And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. 1 Thessalonians 4:11
It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, the adage goes, and if you are to get ahead in that dog-eat-dog world, you have to step on some toes and some fingers along the way. It sounds nasty, doesn’t it? That’s because it is nasty, and not the way our text tells us that Christians should operate. That’s not to say a Christian shouldn’t seek promotions or advancements in a career. But the Christian shouldn’t go about it in the way the world does.
A neighbour once teased my grandfather, ‘Hey Earle, why do you have such a big nose?’ To which my grandfather replied, ‘I just never wore it down sticking it into other people’s business’. Grandpa knew the meaning of today’s text. And he knew the problems caused by the world’s inclination to seek attention, status, and conflict. We should be aware of these as well because they will be destructive to our testimony for the Lord.
A godly Christian is a quiet Christian who doesn’t thrive on attracting personal attention. A godly Christian also knows how to mind his own business as our text says, and to tend to his own work with proper diligence. A godly Christian remembers the words of Proverbs 26:17: He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.
Today’s text is wise advice if we would be like Christ. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/6grlKaDLX44