A Quiet Life

 

Simplicity is a greatly underappreciated quality these days.  If you don’t have a million followers and a reality TV show, does your life really matter???  As usual, the Apostle Paul would beg to differ with what the world promotes.  In our verse below, he is advocating for a simple life that yields big results.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 - make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

 

Things to think about:

·       “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” – that sounds almost paradoxical, doesn’t it?  How ambitious can a quiet life be anyway?

o   What does he mean by a quiet life?

§  “You should mind your own business” – that doesn’t sound very compatible with social media, gossiping, and meddling!

·       Why is it important to mind your own business?

·       How has it gone sideways for you when you haven’t?      

§  “…and work with your hands” – if you are staying busy with your work, you shouldn’t have that much time or energy to poking your nose into other people’s business

·       All work has dignity, not just certain kinds.  The older I get the more admiration and respect I have for folks who know how to make, fix, and improve things!

·       What are the benefits of leading a quiet life?

o   You have a powerful witness to an unbelieving world – “your daily life may win the respect of outsiders”

§  Proverbs 22:29 – “Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.”

§  And of course, we all know Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”

§  Who do you know that is a skilled workman? What is it about their work you admire?

§  When we are busy about our work, we don’t have time to be gossiping about what everyone else is up to.

o   “So that you will not be dependent on anybody” – I know most of you well enough to know you have worked very hard in your careers to provide for your families

§  Not everyone sees it as their duty to look after their needs through their work and they expect someone else to carry their load.

·       Why do you think God doesn’t endorse this mentality when someone is capable but unwilling?

§  The Church is responsible for looking after those who need assistance.   When those who could be supporting themselves don’t and look to the Church or state for a handout, they are sapping resources from those truly in need.

·       Let’s aspire to lead quiet lives, ones that the outside world can respect and find attractive.  As the saying goes, you may be the only Bible some people read!