“Aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders.” 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12
American culture is obsessed with extreme transformation. TV nowadays is an endless train wreck of extreme makeover shows—we’re kind of obsessed with the “before & after,” whether it’s a home, wardrobe, or body that’s gotten the “dramatic change.” It’s getting old.
The fascination with achieving the “ideal you” is creepy, not to mention exhausting. I’d much rather hear a story about the real world. Real life might be boring, but it’s a lot more accurate and relatable.
Popular culture aside, all of us do pretty normal stuff each day. If that makes you feel like a less-than-Christian, the pressure’s off (and the Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the Spirit here backs me up). You are free to live a quiet, faithful life.
Whether you’re working your job, changing diapers and wiping noses, or writing mid-term papers, your work is sacred. You don’t have to make a big splash to be loved by Jesus. He’s the one who completely changes our hearts—gives us totally new ones, in fact. And he calls us all to the good works he’s prepared for us.
Those good things God calls you to might be big things. Or they might be small things. Honest hard work in the mundane may very well be the thing that wins over your neighbor, and helps them come to faith in Jesus. And that’s no small thing.
