"...and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you." ~
~1 Thessalonians 4:11
Living a simple and quiet life used to be considered a spiritual discipline that would be wise to pursue, in our modern society quiet is becoming outdated; a forgotten virtue.
Quiet leads to peace and peace is Christ. One who lives a quiet life has more time to abide in Christ, more time to worship while doing the simple work of life, the daily tasks. The quiet heart can do the tasks as unto God. God knows the one who lives a quiet life has time to get to know Him.
Quiet is in the soul, the mind, and the heart. The quiet is in resting the entire heart at the feet of God. It is going about the daily work of life while the heart is resting in Him.
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing
that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You
are serving the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23-24
A quiet heart and spirit is one that has learned that there is no replacement for living in the peace of God. It is a heart and spirit of one who has removed a lot of the worlds clutter from life; one who seems mysteriously satisfied with little. The quiet life does not have a lot of vain ambition.
A quiet and still heart has learned that cluttering up life with too many outside things that aren't from God begins to bring anxiety and fatigue. The quiet life is one God asks of us. In His wisdom He knows that anxiety, fatigue and chaos are brought on as a physical symptom of a spiritual sickness; lack of peace and spending time with God. God gives us His simple work to complete in our lives. He does not fill our plate with the extras. He asks us to be happy, delighted, and peaceful with the simple work He gives us.
As we obey God in our simple and quiet work, we see Him and know Him. He walks with us, guiding us, and pours out His peace. We are not idle or lazy, the work we are given is completed well.
We are so cluttered today. Activities and Facebook, Pinterest, entertainment and pop culture. Constant bombardment. There is not time to live simply and refreshed with God's peace. These things clutter us and layer us with an excited spirit, one that is not satisfied and one that begins to live life at a fast and frantic pace. We are designed for rest with God, it is a longing of the soul. When we do not have it, we feel all sort of sicknesses and anxieties. Our permanent home---heaven---is a permanent place of rest in God. It is not surprising when we do not live a quiet life that we begin to feel unhealthy, depressed, chaotic and then seek to fill it up with other things, only continuing the cycle.
—George Whitefield
When a quiet life is lived, we are witnesses for Christ. Living a life of doing the work God gives us to do, to the best of our abilities is a tool of evangelizing in our communities and to those that enter our homes. It is an offering to God, a sweet aroma to Him. He is pleased with His simple, quiet and faithful servants.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. " Matthew 5:8
"To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you..."
1 Peter 1:4
"...let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the
imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight
is very precious. "1 Peter 3:3-4
Prayer: "Lord, show me your truth in a quiet life. Lead me along your paths and show me your ways to peace. Guard my heart and mind against clutter that will seek to lead me astray and give a heart of discernment. Make my hearts ambition be your ambitions. Amen."
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