Finding a Quiet Life / 安静的生活
Dexu Xia
Finding a Quiet Life
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. 1 Thessalonians 4:11
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” We all heard that question as children and sometimes even as adults. The question is born in curiosity, and the answer is often heard as an indication of ambition. My answers morphed over the years, starting with a cowboy, then a truck driver, followed by a soldier, and I entered college set on becoming a doctor. However, I can’t recall one time that someone suggested or I consciously considered pursuing “a quiet life.”
Yet that’s exactly what Paul told the Thessalonians. First, he urged them to love one another and all of God’s family even more (1 Thessalonians 4:10). Then he gave them a general admonition that would cover whatever specific plow they put their hand to. “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (v. 11). Now what did Paul mean by that exactly? He clarified: “You should mind your own business and work with your hands” so outsiders respect you and you’re not a burden on anyone (vv. 11–12). We don’t want to discourage children from pursuing their giftedness or passions but maybe we could encourage them that whatever they choose to do, they do with a quiet spirit.
Considering the world we live in, the words ambitious and quiet couldn’t seem further apart. But the Scriptures are always relevant, so perhaps we should consider what it might look like to begin living quieter.
How does Paul’s phrase—“mind your own business”—sit with you? Who comes to mind of someone who lives a quiet life that you might emulate?
Jesus, living a quiet life sounds so inviting, but I know it won’t come easily. I ask for the grace to mind my own business, not so I can close myself off from the world, but that I won’t add to the noise.
安静的生活
要立志过安静的生活。-帖撒罗尼迦前书4章11节，新译本
相信我们小时候都听过这个问题：“长大后，你想做什么？”有时甚至连大人都不能豁免。人们会问这问题是出于好奇心，想从答案中知道他人的志愿或理想。从小到大，我的答案不断地改变，一开始我想当牛仔，后来想做卡车司机，接着又想当军人，最后我进了大学，立志成为一名医生。然而，似乎从未有人向我建议，我也从未认真思考“要立志过安静的生活”。
但这却是保罗对帖撒罗尼迦教会的教导。首先，保罗勉励信徒要彼此相爱，更要爱所有主内的弟兄姐妹（帖撒罗尼迦前书4章10节），又劝导他们在任何岗位上都“要立志过安静的生活”（11节，新译本）。这是什么意思呢？保罗乃是要信徒“办自己的事，亲手做工”，既可得到非基督徒的尊重，也不会造成别人的负担（11-12节）。我们不应阻止孩子追求梦想或爱好，但也许可以鼓励他们，不论选择做什么，都不要争强斗胜，失去安静的心。
在我们现今的社会，立志和安静似乎没有一点关系。但圣经的教导绝不会毫无关联，也许我们应该思想，如何立志过安静的生活。
天父，我愿意过安静的生活，但深知这并不容易。
求祢赐我恩典，让我能安分守己，
不是自私自利，而是不要制造更多争吵。
你对“办自己的事，亲手做工”有什么想法？
你能学习像谁一样过安静的生活呢？