Paul said, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands" (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Read or listen to this material from Work and Rest God’s Way to learn how to lead a quiet life and work with your hands.

Table of contentsContent Leading a Quiet LifeMost of Us Will Be a Thaddeus or a BaruchThe Premier Example of Leading a Quiet Life

Content Leading a Quiet Life

Paul said, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). Instead of “seeking great things” (Jeremiah 45:5) and “despising days of small things” (Zechariah 4:10), we should “aspire to lead [quiet lives].” The world tempts us to crave fame, attention, and recognition. Can you imagine anything less attractive in society’s eyes than a quiet life?

What God wants from us is the opposite of what the world promotes. It pleases God if we lead simple, humble lives of obedience, often filled with small, ordinary routines. The days are far from glamorous. While this might sound discouraging, it should be encouraging because it frees us from striving to become big, noticed, and heard.

First Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Why did Paul mention eating and drinking? Because there aren’t many “[smaller] things” than these! What could be simpler or more routine? Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Whatever we do, no matter how small or insignificant, can be done for God’s glory and pleasure!

Most of Us Will Be a Thaddeus or a Baruch

The judges were important, but could most Christians tell you what they did? They could probably discuss Samson and Gideon, maybe Ehud and Othniel, but would they even remember the names of Tola, Jair, Elon, or Abdon?

Consider the kings. People could tell you about David and Solomon, maybe Hezekiah and Josiah, but would they remember anything about Amaziah and Jotham?

Consider the prophets. Most people know Samuel, Elijah, and Jeremiah, but do they know anything about Amos and Obadiah?

Consider the apostles. Second only to Jesus, they are the most important men in the New Testament. Ephesians 2:20 says the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles,” and Revelation 21:14 says, “The wall of the [New Jerusalem] had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles.” Could these men sound more important? Yet most people could not name half of them. Besides Peter, James, John, Judas, and Thomas (only because of the account of his doubting), what do we know about the other apostles?

If you ask people which apostle they most identify with, they will probably tell you, Peter. He was known for opening his mouth when he should have been quiet, and we have the same problem. The other reason we can relate to Peter is that so little is written about the rest of the apostles that we can’t identify with them!

Judas, the son of James, is also known as Thaddaeus, which distinguishes him from Judas Iscariot. He’s mentioned in the lists of the disciples (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:16, and Acts 1:13), and John 14:22 records, “Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, ‘Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?’” He’s on the list of the disciples, and he asks Jesus one question. That’s all that’s recorded about him.

How famous are apostles, judges, kings, and prophets if people hardly know anything about them? The point is that even the people in Scripture we think were extraordinary were ordinary. This should encourage us because if we are going to “live quiet lives” filled with “small things,” we are going to be more like Thaddaeus, Tola, Jair, Jotham, and Amos than Peter, Gideon, David, and Elijah.

The Premier Example of Leading a Quiet Life

If it isn’t God’s will to have, accomplish,