Studied Quietness and the Call to Excel

UV 435/10,000 I Thessalonians 4 v 11 The studied quietness and the call to excel 1Th 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; Normally, we tell our children to be quiet and study. But, this uni-verse states study to be quiet. When we study the Word of God,we will gain the assurance that we are in His safe hands. The assurance, that nothing happens by accident, that God is in control and all that happens even the seemingly bad will turn out for our good, keeps us calm and quiet. Our confidence is in the Lord and not in our own strength or resources. We are like the child that lies weaned in the mother’s arms, quiet, peaceful, satisfied and not having any great ambition other than knowing the Lord more and more. At the same time, we are not to become complacent or over confident of ourselves. We need to diligently apply ourselves to our work. Paul wrote to the Thessalonican believers in this manner as he found many among them were idle gossipers who were busy with the affairs of others and slothful in their own work. Paul himself set an example by working with his own hands and making tents for a living. He did so as he did not want to make himself a burden for others. We must not take God’s work and His provision for granted by saying, “ God will provide.” He will provide by giving us the abilities to work and He will provide through our work. He will provide the harvest through the factors He alone can control- the climate and weather, the winds, pests and rain. It is our responsibility to plant the seed to meet our future need. He will bless our business but busyness is our response of faithfulness. It is not an option but a command. We work as if we depend only on ourselves and expect results as if we depend only on God. Many people have the wrong notion that the only way to serve God is to take up full time ministry. When we were young,we were trained to “make our careers a carrier for God.” With this perspective, we realized we needed to study hard in order to qualify or to be catapulted to a good career path. In the process, we showed our heels to many of our more talented and gifted classmates and compatriots for the ever accompanying grace of God takes us to a new orbit of performance. In this way, our motivation and ambition is not selfish or worldly or materialistic. We should not give up our professional work unless there is a specific calling or vision to fulfill. Instead,we must excel in our fields of domain expertise and be an ambassador for God. An ambassador lives in another land for the sake of his own country. Similarly, we are citizens of heaven living in an eartly land, representing the Kingdom of God, carrying the concerns and messages of God to the people of that land in diverse ways. We are representatives of God on earth by divine election. We have to live a life worthy of such a high calling. Prateep V Philip