The Quiet Life

We live in a culture that is fixated on the loud and the big.

The loudest news stories are the ones that get our attention.

The biggest contributions are the ones that get noticed.

The post with the most likes and the most shares must be the most valuable.

The acts of service that are most noticed must be the most meaningful.

I fear that we are losing our connection to the power of the quiet and the small. I am reminded I Thessalonians 4:

⁹ Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. ¹⁰ And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ¹¹ and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

The quiet life is the person who gives generously, and few people really notice.

The quiet life serves sacrificially, and few people really see.

The quiet life gets up every day and works hard and loves well with little celebration.

I am reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The quiet life isn’t exactly celebrated by our culture, but the quiet life is celebrated by God.  I think the quiet life accomplishes two things:

1. A lasting impact on others. A life that is spent quietly giving and serving others, over time, makes a huge mark and impact on this world. The laws of compounding interest soon begin to take hold as we love others who love others who love others.  When we feel this pressure/tension to make a big or loud contribution that is felt worldwide we might find ourselves never taking the first step because the project is too big. The task is too overwhelming. But, the quiet life….anyone can leave their house today and quietly love and serve another person.
2. A lasting impact on me. It is better for Jesus to be famous then for me to be famous. He is more equipped for this job. A desire to be known for our contribution and service to the world is not good for us spiritually. It can lead to pride, angst when we aren’t as known as we want to be, and jealousy when others are more famous then they should be. Not good. The quiet life keeps us humble and that is a good place to be.

This Christmas, as we celebrate our Savior who came to a quiet cave in a manger, let us crave and desire the quiet life. Give quietly. Serve sacrificially. Love well.