In a day of 24-hour news, up-to-the-moment updates into the social lives of others, and unprecedented real-time access into the global and political affairs of the day, how are we to carry ourselves? Does God care about how we approach life in regard to these questions? If He does care, then can we know what kind of lifestyle is pleasing to Him?
Since Scripture is sufficient for all things that pertains to life and godliness (II Peter 1:3), then the answer to these questions is an emphatic "yes"! God does care how we approach this and He has made His will known concerning it. We see His will revealed very clearly in I Thessalonians 4:9-12. Here is His formula:
- Love the brothers
- Live quietly
- Mind your own affairs
- Work with your hands
- Be dependent upon no one
Of course, when Paul wrote these instructions to the church in Thessalonica, he wasn't thinking of our 21st century context, but his Spirit-inspired counsel is just as true today as it was in the 1st century.
The Thessalonian Christians were tempted to abandon the normal, productive life that they had known in favor of adopting a new approach to living in the light of what they perceived to be Jesus' imminent return. Now, this may seem admirable, but what their distorted thinking compelled them to do was essentially to abandon the lifestyle they had known (one of activity and productivity) for one of immersing themselves in current events and the news of the day. This approach to life "paralyzed" them. They became idle and unproductive as they anxiously awaited the return of Jesus. This constant "eye toward the sky" approach crippled their minds and bodies and thereby, their ability and desire to be productive. They rendered themselves effectively useless.
Instead of this faithless and perverted approach, we are to intentionally insulate ourselves from the outside world and, in a way, seek somewhat of a blissful ignorance as to the goings-on in our day. We aren't instructed to disassociate from the world entirely, but we are instructed to fix our attention on and to spend our days by becoming skillful in serving our brothers, in living simply and quietly, in minding our own business, in working diligently to be productive and in ensuring our own self-sufficiency as much as possible as it pertains to our essential needs.
Really, this is what we might call "the simple life". It is a call to hearken back to older days. Days when things were slower and when we were more innocent concerning evil things (Romans 16:19b). Days when we didn't even know what the Jones' were doing so we sure weren't worried about keeping up with them. Days when we visited in-person with our neighbors. Days when we helped people and they helped us. Days when we didn't even know what the latest and greatest was, much less think that we had to have it.
That seems so refreshing and appealing. Doesn't it? Maybe God did know what He was talking about all along!
Let's aspire to live quietly and to mind our own affairs. Let's do it on purpose, in faithful obedience to our God's commands. Here's to the simple life!
Pastor Jeremy
