Four: Quiet Guidance

Paul writes...1Thessalonians 4:11-12 "11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

Paul worked really hard. He was betrayed by his countrymen, he spent time in prison, he was persecuted, he was stoned, he was whipped, and he was mocked. He ran for countless hours to avoid death, he stood firm in front of leaders of the synagogues in harsh territory, he built tents to make his own way, and he was never idle.

Philippians 2:14-16 "14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing."

And Paul put all of these sufferings over the heads of Christs followers, not as a guilt trip or as a complaint, but as a motivating factor. He was not loud about his status as a disciple, but he was quiet in a way. Yes, he spoke up...but he was also quiet. I want to be like Paul. I want to be a shining light, a star in the sky, to guide others off of the crooked path.

I came up with an analogy at my girls' bible study this last week...

All my life I have been pushing myself to be like the Sun. It's the biggest, the brightest, and everyone knows it is there and has known it was in the sky since the beginning of time. It marks the days and tells people how to live, how to grow crops, when to go to sleep. It enters everyone's lives, whether being asked to or not. The Sun is powerful and shows its power.

But God has called us to live "quiet lives" and "shine like stars in the universe." How can I be quiet but still guide others? I can choose to be like the North Star. Significantly smaller in our sky, the North Star has not always been noticed, but has instead been discovered. It quietly guides those who seek its assistance and helps others find the right path. While it is not the biggest or the brightest, it still has an important purpose. It lives quietly and unassumingly as an important guidance in the lives of others.

I'm not asked to shout the name of Christ. That comes out of my joy for him! But I am asked to shine the name of Christ. So here my journey to become like the North Star, like Paul, like a guide begins.