“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders.”

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12a
Our sailboat’s name is Volare which means “to fly” in Italian. It’s an ironic name because Volare doesn’t exactly fly. She’s a heavy offshore sailboat with a deep keel, made for crossing oceans, not for racing. Our typical fair-weather speed is about five nautical miles per hour (5.75 mph). A person could nearly walk that fast. Life aboard is quiet and affords unparalleled time together as a family. There is no TV blaring, no cell phone ringing, no to-do list pressing. We play games, read books, and sit with each other in long silences, gazing into the colors of the deep.
As we each take two-hour shifts at the helm, we find ourselves on the open ocean in times with God that are holy. At home it can be hard to be still and pray—work, bills, traffic, and people demand our time.
Paul urges us to make it our ambition to lead a quiet life. Is there a way for you to live life more at five knots than at breakneck speed? Slow down, turn off the noise, appreciate the blessings around you, and above all, be still before the Lord.



Scripture Focus

Isaiah 30:15-18

Insight

The enemy wants our lives to be too noisy to hear God’s voice. Listen to Him who calls you to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Bible In A Year

  • 1 Chronicles 16-17
  • Psalm 1
  • Revelation 20-22

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