...but God Ministry
  • Home
  • Good Morning: 30 Days in the Word
  • Good Month: Month Long Weekly Planners
  • Abide NT Reading Plan
  • Seamless Spring 2025
  • Luke Advent Study
  • Romans 8
  • Devo through the Bible
    • Jesus 365 Daily Devos
  • 1 Peter Study
  • Daily Bread Verse of the Day
  • Garden to Garden: Bible/Jesus 101
  • Year of Gratitude
  • 30-Day Scripture, Prayer & Gratitude Series
  • Come, Meet Jesus: John Study
  • Mahi Tournament
Purchase Jesus 365

337 of 365 - Love, live, mind, work

12/3/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
But we urge you, brothers, to do this [love] more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you… 1 Thessalonians 4:10b-11
 
Paul’s plea to the Thessalonian church (and TO US) goes something like this: “You know how much you love one another; how you have been taught by God to love one another? Do that! And then do it MORE and MORE.”
​
You might be surprised how Paul says to go about this Gospel-sharing, people-loving, soul-saving life… Live quietly. Mind your own affairs. Work with your hands.

As we study Paul’s life, we know this in no way is an exhortation to forget the plight of those suffering, compromise truth, or silence the Gospel message. Paul is all about the needs of others, proclaiming truth, warning of false teachers and cultural traps, and above all sharing the Good News. But this is a check on how we are living it out.
 
What is the opposite of living quietly? Seeking All. The. Lights. And. Sparkle. And. Fanfare. And. Praise. Loud, obnoxious, attention-seeking, panic-inducing, fight-picking and nit-picking. It is the flipside of a posture of peace and oneness with God who is in control. Paul is not talking about living ineffectively or silently or unproductively, but instead quietly. Humbly.

What is the opposite of minding our own affairs? Getting all up in everyone else’s business when you have no business being there. Meddling, comparing, critiquing, tearing down, gossiping, speaking for.

What is the opposite of working with our hands? Laziness, idleness, entitlement.
 
Live quietly; humbly; purposefully. Mind your own affairs. Work hard with your hands in all that God has called you to. Love others well.

Questions: How effective are you at living quietly? Minding your own affairs? Working with your hands? Loving others?
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    1 Corinthians
    1 John
    1 Kings
    1 Peter
    1 Samuel
    1 Thessalonians
    1 Timothy
    2 Corinthians
    2 Peter
    2 Samuel
    2 Timothy
    Acts
    Colossians
    Daniel
    Deuteronomy
    Ecclesiastes
    Ephesians
    Esther
    Exodus
    Galatians
    Genesis
    Habakkuk
    Hebrews
    Hosea
    Introduction
    Isaiah
    James
    Jeremiah
    Joel
    John
    Join Us
    Jonah
    Joshua
    Jude
    Judges
    Leviticus
    Luke
    Malachi
    Mark
    Matthew
    Micah
    Numbers
    Philemon
    Philippians
    Proverbs
    Psalm
    Ref: 12 Sons Of Jacob
    Ref: Divided Kingdom
    Ref: OT Timeline
    Ref: Timeline Of Judges
    Revelation
    Romans
    Ruth
    Titus

    Jesus 365 Home

    Archives

    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Devo + Journal Part 1: Old Testament
    Picture
    Devo + Journal Part 2: Gospels
    Picture
    Devo + Journal Part 3: Letters
  • Home
  • Good Morning: 30 Days in the Word
  • Good Month: Month Long Weekly Planners
  • Abide NT Reading Plan
  • Seamless Spring 2025
  • Luke Advent Study
  • Romans 8
  • Devo through the Bible
    • Jesus 365 Daily Devos
  • 1 Peter Study
  • Daily Bread Verse of the Day
  • Garden to Garden: Bible/Jesus 101
  • Year of Gratitude
  • 30-Day Scripture, Prayer & Gratitude Series
  • Come, Meet Jesus: John Study
  • Mahi Tournament