The Quiet Life

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE THESSALONIANS

THE QUIET LIFE

1 Thess 4:11-12

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

NIV

I wonder if any of them had a good retirement plan as it seems to me Paul did not mention anything about that, but only to work with their hands. But then, he also told them to make it their life’s ambition to lead a quiet life, minding their own business. This sure gives me a clue as to how I too should be living. But how does that blend in with being a witness for Jesus, or evangelism, which all believers are called to be actively doing? It would seem that if I live a quiet life and go about doing my business, which is not being about everyone’s business, not meddling in the affairs of others, which would certainly include gossiping about them. It appears this is what a quiet life looks like. I should just go about doing my own thing, working with my hands, that is supporting myself and my family, so as to not be a burden on anyone. I should also live such a daily life that is an example to others. I have to love everyone, as the word of God so dictates, and yet still live this quiet life. That almost seems an oxymoron. Perhaps loving them does not have to be about being over-involved with their lives. Maybe it is just in the attitude about them, how I think about them, and not so much how as to how much I do for them, showing or demonstrating my love for them. Then again, this quiet life, being about my own business and working with my hands, as of onto the Lord, of course, is about showing the non-believer, that Paul calls outsiders, will notice how I conduct my life and will respect how I live. Certainly, in this day and age, it seems it is not much different than the time of Paul. There seems to be an abundance of people today who live being dependent on others. There have been and will always be those who make it their lives' ambition to make as many people as possible dependent on them so as to be able to have power over them. The word of God makes it clear I am not to be one that kind of person who looks to someone to give me a handout, but that I am to work, and work well, living well, being an example to all outsiders so that God will receive glory through the way I live my life  in front of others. That is a quiet life.