Get out of the fast lane
Everything around us seems to be built on speed. To quote a famous race car, Lightning McQueen, “Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner, forty-two losers. I eat losers for breakfast.” Shout out to my four year old son for familiarizing me with my man Lightning McQueen. We want to go fast, we are afraid of failure, and we certainly don’t want to be losers. Speed, the American culture all but demands it. We are rewarded in our jobs for being highly productive, so we work harder and faster to get a fatter paycheck. We drive fast so we waste less time in in our cars. For some of you, you are driving fast because you are late. You get the point, our culture is driven by the “I want it now” mentality. I love what Paul has to say to the Thessalonians:
Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this 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, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
—1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
When you dig down into this passage there are some difficult challenges. At its core, it is in complete opposition to the American way. I am very much type A and I love to complete a task. What happens is I end up running from one task to the next at a sprinters pace never taking time to slow down. This may not be your reality but it certainly is mine. Then I read this passage where it says “aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands.” What does that even mean and how in the world do I do that? Here are a few observations from the text.
1. We must rest and not rush
What is Paul trying to communicate when he says, “aspire to live quietly?” The Greek word used for quiet here points to restfulness rather than physical silence. I will be the first to admit, this can be difficult. So many times, whether it be driving down the highway or in our work we seemingly feel forced to rush. How many times have you been driving down the interstate only to have someone come speeding up behind you? You all know what I am talking about. They are mad that you are only going ten over the speed limit and not twenty. You feel the pressure to either go faster or to get over. You are being rushed. Our lives are constantly being pushed to a faster pace. Yet we see here Paul telling the Thessalonians that they should aspire to have restfulness be a reality in their life.
How in the world do we live a life of restfulness? Simply stated, I don’t know. You may already be there, I know I am not. As with everything I think we could look to Jesus to see the example. I recently completed a book by John Mark Comer called The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. I would highly recommend it. A lot of what I am writing about here began stirring in my heart and mind as I read that book. The book reminded me of the life Jesus lived. Based on what we see in scripture, He never appeared to be in a hurry. Remember Lazarus? Jesus took His time going to his home. No rush, no hurry, just intentionality. There are countless examples of Jesus walking through life focusing on ministry and relationships without the rush that seems to constantly be a reality in our culture. As Comer pointed out, Jesus was always busy but never seemed to be in a hurry. He crushed it without sacrificing rest and time with the Father. It is time for us to do the same.
Here are a few things you can do to create more margin in your life for restfulness:
Limit screen time each day. Put a max on both TV time and phone screen time. Then stick to it.
If there is a hobby that you have in your life that causes more stress than relaxation, it is not a hobby. Ditch it.
Start spending 10 minutes a day in solitude. Complete solitude. (no phone, no people, no nothing)
Open your Bible and consume it. Even when you do not feel like it. God speaks to us through His word.
Quit allowing yourself to be driven by the consumption of more stuff. Take up your cross and follow Him.
Paul does not say try to find rest, he says aspire to live a restful life. We must begin taking restfulness seriously, even if it is in opposition to the culture around us.
2. Make the most of the position God has you in.
The statement in verse 11, “work with your hands” can be quite confusing. Does that mean we all have to be carpenters? No. It is Paul’s way of saying rest is not an opportunity to be lazy, it is an opportunity to make the most of the position God has placed you in.
It is easy to lose satisfaction in not just our job but our life. I am a millennial according to my birthdate. We millennials can get a bad wrap as it relates to job satisfaction. I have read article after article that points out millennials bouncing from job to job. Look, whether you are a millennial or not, bouncing from job to job is not the problem. The problem is looking for satisfaction in a position or job. You will NEVER find that satisfaction to be lasting, no matter how high you climb the ladder. You will always want more power, more authority, and more money. Please do not hear me say it is never okay to change jobs. For some, a job change is necessary to simply put food on the table. However, for most in our culture that is not the case. Please do not fall into a pattern of changing jobs because you are wanting more. You will get more and still be searching for that satisfaction. Find satisfaction in Christ alone. Nothing else is sustainable.
God never assures us of health, success, or ease. But He promises us something even better, to make us humble like Christ.
—Kevin DeYoung
Seeking His kingdom should be our priority. God has uniquely gifted you and has placed you where you are during this season for a reason. Make the most of it by finding satisfaction in Jesus Christ, not in your earthly position.