Mind Your Own Business

What is going on in the neighborhood today? That is the first question I ask myself before open the internet. But what do I find? Other people’s lives and business blasting all over the news. Personally, I do not care who is dating who especially since I have no involvement with celebrity families but the news media makes break ups, divorces, and marriages front page or headline news. It isn’t. That is personal, let it stay that way.       
Brothers and Sisters, a little knowledge of someone is ok but we do not need to know everything about others. If God truly wanted us to know every detail of people’s lives, He would have made us omniscient and we are not. There are things that we know about family and secrets we share among friends, but there are some things about people that are none of our business.
Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more. Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others. 1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 
We have our own lives to worry about and do not need to know the personal lives of people we have no personal contact with. People who put their lives out for everyone have issues. The internet tools and social mediums of today’s world make it easy for people to be open about things they really need to keep personal and known only to a select few.  
There are many problems that come from people knowing about other’s lives. The first thing is idolizing. When someone sees another’s way of living and becomes jealous to the point of envy they desire to be like the person which causes mental issues and loss of self. Too many people want to live a life that is not their own and choose to become something other than God intended. It is not always good to “be like Mike”. This is the work of Satan. This is especially true for the youth to young adults today where the line between fantasy and reality is very blurred.
Some celebrity role models are dangerous because of their greed for attention or they are victims of some other agenda. When their lives are made public, all the dirty laundry is brought to the surface and if they do not make amends then kids think that behavior is ok. Stuff that goes on in the bedroom needs to stay in the bedroom. Unhealthy and immoral lifestyles do not need to be shown to the world. Those that brag about their material riches do not have true richness.
God has plans and missions for each of us. When we start concerning ourselves with the lives of others, we become distracted and God’s plans and mission become delayed and idle.
We hear that some of you are living in idleness. You are not busy working —you are busy interfering in other people’s lives! We order and encourage such people by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers, do not get tired of doing what is right. 2 Thessalonians 3:11-13 
In all toil there is profit, but idle talk tends only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
Idleness leads to gossip because someone has nothing better to do. Those that interfere in other’s lives and make their findings public really need to find another, healthier line of work. We are not made to dig and pronounce everyone’s business.  
You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand. You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute, do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice. Exodus 23:1-2
We have seen this one a lot lately. Too many people are being used to further someone else’s agenda with the promise of money or other reward that keeps them out of trouble. The problem is when they are exposed, they are left hanging high and dry.
Where there is no wood, a fire goes out, and where there is no gossip, contention ceases. Like charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious person to kindle strife. Proverbs 26:20-21 
If we want to live for Christ we must stop letting the distractions of the world get in the way. The information overload of people’s personal lives needs to stop so we can live lives for ourselves and not become victims of the worldly agendas that keep us away from God.
Blessings,
 Rob, Servant of God