There's a reason why most of what we hear is none of our business. When my kids were little and we were in a public place, there were always a lot of opportunities to teach them this concept. It was inevitable that another child was going to act up and another parent was going to be discipling them, and if they were paying a bit too much attention to it, I would say, "we need to mind our own business." I may have a different perspective, because I'm a bit more private with my life, and I try not to intrude on the lives of others. We have enough of our own problems to solve, without thinking we have the answers to everyone else's, wouldn't you think? The exception to this is I will always lend my height to those who need something from the higher shelves at the grocery store, and Natalie says I seem to talk to someone every time we go somewhere. That's different though, I think. :)
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. If we are living quiet, respectful lives, we don't have time to offend people with our words or our haughty eyes on them.
There are a lot of unwanted words floating around in the world, and sometimes they land in places where they cause irreparable harm. A visit with my sister-in-law this weekend brought some of those words to mind as we traded stories of times we said things we wished we had never uttered. Other times we wished those things had never been said to us, because not only do we never forget the hurtful or wrong words we've spoken, but we don't forget the ones we heard either. We remember the text, the post, the note, and even the ones that come from the face we were looking at or wearing. Yikes. It's good to be aware so that we don't repeat these things, but it should stand to be a good example to say a whole lot less next time. You'd think....but alas, we fire off those untamed tongues more than once. Proverbs 21:23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.
We are living in precarious times. I think we always have been, really. We need to be kinder to one another, and not just because it's a good thing to do, but because it is what we are made for. We are made to love one another. John 13:34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. We're coming up on Easter Sunday and it's not just another family dinner. Jesus demonstrated unconditional love for us, forgiveness of sins, and humility by dying on a cross and rising again. Who are we to hold another person's business against them when our own business was worth dying for? John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
Other people's issues can affect us, hurt us, and cause pain in our lives. The only freedom from this pain ruling our lives is to allow God to have it and let His judgment rule over it. I didn't figure that out on my own. I turned to my mentor when I was in need of some pain perspective, and he reminded me that when we lash out in pain, it only causes more pain. But when we let God deal with it, something good can be made from it. This is because God loves the one who lashed out and the one who became the target. God understands better than we can and so we allow grace to fill the gap between us. That grace, of course, is forgiveness. It seems to be a lost concept these days, but it truly is the only way out of the constant playing out of offenses and harboring anger inside forever.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. If we're busy putting love first, we can keep everything else in perspective. I love you, so I choose understanding instead of assuming the worst of you. I love you, so I choose compassion instead of insensitivity. I love you, so I will ask you instead of accusing you. I love you, so I choose to respect you instead of tearing you down. I love you so I will overlook flaws in character instead of criticizing every little thing. Love heals; it doesn't seek out every wrongdoing or perceived mistake and attack it. It doesn't allow opinions to crowd out mercy. The devil seeks to destroy and divide. (John 10:10) We don't need to help him with his goals. Love one another.
I don't know about you, but I need peace from not only the big things going on in the world, but in the lesser known life events going on around me. Not only do I need it, but I want to seek it and pursue it in every situation. My initial thought is always: How can I wrap this situation in peace? It starts with patience, because we don't always understand why something has happened. Sometimes we just need to lend a little quiet patience and listening. We can lead with compassion, loaning our love and a place where a hurt person can lean. In this way, we are sharing our peace with someone in need.
Figuring out that we can have peace even while encountering the unknowns in a circumstance lends its own kind of peace. When we trust that God knows the situation and already has the solution even when we don't know what it is or when it will come is the only peace we can depend upon. We can say, "I trust that God is working this out for the good of everyone involved." Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
When we encounter others who don't seek peace, we can still remain in ours. Not every battle we encounter is ours to fight, but God's. 2 Chronicles 20:15 For the battle is not yours, but God's. Mind your business and let God fight your battles. Blessings.
