Jesus said to Peter, “If I will that he remain till I come,
what is that to you? You follow Me.”
(John 21:22)
Thoughts… Translation: Mind your own business.
Jesus had been addressing Peter, drilling down to some issues that needed to be resolved in this rough fisherman-turned disciple. This was a difficult conversation that needed to happen before Peter could become the apostle Jesus had in mind. And Peter did what so many of us do: When the spotlight got focused on him a little too brightly, he tried to shed some light on John’s junk. But Jesus kept the focus right where it needed to be: “Peter, quit worrying about what will happen to John and just focus on what I’ve called you to do. If I allow him be alive until I return, that is none of your business. You’ve got enough to worry about just taking care of your own junk let alone John’s. Just take care of you and you’ll be fine!”
Not bad advice! I would save myself a whole lot of wasted energy by just minding my own spiritual business. The time and emotional drain I spend worrying whether someone else is walking with Jesus the way I think they should takes away from the spiritual energy that could be focused on growing me up in Christ.
That is not to say that I shouldn’t express loving concern for another’s progress as a believer. There are appropriately levels of attention that I must bring to bear in challenging them to step it up in their spiritual formation. But I’ll be honest, my challenge is not reaching those appropriate levels, it is exceeding them.
I have a feeling that may be true of you as well. It is a fairly regular occurrence for me as a pastor to have believers come with “concerns” about what another sister has said or how another bother is living or what another local shepherd is doing or the kind of theology a prominent Tele-evangelist is espousing. “Did you know ‘so-and-so’ didn’t even quote Scripture on his last television show?”
My typical response to those concerns: What is that to you? You just worry about you and make sure you are following Jesus!”
You see, those other people will have to answer to God for their lives one day, but so will you. It is very likely that you will not be able to change them one bit by all the energy you spend worrying about their spiritual condition. All you can work on is your own obedience. Beside, if you really want to see them change, the better focus of your energy would be to pray for them. Spend at least as much time bringing them before the Father in prayer as you do thinking and talking about how upsetting they are to you.
Do that and change will happen…but it will be you that changes! So mind our own business today—it is not such a bad thing to do!
Prayer… Lord, there is so much work yet to do in me, so keep me focused on my own spiritual development. Help me to mind my own business, working on the things that I can change and leaving the rest up to you.
One More Thing… “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” —Carl Gustav Jung
Pastor Ray,
Thank you for your insights about focusing our energy on our relationship with God. We have a marriage made in heaven because that is the choice we made nearly 43 years ago however it sadens us when we realize how clever Satan is, how vulnerable anyone can be and how much damage can be inflicted. We will continue to pray every day for His power to be crushed in the lives of our loved ones and for their redemption through the power of Jesus Christ.
IHS,Ray and Marybeth akaRAM
MYOB is harder than it looks-but the payoff is a closer relationship not only with those significant people in your life, but with the most significant relationship of all, God!