"Mind your own business!" or "That’s my business, it’s none of yours!" are current world expressions which don’t have their place among the children of God. But the Word of God does exhort us not to be busybodies in the affairs of others (1 Peter 4:15) while in 1 Th. 4:11 we are exhorted to do mind our own affairs (NT). This is good advice indeed for us all. However, as with all truth, the Word also presents verses to balance this out. Tychicus, a dearly beloved brother seemed to possess a certain delicacy or tact in communicating the affairs of saints. We read in Ephesians 6:21-22 that Paul sent him to the brethren that they would be informed of his affairs. There were those things the apostle wanted the brethren to know and for which no doubt he valued their prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving to the Lord. In addition, in Colossians 4:7, Tychicus, while coming to inform the saints of the affairs concerning Paul (v.7) was also to take account of the affairs of the saints there, no doubt to pray for them and seek to help in any way Paul and others could. We see then that the affairs of one are the affairs of the other in a measure of discretion, mutual respect and free exchange with a view to being a help. May we by God’s grace, from the Word and by the Spirit be taught, full of love for one another, to take account of each others business, walking the narrow line between indifference and interference, but having a real diligent concern for all that concerns the Lord Jesus Christ and his people (Philippians. 2:21). Let our concern for one another be the outflow of pure love, keeping us from trespassing in into unwholesome curiosity and carnal activity as that of the idle women who wandered about as busybodies in the affairs of others (2 Tim. 5:13). My affairs are your affairs, your affairs are my affairs in the measure they are the affairs of Jesus Christ and that we are ready to do something for each other in this respect, caring with genuine feeling how we mutually get on (Phil. 2:20 NT).
NOTE: All Bible references are from the King James Version unless otherwise specified. All unsigned material is in the spirit of Ecc. 12:11. Send all correspondence, comments, suggestions to: dailysowers@tlb.sympatico.ca
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