Yesterday we talked about the messenger: what kind of men were Paul and his team? Another essential piece is the message. How ought we to live? 1 Thessalonians 4 answers that question, but before we look at that, let’s remind ourselves of a verse my son Mark memorized when he was two years old:
He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6.8, NASB)
How ought we to live? Micah 6.8, of course, is one answer: “Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God.” Here’s another:
Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God
- to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and
- to aspire to live quietly, and
- to mind your own affairs, and
- to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, ESV, bulleted for clarity)
That’s clear! And in this Advent season, it’s good to remember that Jesus spent his first 30 years living quietly, minding his own affairs (as far as we know), and working with his hands. He didn’t grow up in the Temple but in an out-of-the-way town in Galilee.
Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful. (Titus 3.14, NASB)