By Traci Rhoades
In recent weeks, families across the United States have been shaken by horrific acts of violence; at a high school in Colorado, a Catholic school as they participated in Mass, and a rally on the campus of Utah Valley University.
We face a violence epidemic in our country, leaving us all grieving and asking ourselves — how did we get here? There are no easy answers.
In searching for spiritual comfort, I find myself drawn back to Paul’s letters. Considering my understanding of the context of these few verses, I do an internet search first of all in Timothy, but the verses I’m really looking for are found in Thessalonians.
"But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” (1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12 CSB)
Really, it does partner well with similar verses in his first letter to Timothy: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” (1 Timothy 2:2 CSB)
Scholars estimate these two letters were written about 12 years apart, and had different audiences. The letters to the Thessalonians were written to a church Paul planted on his second missionary journey with Silas, and the letters to Timothy addressed his son in the faith, Timothy, who preached in a number of locations throughout his ministry, including Thessalonica.
First Thessalonians was one of the first letters Paul wrote. A self-proclaimed Jewish activist (see Acts 22:3), Paul was a changed man after his Damascus Road conversion (Acts 9:1-22). It’s striking that Paul mentions the quiet life both near the beginning and end of his ministry — it’s a thread that seems to anchor his transformed way of living.
In a society that elevates celebrity pastors and Christian social media influencers, many of our leaders are hardly leading by example when it comes to living a quiet life.
This month, we remember the terrorist attacks of 9-11-2001. A friend recently shared an image titled “I miss 9/12.” It captured the primal urge many of us felt in the hours and days after the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon outside Washington D.C.
According to the image, stores ran out of [United States] flags, and people were Americans first, before identifying with any particular race or political party. People felt compassion for one another. Churches were full. Celebrity status didn’t matter all that much. Heroes looked like first responders and average citizens who risked their own safety for a common good.
These verses, penned by Paul thousands of years ago, or at least signed off on, (see 2 Thessalonians 3:17), and this image highlight the benefits of living a quiet life. Things like gratitude, compassion, and appreciation for a job well done are all worthwhile pursuits. They don’t come easy when a life is lived in the spotlight.
We shouldn’t overlook the instruction we read in Timothy specifically. Let’s turn to a modern-day shepherding pastor, Eugene Peterson, to see what Paul would have Timothy, and all of us who follow Jesus Christ, do first:
“The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well…” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 MSG).
Living quietly doesn’t mean ignoring the world around us. Rather, it calls us to engage differently — wise and discerning in our speech and actions, committed to good work, and showing respect for one another. Above all, we’re called to pray. One word brings this all together: Christlike.
“The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.” (1 John 2:6 CSB)
Perhaps what a converted Paul understood (no doubt his Jewish upbringing laid a foundation here), that can easily be forgotten, is this — a quiet life isn’t meant to make big headlines, but it has the power to steady communities and heal weary hearts. In days when violence and division can seem louder than anything else, choosing the quiet path of faith, prayer, and steady presence can be a radical witness.
Some may argue that living quietly isn’t a strong enough witness in a world so desperate for change. Yet the way of Jesus has never depended on noise or notoriety. His witness was powerful precisely because it was rooted in humility, compassion, and steadfast faithfulness. A quiet life doesn’t weaken our testimony. It strengthens it, allowing Christ, not our striving, to shine forth.
—————
Traci Rhoades is an author and Bible teacher who lives with her husband and daughter in West Michigan.
In recent weeks, families across the United States have been shaken by horrific acts of violence; at a high school in Colorado, a Catholic school as they participated in Mass, and a rally on the campus of Utah Valley University.
We face a violence epidemic in our country, leaving us all grieving and asking ourselves — how did we get here? There are no easy answers.
In searching for spiritual comfort, I find myself drawn back to Paul’s letters. Considering my understanding of the context of these few verses, I do an internet search first of all in Timothy, but the verses I’m really looking for are found in Thessalonians.
"But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.” (1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12 CSB)
Really, it does partner well with similar verses in his first letter to Timothy: “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” (1 Timothy 2:2 CSB)
Scholars estimate these two letters were written about 12 years apart, and had different audiences. The letters to the Thessalonians were written to a church Paul planted on his second missionary journey with Silas, and the letters to Timothy addressed his son in the faith, Timothy, who preached in a number of locations throughout his ministry, including Thessalonica.
First Thessalonians was one of the first letters Paul wrote. A self-proclaimed Jewish activist (see Acts 22:3), Paul was a changed man after his Damascus Road conversion (Acts 9:1-22). It’s striking that Paul mentions the quiet life both near the beginning and end of his ministry — it’s a thread that seems to anchor his transformed way of living.
In a society that elevates celebrity pastors and Christian social media influencers, many of our leaders are hardly leading by example when it comes to living a quiet life.
This month, we remember the terrorist attacks of 9-11-2001. A friend recently shared an image titled “I miss 9/12.” It captured the primal urge many of us felt in the hours and days after the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon outside Washington D.C.
According to the image, stores ran out of [United States] flags, and people were Americans first, before identifying with any particular race or political party. People felt compassion for one another. Churches were full. Celebrity status didn’t matter all that much. Heroes looked like first responders and average citizens who risked their own safety for a common good.
These verses, penned by Paul thousands of years ago, or at least signed off on, (see 2 Thessalonians 3:17), and this image highlight the benefits of living a quiet life. Things like gratitude, compassion, and appreciation for a job well done are all worthwhile pursuits. They don’t come easy when a life is lived in the spotlight.
We shouldn’t overlook the instruction we read in Timothy specifically. Let’s turn to a modern-day shepherding pastor, Eugene Peterson, to see what Paul would have Timothy, and all of us who follow Jesus Christ, do first:
“The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well…” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 MSG).
Living quietly doesn’t mean ignoring the world around us. Rather, it calls us to engage differently — wise and discerning in our speech and actions, committed to good work, and showing respect for one another. Above all, we’re called to pray. One word brings this all together: Christlike.
“The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.” (1 John 2:6 CSB)
Perhaps what a converted Paul understood (no doubt his Jewish upbringing laid a foundation here), that can easily be forgotten, is this — a quiet life isn’t meant to make big headlines, but it has the power to steady communities and heal weary hearts. In days when violence and division can seem louder than anything else, choosing the quiet path of faith, prayer, and steady presence can be a radical witness.
Some may argue that living quietly isn’t a strong enough witness in a world so desperate for change. Yet the way of Jesus has never depended on noise or notoriety. His witness was powerful precisely because it was rooted in humility, compassion, and steadfast faithfulness. A quiet life doesn’t weaken our testimony. It strengthens it, allowing Christ, not our striving, to shine forth.
—————
Traci Rhoades is an author and Bible teacher who lives with her husband and daughter in West Michigan.
