"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

If you're working to make the world a better place, you might find yourself discouraged. Needs are overwhelming, resources are limited, opposition is real and progress is slow. How do we persevere when the novelty wears off and our enthusiasm runs out?

We all want change in the world. But as C.S. Lewis put it, we don't get second things by placing them first; we get second things by keeping first things first. As Christians, we don't just aim at change; we aim at faithfulness, and out of faithfulness comes fruitfulness.

Activist (and former Y.E.C.A. National Organizer and Spokesperson) Ben Lowe renews our mission with key postures and practices for sustaining faithful social action. What makes social action distinctively Christian includes such things as living out Jesus’ love, having a prophetic witness, building bridges with opponents, repudiating idolatries, and practicing repentance and Sabbath. Moving beyond theory, Lowe showcases practical examples of what it looks like to persevere in faithful activism and advocacy today.

Take heart. As you work for God, God is at work in you to keep your hope alive.

Published by IVP (2014) 

Hear What Others Are Saying About Doing Good Without Giving Up:

Drawing on his experience as a student activist, environmentalist, congressional candidate, and multicultural neighbor, Ben Lowe provides helpful guidance on how concerned Christians can live as salt and light in a troubled world. More importantly, he offers hard-won wisdom on how to sustain and rebuild spiritual integrity that can nurture youthful enthusiasm into mature faithfulness and effective service. Doing Good Without Giving Up will be appreciated by new believers and long-time Christ-followers alike.

- Galen Carey Vice President, National Association of Evangelicals

Activists and revolutionaries don't always end well. Some burn out, some sell out, some buy in. Others destroy their families, forget their God or become obsessed with themselves. Ben Lowe mixes the idealistic passion of youth with the field-tested wisdom of an elder. He'll help you rekindle your fire, reclaim your innocence and fall in love with Jesus all over again. This book guides you both in how to start and how to end well as you join with God in the revolutionary, tiring, holy work of building a better world.

- Shane Claiborne author and activist

Ben Lowe tells you how to keep your passion for justice alive while avoiding burnout and compassion fatigue. He has learned the hard way how to balance the journey inward and the journey outward. Ben is wise beyond his years. May God send us more activists like him.

- David Neff former editor in chief of Christianity Today

Ben Lowe is a leader for our times. He combines his love for Jesus, people and justice in a way that offers hope. This book challenges us to persevere as faithful activists.

- Leroy Barber Global Executive Director, Word Made Flesh Author of Everyday Missions

A fresh voice with a compelling perspective, Ben sounds the call from the new generation—radically committed to Jesus Christ and the gospel in its fullness, doing difficult work in hard places, resisting easy answers and not giving up. An encouraging read for those who are faithfully serving and a prescriptive read for those who are just beginning. The word for today!

- Jo Anne Lyon General Superintendent, The Wesleyan Church

I am grateful for a younger leader like my friend Ben Lowe, who has the courage to articulate a bold vision for investing our lives to make our world what God intended it to be. As a thirty-five-year veteran of urban ministry and community activism, I found his book Doing Good Without Giving Up inspiring, encouraging and filled with wisdom.

- Noel Castellanos CEO, Christian Community Development Association

As followers of Jesus, we are called to seek social justice and the common good—in short, to change the world. Few young leaders have done as much or worked as hard toward this goal as Ben Lowe has. In his inspirational and thought-provoking book Doing Good Without Giving Up, Ben shows us how to faithfully pursue social justice without losing heart when the change we seek doesn´t happen as quickly or as easily as we might hope. Anyone who seeks to change the world for the better should read this book. A new generation of faith leaders like Ben Lowe gives me real hope.

- Jim Wallis President, Sojourners

Doing Good Without Giving Up asks hard questions—the questions we all wrestle with—and gives honest, hopeful and practical answers for sustaining meaningful impact. Ben reflects on his own journey along the way, distilling principles from which we can all learn. I commend this book to you.

- Stephan Bauman President and CEO, World Relief

To learn more, read excerpts, or obtain copies please visit amazon.com.