Minding God's Business

 

    In this era of social media, where we know way more than we should about other people's personal lives, I appreciate 1Thessalonians 4:11-12, "...make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands...so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." 

    The word "mind" in this case meaning, "to pay attention to" your own life. When we were traveling in Europe, I saw signs noting to, "mind your head," in other words, pay attention to those things above you to protect your head. That actually applies pretty well to social media, "mind your head," but in this case, it means to keep in mind your head or thinking, don't let your mind wander the internet without protecting it. 

    What would it look like to mind our own business in this new day and age of everyone having an opinion about everything and everyone? And how could that be our "ambition"? Ambition, according to Dictionary.com means, "an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment." That's doesn't sound like a quiet life to me.

    What might Christian ambition look like? Matthew 5:48 (ESV) sets a mighty high bar, "You therefore must be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Can I be that ambitious and attain perfection in my own flesh? Philippians 1:6 (ESV) notes that my perfection won't be in my own doing, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." 

    If I "mind my head" and keep it focused on Christ Jesus, he will do "a good work in [me]," and my perfection will be due to the Holy Spirit living in me, guiding and directing me in the way I should go. I will not concern myself with the business of the world, but God's business. Romans 3:21-25 tells us how keeping our thoughts, or our minds on Christ Jesus, appeases God's wrath due to our sinfulness and allows Christ's sacrifice to be our gift of grace:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it--the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

     That's a challenge to me and to all of us who call ourselves Christians, to "mind our own business," so that our "daily [lives] may win the respect of outsiders." Most people struggle to "lead a quiet life" and if we were able to be an example of that type of living to others and do it with joy and gratitude, we would likely draw others not just to ourselves, but more importantly to Christ and glorify God in the process. 

Romans 3:10-11 None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.