Published by IVP on November 18, 2025
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life
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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!
If you believe that you’re supposed to live an extraordinary life and change the world, what happens when none of that pans out? According to Ryan P. Tinetti, many people are living lives of “quiet desperation,” burnt out by our society’s breakneck pace and by the sense that they’re falling short of a grand destiny. Tinetti reflects that many Christians feel burdened by messages from both secular society and church culture, believing that they have to be world-changers and Do Great Things for God in order for their lives to have meaning.
The Quiet Ambition offers the counter-cultural perspective that it is actually biblical to lead a quiet life. The author unpacks the implications of 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, and different sections of the book focus on living quietly, minding your own business, working with your hands, and walking gracefully towards outsiders. A small life doesn’t have to be insular or self-focused, and God is present and working within each Christian’s everyday life and acts of service. Tinetti illustrates this with a number of deeply touching stories, and he outlines the faithful lives of both well-known saints and Christians he knows personally, showing what the practices from 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 look like in real life.
I really enjoyed this book. I found it encouraging, and I appreciated the author’s thought-provoking insights, biblical teaching, and unexpected touches of humor. The end of each section also includes practical tips, spiritual practices, and mindset shifts that can help people adopt a slower pace of life and find meaning and purpose right where they are. In some books like this, authors provide a clear diagnosis of the problem, but then their suggested solutions feel like an afterthought. I appreciate how different this book feels. The author clearly put a lot of thought into providing concrete, practical suggestions, and the whole book has a deeply pastoral feel to it.
The Quiet Ambition: Scripture’s Surprising Antidote to Our Restless Lives is a great book for Christians who feel discouraged and burnt out, or who are struggling to find a sense of purpose in everyday life. The author validates the struggle and explores some of the causes behind it, and offers a different path forward. This book’s powerful portrayal of God’s love and presence will encourage readers, as will the touching personal stories and practical tips for embracing and making the most of a quiet, ordinary life.