A Quiet Life

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4
“11 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, 12 so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Examine:
A person who is constantly on the move and overloaded is frequently a stress to other people as well as distracted from his own walk with God. But a Christian who strives to be at peace with himself and God will be a source of peace to others. Paul balances himself by reminding us that a too restful life can be a problem also. Living for God demands balancing the two.

Apply:
My life is anything but quiet. I set my goals high and charge after life with all that I possess in terms of energy and talent. I can, in fact, get so busy and engaged with accomplishing things that I blow right past listening to God. Emails, tasks, commitments, kids, wife, family, entertainment, smart phones, iPads, laptops, books, magazines, Facebook, Twitter, texting, thank you notes, newsletters and on the list can go. I can also do the same with spiritual things. Bible reading, prayer lists, prayer meetings, journaling, quiet time, church attendance, serving, leading, and on this list can go. In the midst of all this I often wonder why I am tired and God feels so distant.

How is God supposed to cut through all that noise? And if the God of the universe can’t get through to me what does that say of my ability to intimately connect with my wife and kids? My life has become so full that it has left me living empty.

Pray:
Hard work I got. Leaving others alone I get. Living life at a controlled pace with margin to hear from You; I miss this completely. I am stuck and not sure how to move forward. The pace of my life is my greatest addiction. I can’t stop it and even if I try the world around me seems to respond by becoming angry. The bottom line is I have lost the disciplines of meditation, reflection, and communication.

The great thing about today is I am 10,000 miles from normal and my current setting does not allow the convenient connections of my normal life. I hear Your call for me to calm down, settle down, and live a better pace of life. Give me wisdom as I seek out Your work here and help me to focus my life on the things that truly matter most.