1 Thessalonians 4:11 ESV
“And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.”
When was the last time you heard a message that told you to aspire to… just live quietly? To seek the stillness rather than the noise? To be happy and content with what you have instead of adoring for more?
Not very popular topics are they?
It seems that these days there’re a lot of messages, books, and conferences to “teach” us how to “increase” our faith, to “walk in favor” and the like.
It’s about what YOU can do to get “more” out of God rather than what you already have.
I’ll tell you a secret: all the things that those books and messages are trying to get you to pursue and go after are ALREADY yours!
What?!?
YES!
“No one, then, should boast about what human beings can do. Actually everything belongs to you:
Paul, Apollos, and Peter; this world, life and death, the present and the future–all these are yours,
and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. “
1 Corinthians 3:21-23 Good News Translation
So, right now, you might be thinking:
“If everything is mine, why am I not happy? Why am I still struggling? Why don’t I feel like It?
Excellent question and here’s the answer:
You are not being STILL.
“Be still and know that I am God…” – Psalm 46:10
Now, here’re some translations of being still:
“Cease striving…” NASB
“Stop your fighting…” CSB
“Our God says, calm down…” CEV
“Let go [of your concerns]… God’s Word Translation
“Be in awe…” ISV
“Let be…” JPS Tanakh 1917
If you haven’t gotten the picture yet let me make it very clear to you:
In you BEING STILL is the KNOWING of Who He is and who YOU are IN Him.
You cease from striving and stressing and you start to trust… one step at a time… one day at a time… one situation at a time… one medical report at a time…
He’s your Daddy… Your ABBA… So don’t be afraid… It’s going to be alright… Just BE STILL…