How to Live a Quite Life {1 Thessalonians 4}
8:00 AM
How
do you lead a quiet life and mind your own business when you are a
Christian? Aren’t Christians supposed to
proclaim the gospel? What does that look
like?
Paul
tells us through his letter to the Thessalonians to “make it your ambition…” The verb form Paul uses, (philotimeomai)
means to be zealous and strive eagerly, to even consider it an honor. When he says, “and lead a quiet life”
(hesuchazo) it means to be silent, not speaking out inappropriately,
remaining at rest and tranquil.
“A woman should
learn in quietness and full submission.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she
must be quiet.” 1 Timothy 2:11-12
Paul
is teaching us that we are to remain at rest and tranquil. As believers, we are to lead peaceful lives,
free on conflict and hostility towards others as we anticipate the Lord’s
return. This is a wonderful witness to
the transforming power of the gospel.
There
was a warning, common in Greek writings, to “attend to your own business”, and
Paul uses it here in the New Testament.
I think Paul was telling us to concentrate on our own lives, take care
of our own jobs, and not meddle in the matters of others.
Next
week, we’ll see Paul follow-up this warning in 2 Thessalonians 3:11-12; “For we
hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at
all, but acting like busybodies. Now
such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion
and eat their own bread.” Those who did
not attend to their own business were “acting like busybodies” (periergazomai
– wasting their labor), running around meddling in everyone’s problems.
What
does Paul teach us for such unwise and undisciplined behavior? To work diligently and faithfully at their
jobs, stay out of other people’s business, and lead quiet, unobtrusive lives
that serve fellow believers and glorify the Lord before unbelievers.
The
underlying purpose for Paul’s warnings was to motivate everyone to love, to
live quietly, and to mind their own business.
And guess what? This was
evangelistic! This way of living would
show outsiders how to properly behave.
Paul’s key to evangelism was the integrity Christians express to a
sinful, confused and agitated world. When
believers display diligent work attitudes and habits and live in a loving and
tranquil manner, that respects others’ privacy and does not intrude or gossip,
it constitutes a powerful testimony to unbelievers and makes the gospel credible.
But
what does this look like? We are called
to love and interact with others. But is
it possible to be too involved in other people’s lives? Some people seem to think they have the
spiritual gift of fixing what is wrong in everybody and bringing to light
everyone’s faults. They get too far
involved in areas of people’s lives where they have no business and cause much
more harm than they do good.
Paul’s
life as a tent maker, reminds us that another aspect of the quiet life, is that
we are to “work with our own hands.” There
truly is something beautiful about a person quietly going about their work
earning the money they need to live in this world. And perhaps you aren’t making a living by opening
your mouth proclaiming God; I believe God greatly values honest work,
regardless of how menial or secular it may appear. Don’t forget Paul’s command in 2 Thessalonians
3:11-12, that busybodies, making a nuisance of themselves, need to work quietly
and eat their own bread.
Blessings,
Lisa
0 comments