Mind Your Own Business

 

That sounds really harsh. Frankly, I was unaware for a long time that those exact words were in scripture. They are! I Thessalonians 4:11.

In the King James translation, it reads “do your own business”. But, other translations say “mind”. So, what does it mean to mind something? It really means to attend to – to focus on ; from the Latin “to bend to – to notice.”

I was struck with the essential truth of God’s word in today’s morass of social media, gossipy magazines and instant news stories that reveal personal details of total strangers. Social sites have opened a pandora’s box of cruel comments and inappropriate disclosures. People minding other people’s business!

God’s direction in I Thessalonians is #1- live peacefully and #2 – to bend to and notice our business and to #3 – work with our hands. If we followed this, what a different culture and even a different church we might have.

What is our business? It’s what God has given us. It’s our families – our children, our spouses. It’s our homes and our relationships. It’s gifts and opportunities that He has given. It means bending to notice what’s happening in our business – to see what needs attention and what brings joy and laughter and progress and success. It means investing in those things that have actual value and merit in our lives.

Minding our business does not negate compassion and service to others in any way. It’s just a good way to not miss out on what’s right in front of us.

~Vickie Richey
Christ Fellowship member