“And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:11
What’s your life ambition? Does it look like a quiet life of hard work? Working with your hands wasn’t well-regarded in that part of the world back then but that’s what Paul advises for them and for us. He commands us to live holy lives that glorify our Savior. He commands us to live lives full of love for others. As for all the other stuff people chase after – fame, status, power, wealth – not so necessary. Often we exhaust ourselves chasing after things that aren’t bad but also aren’t necessary to live a satisfying life in Christ.
Paul (much like other wisdom writers in the Bible) praises the value and virtue of a quiet, satisfying life devoted to God and filled with meaningful, satisfying, honest hard work. There’s a lot to be said for that in our loud, unstable world that’s always pushing some new life hack or shortcut to avoid hard work.
Take a few moments and think about what you truly want your life to look like. What are you aspiring to? What are you dreaming about? Do you need to set your goals higher (in holiness and love for others)? Do you need to set your goals a bit lower to see and enjoy what God has already blessed you with or made available? #FollowJesus