I Thessalonians 4:11,12 – “Shhhhh”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

… But we are urging you, brothers, to abound more and more, ¹¹and to make it [your] ambition to be quiet, and to mind your own [business], and to work with your hands, just as we commanded you, ¹²that you might walk becomingly toward those outside, and [that] you might have need of nothing [or no one].

I have moved on and am studying vv13-18, the great Rapture passage, but my mind is still swirling with this idea of quietness. So while I’m studying the next few verses, I’d like to record some of the thoughts still going through my head.

This has sure been a much more pleasant way to live life – quietly. As I’ve related before, I’ve always been an incorrigible worry-wort and didn’t know any way to work except in a froth. In the last year, the Lord finally helped me to put away the worrying and just trust Him. Then in studying verse 11, He finally taught me that I can work hard – even very hard – but stay quiet inside. Wow, what a different world!  When something happens or some thought troubles me, I’m learning to tell myself, “Shhhhh.  Be still, my soul.”

When I’ve stilled the “froth” problem, one of the first things I’ve noticed is that there is a lot of other “noise” going on in my soul. I think the worry and froth has always been so loud, I didn’t even hear all the other noise going on inside of me. But having stilled those sounds, suddenly I’m very aware of the other “noises” of things like discontent, fear, displeasure, and so on. I am enjoying telling those noises “Shhhhh,” as well. Back to the old Kung Fu television series, Master Po asked young Caine, “Do you hear the grasshopper at your feet?” Caine replied, “Old man, how is it you hear such things?” Po replied, “Young man, how is it you do not?” I’m also reminded of when my grandmother got a hearing aid. I asked her, “Can you hear a lot better?” She replied, “Oh, yes. But what I notice most is the little sounds I haven’t heard for years – like a the ticking of the clock. I didn’t even realize I didn’t hear it anymore.” I would suggest there is much to “hear” in this world but the other noises of life drown it out.

Which brings me back again to this simple little thought, “Make it your ambition to be quiet.” As I’ve been pondering this and enjoying exercising it in my life, a number of other passages in the Bible have stood out to me.

In contrast to our American model of endless insanity – even in church ministry – Elijah had to learn that “God is not in the tornado.” In I Kings 19:11,12, we read, “The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” “A gentle whisper.” The “still, small voice.” God is not in the tornado. We imagine that if we can just get enough activity going on, if we just didn’t have to sleep, we’d see glorious accomplishments. But God is not in the tornado. It’s like the old Amish saying, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” Tornados and earthquakes and raging fires may all seem very exciting, but, as Elijah (and us) needed to learn, “The Lord is not in them.” I wonder how much we actually do not get done living in our self-made tornadoes – how much we perhaps miss the things that were really important? I would suggest we’ll never know the answer to that question until we learn what it means to “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Speaking of that verse, yes, it is in the Bible. Psalm 46:10. “Be still and know that I am God.” “Be still.” That is exactly what I’ve been learning. God has it all covered. He can handle it. I don’t need to worry because I know who’s running it all. But then I notice this same thought comes up over and over. Jesus called people saying, “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt 11:28-30).

And back in Isaiah, He told us, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, …’” and “The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest” (30:15 & 32:17,18).

“The fruit of righteousness will be peace.” “In quietness and trust is your strength.”

I’ve never noticed how much the Bible talks about quietness.

That’s probably because of all the tornadoes I created.

This is sure a whole lot more pleasant way to live!

One last crazy thought bouncing around in my head – I wonder, if we learned to quiet our own souls, would we start to hear the noise in other peoples’? I’ve noted for years how the Bible calls us to “Rejoice with them that rejoice and weep with them that weep” – and thought to myself, “That means we need to realize they’re rejoicing, realize they’re weeping” – and then wondered how much of that I just simply miss.

“Old man, how is it you hear these things?” “Young man, how is it you do not?”

Shhhh. Be still, my soul.