Anna Moore

There is a pressure to be great in today’s society. There are awards given in every industry and if your business is not on social media creating engaging content for all the world to see, you’re not doing it right. And we can’t just be amateurs at something, we must be experts!

It’s refreshing to know God doesn’t expect us to be great for Him. We don’t have to do “big” things in order to please Him, or in order to make an impact on His Kingdom.

Here is Jesus’ view of greatness:

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Matthew 19:29-30

“The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12

“And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45

Aspire to live quietly

Rather than aiming for greatness, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 encourages followers of Christ 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.”

To live quietly doesn’t mean to live in silence or in isolation. In practical terms, we just live simply, avoiding drama, focusing on our God-given responsibilities and doing them, and living respectably, diligently, humbly, and self-controlled.

The quiet life is quite ordinary, and maybe even boring by today’s standards of living. It might not be thrilling or Facebook-worthy, but those are wrong aspirations. It should be our ambition as believers to cultivate a life of faithfulness to Christ, foregoing recognition, greatness, or the thrill. God isn’t looking for accolades, He’s looking for faithfulness to Him. He doesn’t measure greatness by how visible we are or how many times we say “yes” to man’s demands. 

Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch did the quiet work to preserve God’s word. Ruth worked in fields and cared for her mother-in-law. Simeon and Anna waited for the Messiah, praying and worshiping Him daily. Ananias obeyed Jesus’ call for him to visit Saul before Paul would launch one of the most significant ministries in history. All of these people lived their quiet lives, doing things man wouldn’t consider “great,” and yet all of it was pleasing to the Lord and made an eternal impact.

Faithfulness is showing up, day-in and day-out, and serving well where the Lord has you, and undoubtedly trusting Him. This quiet life of faithfulness might seem repetitive or mundane, but it reaps fruit. 

In the quiet hours of studying God’s word and praying to Him, we aren’t only building a deep relationship with Christ, but a life of faithfulness. In the simple moments of wiping down counters or folding laundry or doing the day-to-day tasks at the office we are working with our hands in worship to a God of order. 

In the passage to the Thessalonians, Paul encourages believers to “walk properly before outsiders.” These non-believers can see how we are different. We don’t need praise, we just live life according to God’s plans for us. They see how we are content with what we have and are not self-seeking and how we work with integrity and not through grumbling.

While it’s not “great,” it’s simple. It’s ordinary. It’s a quiet life pleasing to God. 

“Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”

All scripture references are from the English Standard Version, unless otherwise noted.

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