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!
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