“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business…” – 1 Thess. 4:11
“Mind your own business!” That sounds a lot like my grandma when I would ask her why she had to watch her “stories” again (that’s what she always called her favorite soap operas). Then she would crank the volume up so high that the neighbors could hear it. But apparently, it’s also something the Apostle Paul believed in. So it’s not just grandmotherly wisdom – it’s biblical.
Paul wrote these words to believers who were probably a lot like us: well-meaning folks who loved Jesus, but occasionally had opinions about everybody else’s life. (You know, the kind who shows up at a midweek prayer meeting and has a special prayer request “for my neighbor who apparently did something stupid at work AGAIN and no longer has a job.”)
But Paul doesn’t mince words, does he. He says, “Make it your ambition.” In other words, work at being quiet. Strive for it. Make it your duty. Because apparently, peace and privacy don’t come naturally, especially in a world where we can log onto social media and react to everyone’s business before our morning coffee kicks in.
Leading a quiet life doesn’t mean being boring or avoiding people. That’s not what Paul was saying at all. He means to live in such a way that we’re not in this constant drama mode worrying about everybody else. On the contrary! Focus on what God’s doing in our own heart instead of what He’s doing (or not doing) in someone else’s.
Sometimes the holiest thing we can do is keep our opinions to ourselves and let God handle the details.
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” ~ Will Rogers
Former Blackout Artist 