The Quiet Ambition: Scripture's Surprising Antidote to Our Restless Lives

Do you desire to do great things for God but feel like you're falling short?

Does your life feel small, filled with endless demands, seemingly insignificant work, mundane responsibilities, or challenging relationships? If your desire to make an impact for God's kingdom collides with the limits and disappointments of everyday life, it's easy to feel restless, resigned, and discouraged.

Scripture offers a better way. In one of Paul's letters, there's an unexpected, paradoxical call: "Make it your ambition to live quietly . . ."

In The Quiet Ambition, pastor and theologian Ryan P. Tinetti unpacks the rich spiritual wisdom of 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, showing how it can help you reimagine what following Jesus looks like. Tinetti explores four key postures for living out your Christian life:

• Live quietly.
• Tend your own business.
• Work with your hands.
• Walk gracefully toward outsiders.

This call to quiet ambition frees you to embrace God's presence in the small, ordinary moments of your life. By shifting your focus from self-aggrandizing desires and internalized pressure for spiritual achievement to faithful living in the everyday, you can experience real hope and discover what it truly means to live a life that counts.

Are you ready to reimagine what following Jesus looks like in your everyday life? Order your copy of The Quiet Ambition and start your journey today!

Ryan P. Tinetti is a pastor who now serves as a professor of practical theology at Concordia Seminary (Saint Louis). He is the author of Preaching by Heart and writes the regular column "The Preacher's Toolbox" on 1517.org. Prior to his call to Concordia Seminary, Ryan served for fourteen years in parish ministry. Ryan lives with his wife, Anne, and their four children in St. Louis on the campus of the seminary.