“Make it your goal to live a quiet life,
minding your own business and working with your hands,
just as we instructed you before. Then people
who are not believers will respect the way you live,
and you will not need to depend on others.”
{1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, NLT}
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A Quiet Life . . .
The refrigerator hums. The dishwasher whirs. The phone pings. The doorbell rings.
A quiet life seems counter-cultural today. We’re not accustomed to the quiet. We’re used to a backdrop of noise. It’s constant and ever-pervasive.
Yet, Paul is clear in his instructions to the church in Thessalonica: Make it your goal to live a quiet life.
Of course, Paul wasn’t referring to iPhones and refrigerators. He was talking about the importance of tending to our own business and working with our hands, which was another way of saying, “Work hard and stay honest.”
A quiet life doesn’t necessarily mean a solitary life either. It’s simply an honest, hard-working life. And it honors the boundaries of self and others. Perhaps the quiet is a boundary in and of itself.
When we’re quiet, we can’t say anything we shouldn’t be saying. So the quiet serves as a natural boundary, and it allows us to be available for others to an even greater degree.
In the quiet, we listen better.
In the quiet, we understand better.
In the quiet, we can hear His still small voice better.
The quiet is a necessity to the fruitful life. It won’t come automatically though. The quiet must be diligently sought if we’re to push back the noise in our everyday and carve out a sanctuary in the midst of our day.
The rewards, however, of the quiet life make the effort worthy of its commitment. Because the quiet life satiates the most hurried and frazzled soul.
And it’s in this place of soul-quiet, His peace comes.
Bev @ Walking Well With God says
Denise,
After living in a loud, chaotic, verbally abusive, and drama infused world I am now experiencing the beauty of quiet. Granted my kids are now grown, but even so, I realize just how much the loud world barges in if we will let it. Even if it is something as simple as sitting down to dinner together as a family. Turning the tv off, putting down the smartphones, and not allowing bickering…quiet enters in. What we allow, we in essence condone. Looking back, I wish that I didn’t let the loudness barge in so often. My husband has been teaching me, through his example, the beauty and holiness of quiet…and in it I see that God draws near.
Loved this!
Blessings,
Bev
Beth Williams says
Denise,
Right now I crave quiet. Need quiet to infuse peace into my unsettled soul. Praise God He is allowing some down/quiet time to reflect and rest in His presence. Each day in the quiet I listen to Christian music, and good Bible teaching. I take this down time as an answer for spiritual whitespace to reclaim my soul and sanity.
Blessings 🙂
Sabra Penley says
Oh, Denise, how I needed this today! Thank you, sweet sister.
Marina Bromley says
Love this. God has been speaking this scripture to my heart this year… And the word “smaller.” It’s good.
Mary T says
This verse is just perfect for me today…thank you! A Blessed Sunday to all!
Bobbie Edwards says
Thank you, thank you! These words were soothing balm to my weary soul. Returning home two days ago after five days of confusion and feeling so out of place, I was so happy to once again be in my quiet Home, in my environment. Peace is so necessary in today’s chaotic world. To be able to find it at all is s blessing. We must look for it. God in His Mercy is the provider of Peace and contentment. This scripture will be placed on my refrigerator as a reminder to be quiet, to listen rather than talk. And best of all, not to be dependent on others. He is our Source.
God bless you for these words this morning !
Erin Quillman says
I can breathe a fresh sigh when I read this verse. It gives me permission to say “yes” and “no” within my life’s boundaries. It gives me hope for not having to be radical, but to radically believe. And it allows me to be an imperfect mother to my children when I’m surrounded by a world that says mothers need to be perfectly busy. Thank you for this beautiful post in my quiet time.