting and Encouraging Coworkers

Offer help, encouragement, or a listening ear to colleagues who are struggling or need support.

3. Caring for Family Members

Attend to the needs of your family—children, spouse, parents—by providing love, support, and practical help.

4. Volunteering in Your Community

Engage in acts of service within your local community, such as helping at the food pantry, tutoring, or participating in neighborhood clean-ups.

5. Participating Actively in Church Life

Support the ministry of Word and Sacrament, pray for your pastor, and contribute your time and talents to church activities.

6. Practicing Hospitality

Open your home to others, share meals, or offer a place of rest and fellowship.

7. Teaching and Mentoring

Share your knowledge and experience with others—whether children, students, or less experienced coworkers—to help them grow.

8. Praying for Others

Lift up the needs of those around you in prayer, asking God to bless, protect, and guide them.

9. Giving Generously

Share your resources—time, money, skills—with those in need, without expecting anything in return.

10. Being Present for the Lonely or Hurting

Visit, call, or spend time with those who are sick, grieving, or isolated, offering Christ’s love through your presence.

These examples show that “doing good” is not limited to extraordinary acts but is found in faithfully living out your daily callings and serving the neighbors God has placed in your life. In this way, your daily vocations become sacred ground—places where the Lord is pleased to work through you as you await His appearing.

As we stand at the threshold of another Church Year’s end, the Scriptures call us to live neither in fear nor in idleness, but in the joyful readiness that flows from Christ’s finished work. The signs of the times are not given to unsettle Christ’s people but to anchor us more firmly in His promises. Our Lord is coming again—not as a stranger but as the One who already claimed us at the font, feeds us with His body and blood, and daily forgives our sins. His cross has secured our redemption; His resurrection guarantees our future; His Word shapes our present life of faith. In Him, the great day of the Lord becomes not a terror but a joyful homecoming.

Until that day dawns, God has not left us aimless. He has placed each of us in concrete callings where the love of Christ is to be lived out in ordinary faithfulness. The Christian life is not about chasing spiritual extravagance or waiting passively for Christ’s return but about serving the neighbor right in front of us. Good works are not the ladder by which we climb to God, but the fruit that naturally grows from the life of Christ in us. They are the way Christ Himself extends His mercy to the hungry, the lonely, the anxious, and the forgotten.

So do not grow weary in doing good. Do not despise the humble tasks God has given you, for through them Christ Himself is at work for the blessing of your neighbor. As you do for the least of these His brothers you do for Him. And do not fear the future, for your Lord who is coming is the same Lord who came for you and gave Himself for you. As we watch for His return, let us take to heart Jesus’ own promise: “When these things begin to take place… your redemption is drawing near.” Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.