Lead a Quiet Life
When we think of quiet, different images come to mind. For the young parent it’s when the children are down for a nap. For me it is when I get a day off to slow down and reflect. What does the Apostle Paul mean when he says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 “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.”
Personally, in a culture documented by millions of selfies, I love this countercultural advice. In a culture that constantly cries, “look at me,” Christians strive to be servants. I think the quiet life is modeled by my daughter with her three kids age three and under. Her life is not always literally quiet, but she is not living life on a stage. She is not living for Facebook likes. She gets up each day and loves her husband well and takes care of her three energetic children. He is a contractor, and she works behind the scenes to keep the books. Or I think of my wife. She is a licensed professional counselor with a private practice. Four days a week, 8 hours a day she walks with people through the darkest moments in their lives. She helps them find healing and wholeness. For the sake of privacy, she cannot even tell anyone who she helps. But year after year she serves people. In addition, I think of a man in our church who recently passed away; he served the church quietly behind the scenes. Each week he mopped the upstairs and took out the trash. I do not ever remember him being up on the platform, he was happy to help behind the scenes. This is the heart and spirit that the Apostle Paul is talking about. A quiet life is a high impact life.
What about the Apostle saying we should “mind your own business.” In a culture known for toxic comment sections, Christians can bite their tongues. Do we really have to have an opinion on everything? I think most of the time we are called to bypass those bombastic posts on social media. When we see something particularly fiery, we can choose to ignore and starve it of the oxygen of more exposure. There is almost never a need to throw verbal gasoline on it. I think the Apostle Paul would approve of this attempt to mind our own business.
While I don’t think Paul telling us to “work with our hands” means all of us have to be
tradesmen, it is my understanding that was the dominant type of work in that time and culture. If AI takes as many jobs as some predict maybe the trades are not just a good option but the best option to find meaningful employment. It is not stated in the text, but I think Paul is implying be a good worker, be responsible, have your projects marked by excellence. Wouldn’t it bring glory to God if every Christian owned company and every Christian worker was known for excellence and quality work?
Next time you serve, put the camera phone away. The Lord sees you and that is who we strive to please anyway. Honestly, isn’t it enough to know we loved someone well and served God’s kingdom faithfully?
Pastor Derek Dickinson
Journey Christian Church
Personally, in a culture documented by millions of selfies, I love this countercultural advice. In a culture that constantly cries, “look at me,” Christians strive to be servants. I think the quiet life is modeled by my daughter with her three kids age three and under. Her life is not always literally quiet, but she is not living life on a stage. She is not living for Facebook likes. She gets up each day and loves her husband well and takes care of her three energetic children. He is a contractor, and she works behind the scenes to keep the books. Or I think of my wife. She is a licensed professional counselor with a private practice. Four days a week, 8 hours a day she walks with people through the darkest moments in their lives. She helps them find healing and wholeness. For the sake of privacy, she cannot even tell anyone who she helps. But year after year she serves people. In addition, I think of a man in our church who recently passed away; he served the church quietly behind the scenes. Each week he mopped the upstairs and took out the trash. I do not ever remember him being up on the platform, he was happy to help behind the scenes. This is the heart and spirit that the Apostle Paul is talking about. A quiet life is a high impact life.
What about the Apostle saying we should “mind your own business.” In a culture known for toxic comment sections, Christians can bite their tongues. Do we really have to have an opinion on everything? I think most of the time we are called to bypass those bombastic posts on social media. When we see something particularly fiery, we can choose to ignore and starve it of the oxygen of more exposure. There is almost never a need to throw verbal gasoline on it. I think the Apostle Paul would approve of this attempt to mind our own business.
While I don’t think Paul telling us to “work with our hands” means all of us have to be
tradesmen, it is my understanding that was the dominant type of work in that time and culture. If AI takes as many jobs as some predict maybe the trades are not just a good option but the best option to find meaningful employment. It is not stated in the text, but I think Paul is implying be a good worker, be responsible, have your projects marked by excellence. Wouldn’t it bring glory to God if every Christian owned company and every Christian worker was known for excellence and quality work?
Next time you serve, put the camera phone away. The Lord sees you and that is who we strive to please anyway. Honestly, isn’t it enough to know we loved someone well and served God’s kingdom faithfully?
Pastor Derek Dickinson
Journey Christian Church
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