Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (New International Version)

¹¹Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹²so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Dependence brings with it many and diverse troubles. These troubles usually lead to spiritual trials.

I know a lot of consultants in my field. Most of these people have one reason for leaving “a job” and becoming a consultant (“I’m my own boss”) – they want to be independent. Their choices, however, as a consultant often cause them to be dependent on one client. Hence, they are back where they started, i.e. they have a “boss.” They depend on that one client; they will do almost anything the client asks of them because the client is their only source of income. If they lose the client, they will have no pay checks for months until they can find another client.

Note the phrase,

they will do almost anything

That is the killer phrase from someone who is dependent.

This is one of the cautions from Paul in these verses. Avoid dependence on anybody. Work hard to avoid dependence on anybody. Too many of us work hard at earning money, but don’t apply much effort to saving money. We need our paycheck month after month after month; we depend on the person paying us.

God, help me to control my spending. Help me to work hard to keep my earnings. Help me to be as independent as I can in my life and not depend on any person. Let Your Son be the only point of dependence in my life.