Study to Be Quiet

1Th 4:11 '...study to be quiet'


We don't often hear exhortations like that do we? Study to be quiet. Looking at the Greek definition of the words 'study' and 'quiet' we could also say… strive to rest, labor to hold peace, study to refrain from being meddlesome, strive not to talk.


Being told to 'study to be quiet' tells us something doesn't it? We are noisy, restless people who don't often find being quiet very easy. Some of us are chatterboxes and we laugh as we tell others how we love to talk and talk. We make light of it because-well- that's just how we are. How easy is it for us to jump into conversations that others might be having because we have our opinion to share. For some, as soon as the thoughts form in our minds we are spouting them without taking time to think.


When we talk, are we aware of the value of our words? We all know how easy it is for just a few words to turn a happy time into an awful one. We know that truly the tongue is a fire...don't we? But we don't treat our tongues like fire do we? We don't recognize the power our words have to destroy, to hurt, to maim. Our words can do irreparable damage, and yet we seldom stop to think of them as being such a destructive force.


'Jas 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity'.


With this knowledge in mind, with this fire brand in our mouths ready to strike out and burn any and all around us we don't fully equated it with a 'world of iniquity', if we did wouldn't we make a concerted effort to not 'flame' at others, not to let the wicked, sin-filled tongue in our mouths strike out at them, leading to our own destruction. Am I being too dramatic? That's something people like to say today. You're being dramatic. As if your concern is unwarranted. Maybe it is in a lot of cases, but not this one. We can't be dramatic enough when it comes to the things we say. Just knowing how powerful our words could be should really have us making a concerted effort to THINK BEFORE WE TALK. Too often people might want a hurried answer to their question. Or they might tell you that you're being too quiet during a conversation because they want you to jump right in and have fun in the chaotic chatter that is seemingly harmless, at least it's meant to be. Every word we speak has consequences, like it or not. Whether you want to believe it or not, it's true. A simple yes or no can weigh on a person for years especially if it were in answer to a question that has adverse consequences, even deadly consequences.


Perhaps- studying to be quiet is a lesson in not being noisy to our own detriment.


Study to be quiet. Strive to be quiet. Labor to be quiet. This is telling us to WORK at being quiet that being quiet might not come quite so natural to us.


I've heard people say they follow of ten second rule, meaning that before they respond to ANYTHING even remotely controversial they'll silently count to ten while thinking about the consequences of the response they might make. That's a good rule, but maybe ten seconds isn't long enough in every situation. At other times, as a red-faced, fuming, antagonizing person stands there waiting for a response- ten seconds might seem like five minutes. Giving an instantaneous retorts is expected, you might even hear the words - 'Are you going to let them get away with saying that?', if not from others you might hear that from the little sneaky voice inside your head. How often do we respond to stuff harshly because we feel as if our pride has been wounded? We've been hurt by the fiery tongue of another so we feel justified in lashing right back to save our dignity, to preserve our honor, to uphold our selfish idea of the type of person we are and how we deserve to be treated.


Study to be quiet. When we 'think' before we speak we are taking time to contemplate the affect our words will have on the situation at hand. If we are to 'study' to be quiet, we need to truly make an effort to be quiet, don't we?


I read this--
Jas 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.


Our tongues are untamed- no man can tame the tongue- at best we can 'study to be quiet', right?


We live in a loud world where our opinions, our words are shouted every which way. We have electronic media platforms to hoist ourselves up on, the soap box or our time, and shout out whatever we feel like it. All too often people will post things they end up regretting the words of their tongue recorded for all to see.


I know I'm mostly speaking my opinion even here, my tongue recorded for all to see. God's words are for us to pray over, to ponder, to study, to bring into our lives.


Take a few minutes now to read the context of the 'study to be quiet', verse 1 Thess. 4:11. Paul writing to those in Thessalonica .


1Th 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
1Th 4:2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
1Th 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
1Th 4:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
1Th 4:5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
1Th 4:6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
1Th 4:8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
1Th 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1Th 4:10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;
1Th 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
1Th 4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.


Study to be quiet , do your own business, work with your own hands as we commanded you… why? That ye may walk honestly towards them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.


The entreaty is to live as God would have us live, and a part of that is studying to be quiet. Labor, strive to rest, to refrain from meddling, stop talking, hold our peace. Make a real effort to do this. While we are doing so many other things that one who loves God would do, we need to remember being quiet is necessary too.


May God help us to 'study to be quiet', to be as He would have us be and not as we think we should be, or as the world tells us is acceptable to be. We need to be acceptable to God through the blood of Jesus Christ, through the righteousness of our Savior. We need to live in Him as He would have us live, not as we would naturally desire to live. We need to take up our crosses, we need to strive against sin, we need to cling to Christ and place all our hope, all our faith in Him fully.


By the grace and through the love of our Savior now and forever! Amen.
(In part taken from a study done in 2010)