Please, Be Quiet!

 “…aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 ESV)

People, today, have an opinion on everything. They seem to believe that they are experts when it comes to each and every subject.  They think they know the best course of action when it comes to politics, world affairs, economics, and even sports. 

They are also nosy. They want to know what’s going on in the lives of those around them. And they seem to think they have the answers to everyone else’s problems.

Additionally, we live in a society where everyone wants to be heard. They want to be recognized. And they want to stand out.

With the advent of social media, it even feels as though this is within our reach. We aspire to be the next YouTube sensation, or the next internet celebrity. We aspire to be the next great influencer. We seek to do so by making our every thought, our every viewpoint, known to anyone and everyone.

We are loud-mouths. We’re blowhards. We’re absolute windbags.

This is true of us, even as believers in Jesus. It’s true of us as churches. We want to express our every opinion, and we do so tactlessly.

The principle cited by Paul, in the above passage, is absolutely foreign to us. It’s one that most of us would never even consider. He tells us to aspire to live quietly and to mind our own affairs.

Rather than expressing every opinion and constantly attempting to be heard, we’re to work with our hands. In other words, we’re to speak less and toil more. We’re to pursue a peaceful existence, seeking only to carry out our duties and vocations.

The result, he says, is that we’ll walk properly before outsiders. We’ll be respected by outsiders. And, as we focus on our responsibilities, we will not find ourselves in need.

So, in this age of opinionated expression, may we learn to keep our thoughts to ourselves. In this age of unfettered assertion, may we mind our own business. May we tend to our responsibilities, seeking to live a quiet and a peaceful existence.