But Paul says something quite different. He says we are to love the honor of the quiet life, doing our own thing, and working hard. But where is honor going to come from if I’m quiet and keep to myself and don’t have time to engage with the world if I’m working hard? How do I get honor if I’m not up on the latest? How am I even relevant? Am I like my cat? Do I have a deep fear of missing out?
But Paul’s admonition here is a better way. Let me remind you what Jesus says in the sermon on the mount: “The meek shall inherit the earth.” Meekness, as we talked about when we went through the sermon on the mount, means “not being overly impressed with a sense of one’s self-importance.” That’s the opposite of chasing honor. That’s the opposite of wanting to be involved in everything so that someone notices that I’m important. And Jesus says those people will inherit the earth. They are getting something they didn’t earn through fame or fortune or importance or achievement.
And they are getting far more than the recognition of the world—a world whose priorities are skewed and whose values are corrupted. Let’s not chase the world’s honor through trying to be involved in every little thing. Are we willing to say no to that pull by actually saying no: No to expectation that you have to weigh in on every topic. No to other’s demands for your time. No to the lure of the flashy and exciting and what’s culturally popular. No to the temptation to make yourself impressive in the eyes of others.
Will we let Jesus bestow honor on us? Now, let’s be clear. We are not being promised the same kind of honor the world gives. Jesus isn’t saying, “If you’ll forgo getting the honor of the world the world’s way, I’ll give you the honor of the world my way.” No, we are forgoing the honor of the world to have the Father say, when all is said and done, “Well done good and faithful servant.” We are not promised any honor at all in the here and now.
But we are commanded to love the honor that comes from faithful obedience in the day-to-day things, keeping our thoughts on what God has called us to and not the myriad distractions that come from chasing everything else.
I think that life is such that if we work hard and mind our own business and live a quiet life, that our plates will be full. I don’t think we’ll have time to seek to make sure that everyone knows we’re involved and up to date and relevant.
And what is the result? First, this is all proper behavior, according to God, toward outsiders. In other words, non-believers need to see these things far more than they need to see that we are relevant on social media. Proper behavior that those outside the church need to see is a joyful contentment with what God has placed on my plate—and the ability and wisdom to not add so many extra things on to it. And Paul says this is our task.
The second result is that we find ourselves—all things being equal—not in need. When we are minding our own business and working hard, I think we find ourselves able to meet our needs and thus not be dependent on others—especially outsiders.
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