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Two verses stuck out to me in today’s reading. The first one was verse 5, May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. I love this verse because it reaffirms that I am directed into God’s love, not commanded to it. The beauty of God’s love for us is that it is not forced upon us. He wants a relationship with us, but He also wants us to chose Him. Notice that it also says that Christ has perseverance. He never gives up on us right up to the end and He never requires us to love Him back; though He anxiously waits for us. The second verse that struck me was verse 13, And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. In an attempt at transparency, let me say that sometimes I just want to be able to let loose and not worry about what is right and what is wrong. This verse reminds me that I should never tire of doing what is right. I should always look to do what is right and honoring to God, no matter what the cost.
Daily Devotion 
Its hard doing the right thing at times. It’s not convenient. It’s not self serving. It’s not popular. But doing the right thing is always…well, right. I love this verse. It got me through adolescence and it has gotten us through some very dark times in our marriage. I’m with you, Dino. Sometimes I just don’t want to do the right /good thing because it’s so stinking hard at times, but boy am I glad when God gives me the grace and strength to do it. Never turns out bad.
Dino, your reaction (to not worry about what is right or what is wrong) to “never grow tired of doing good” made me think immediately of Bonhoeffer insistence that a Christian life ought not be marked by the constant worry and reaction to avoiding sin, but rather an active stance toward God’s call seeking to DO rightly; understanding that in our humanity we will do wrong, we will sin, but God’s grace is big enough to cover sin, and in fact demands of us that we run the risk of sin in our zeal to do what is right.
It’s tough to boldly do the right thing we are called to if we live in a constant state of trying to not do the wrong thing, and weariness of doing right takes on a new meaning from that perspective.
Of course all this is predicated on a relationship based, “religionless” Christianity. The inverse is antithetical to the freedom and demands of living out Christ’s calling on our lives.