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This week’s Five Minute Friday writing prompt is: QUIET
I admit, I used to be far more caught up with trying to build a platform, gain an audience for future writing projects, make my voice heard. I still believe we are called to use the gifts we’ve been given and the resources that are available to us to make His name known, but in recent months I’ve come to appreciate more and more the appeal of living a “peaceful and quiet life.”
The pull toward increased visibility on social media, “likes,” comments, and surges in website traffic has diminished in favor of the pull toward minding my own business, living my life without posting a photo of it on Instagram, and having meaningful in-person conversations without having to blog about it.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m still a strong supporter and champion of publicly sharing what God has laid on your heart to share. It’s just that in this season of my life, I’d rather be more present with the people in front of me than my screen.
The Lord has further impressed this on my heart through two recent readings from Scripture, on two different days in the same week:
First, from 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12:
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
Then again from Proverbs 17:27-28:
27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge,
    and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.
28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
    when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Am I aspiring to live quietly? Am I minding my own affairs? Am I finding joy in working with my hands? Am I restraining my words? Do I have a “cool spirit”?
I know I have a long way to go, but I believe it’s a worthy goal, with God’s help.
STOP.
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Join the link-up with your own five-minute freewrite below, then visit your link-up neighbor to read their post and leave an encouraging comment:Â
Living large and living loud,
bragging on the winning team,
living fresh and living proud,
and living, yeah, the shining dream
of laughing down the streets of gold,
making light of gates of hell,
never doing what I’m told,
for my friends, it’s just as well
’cause modesty is just a trap
that greys the days as they go by,
and when you’re on the final lap
it’s like a sharp stick in the eye;
it’s belly-laughs that make you thrive,
for no-one here gets out alive.
Interesting that you should be feeling to pull towards quiet. I’ve been rather quiet lately on social media, and just barely limping along with my regular blog posts. I grow tired of pinning and scrounging for followers and blog views. I’m not sure what it all means yet. Thank you for the food for thought.
I get where you’re coming from Kate. I prefer quiet and simple. I can’t post for the sake of getting content out there or follow a schedule to do so. For me, I have to wait until Jesus puts something on my heart and touches me before I can write. I agree with Anita, thank you for this food for thought. Blessings.
~Selah~
Aspire to live quietly, work with your hands, and mind your own affairs is a verse so contrary to today’s world. I believe it started in the 80s with the lifestyles of the rich and famous to today versions.
Pay off my college debt, pay for my health insurance, pay me or $15 dollars for flipping burgers, you owe me. Growing up the dishwasher was my two hands, my allowance was that my parent provided a home, food, clothing, etc. I had daily chores, I was not entertained by my parents. If I was bored and said so, I was given a task to complete.
I learned the value of work! A paycheck is not to be spent for my entertainment. It is to sustain my living, my family, and my dreams.
Do you think it’s possible to create balance betwen the “screen people” and the “real people”? I find growth and peace in writing, but the desperate seek for likes is what feels wrong. Do I trust God to allow people to find my work without obsesively promoting my content? Can I share my life publicly and still respect my family’s privacy? Is mass influence what God wants for my life, or is it what I think will bring me a sense of approval? These are some of the things I’ve been working through.
I began to appreciate the silence. Especially with the appearance of children. At the same time, I myself am very noisy even my voice is loud. Maybe that’s why I’m so attracted to quiet people. With them, their serenity I feel peace too. The Scripture values ​​such people also. But a noisy, talkative, screamy woman is compared to a reckless one. And when I read such passages I feel myself uncomfortable – because this is about me. Therefore, my prayer is that the Lord will change me making me with a quiet, meek temper.
Has anyone heard from Susan Shipe?
She has been ill. Thank you for checking!
I loved this. It is something that has been weighing on my mind lately. Thank you for the reminder to work towards having a quiet temperment. I bet I will find serenity much quicker that way. 🙂