At the start of a new year, it’s easy to get swept up in goals, resolutions, and plans. Fitness targets, professional milestones, financial ambitions, relationship improvements—they all feel urgent, necessary, and “must do” important. And yet, Scripture reminds us of something different. The apostle Paul once wrote:
“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11, NLT)
Paul’s words are straightforward, but they are countercultural. The city to which he wrote this letter—Thessalonica—was full of farmers and craftsmen. As was common for the citizens of that day, the people of that church were accustomed to labor. They were agrarian. And yet, Paul’s words are equally relevant to us today. You will notice that he didn’t urge these Christians to chase fame, nor to build something flashy. Instead, he called them to a life that revealed something simpler: a life of work, duty, and peace in the ordinary.
Quiet in the Midst of Motion
I’ve felt the weight of this challenge over the past few months. I feel like I’ve been traveling constantly—with Q4 speaking events, family commitments, ministry opportunities, and the like. Life has felt like one long string of motion, and it has felt anything but quiet for yours truly.
I need to get back to the quiet life.
Living a quiet life doesn’t mean avoiding goals, but even as we chase what’s good and right, we must remember the order Scripture lays out:
The Christian’s life is a quiet life. We are to mind our own business, work with our hands, and let our efforts be rooted in peace.
Embrace the Ordinary
So as you step into your calendar and to-do list for the week, here is my encouragement to you:
Pursue your goals with passion, but do not forget the quiet life. Let the ordinary work of your day to day shape a life that’s productive and peaceful.
There is power in stillness. There is peace in simplicity.
Make it your goal to live a quiet life.
Blessings,
