Tip #32: Don't Grow Weary in Doing Well.
I had a chance to talk with some young men over the past few weeks and one consistent thing I continue to hear is that the “good guys” don’t get recognized for doing the right thing by their friends (depending on your group of friends). One young man said, “yeah, no one’s like ‘hey, he really did an awesome job on that English paper’”. It just doesn’t happen. What seems to be the case is that many teens get recognition for doing the risky, unbelievable, and down right stupid stuff. Monday morning rolls around and the stories come pouring in: “Man, did you hear what Bob did?” “Did you hear about that crazy party and what Sally did?” “Wow, can you believe Rufus did that?” (Bob, Sally, and Rufus, I’m not really talking about you and no, I haven’t heard about any stories about you. If you’ve done something crazy, it’s pure coincidence)
This tip is for you young men that work your butts off but may not gain the “cool points” from your friends like you deserve. Keep up the good work. Don’t grow weary in doing well as you will see your hard work pay off soon. Galatians 6:9 says it this way “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up”. You don’t have to do crazy stuff just to have someone recognize you for being a bozo. Also, be sure to tell your friends that they're doing an awesome job (when they're doing the right thing)! I told a young man about the awesome job he's doing and I was not ready for his response. He said "I've grown up always thinking I'm not good enough and I have to do more so it's nice to know that I'll see the rewards and I appreciate this a lot because it also motivates me to do better things. So, thank you". Um, no! Thank you! Keep on keepin’ on, don’t get tired, and don't give up. It's only a matter of time before you are shifted from the rear to the front, from the bottom to the top, from the outside to the inside.
Written 12/1/2013 by John Weaver