“that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
In our current age of 24/7 celebrity news, tabloid television, provocative headlines, and social media influencers, the passage quoted above may have more relevance than ever. However, its important to understand this verse in light of its context in order to make a suitable application.
You see, some may erroneously associate this directive with the kind of life that displays little or no ambition. Others may mistakenly associate this passage with weakness, fear, or trepidation. But as one source observes, “He told them, in effect, that the best way in which Jesus Christ could come upon them was that he should find them quietly, efficiently and diligently doing their daily job.” (1)
Unfortunately, the natural human desire for approval, recognition, affirmation, and validation may prompt us to go beyond the parameters of this verse in a variety of subtle ways. In the words of one commentary…
“Everyone needs a certain amount of approval from others. But those who go out of their way to secure honors or to win popularity become conceited and show they are not following the Holy Spirit’s leading… Because we are God’s sons and daughters, we have his Holy Spirit as the loving guarantee of his approval. Seek to please God, and the approval of others won’t seem so important.” (2)
God may lead us to achieve great things if we quietly and consistently seek to honor Him in attending to the duties and responsibilities of daily life. In the meantime, we would do well to remember the counsel given to us in Romans 2:7: “He will give eternal life to those who patiently do the will of God, seeking for the unseen glory and honor and eternal life that he offers” (TLB).
One scholar closes with a penetrating analysis of this passage…
“The Gk. word for this term often denoted the attempt to garner civic honor and recognition through outward displays of generosity by the wealthy. Paul’s use of the term turns that concept on its head: the Thessalonians should be zealous for the honor that comes not through self-assertion or an ostentatious show of personal greatness, but through humble, industrious, and unimpeachable behavior.
This exhortation, pertinent to all Christians, had a particular urgency in Thessalonica, where the Christians had already been falsely accused of sedition (Acts 17:6–9). By living lives that were respectable and unpretentious, the Christians in Thessalonica were to allay any lingering suspicions. This remains the call for all believers.” (3)
See related discussion here
(1) Barclay, William. “1 Thessalonians 4:9-12”. “William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/1-thessalonians-4.html. 1956-1959.
(2) Life Application Study Bible NKJV (Galatians 5:26). Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.
(3) Sproul, R. C. (Ed.). (2015). The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (p. 2137). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust.