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1 Thessalonians Reading | Week 2 | Day 5
Prayer
As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Thank Jesus that he came to save you!
Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
Read these verses three times slowly.
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. 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, 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, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Reflection & Questions
Yesterday, we read that in this section of 1 Thessalonians, Paul is addressing the needs of the Thessalonians to “live to please God.” He was concerned yesterday about the ways they were treating each other, especially when it came to matters of sexual immorality and lust.
Today, he turns their attention to what is occupying their time. He tells them “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life…mind your own business.” In other words, don’t go around meddling in others affairs. Don’t be busybodies or gossips. If we are going to live to please God, we’ve got enough to handle working on ourselves.
He also tells the Thessalonians to “work with your hands.” He’s not commenting on the type of work by saying this, but that they are not to be dependent on the handouts of richer believers. This is different from the problems of unemployment in our day (which has many factors). There seems to be one problem for some of the Thessalonians – they are idle.
How we use our time will be noticed. Paul wants the Thessalonians to “win the respect of outsiders” (those who don’t yet know God). Our ONEs, our colleagues, and our neighbors will notice what we do with our time. Are we winning respect through working on ourselves and working hard or are we idle and just busybodies complaining about others, politics or the weather?
- What occupies your time? Do you believe it earns the respect of outsiders? Why or why not?
- Think about your schedule for the next few days. How could you adjust it, or be different in it, to live to please God and win the respect of “outsiders”?
Prayer
Talk to God in response to the reading today.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
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Questions?
Ed Applegate
