Let’s mind our own business

1 Thessalonians 4:11

and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,   

While on an airplane the first thing to notice is the air hostess and the safety instructions given by them. Most of us do not care about it. One of the instructions about emergency landing or landing in water is very interesting. The team uses a phrase that you better take care of yourself before you help others. That means, you better have the oxygen mask and life jacket on before you try to be the Hero. Else you will land up creating more harm than intended while rescuing.

Take care of yourself before you help others. Does that sound selfish ? It might, but it’s actually the other way round. You take care of yourself, so that you can effectively help others. Apostle Paul writes to the community in Thessalonica who were awaiting the imminent return of the Lord. Some were so much depended on others that it was actually becoming a burden to get things going. So Paul tells them to mind their own business. It simply means to be self dependent and not bother others in the pretext of being a follower of  Christ Jesus.

Several times in Christendom we exploit the fact of depending upon each other. True that we are called to love and help each other. But our calling is not to become a burden on each other. Let us grow and be self dependent as a Christian in all the facets of life. Let’s mind our own business.

Stanley Thomas Isac

Stanley is serving as the Pastor of Crossway Church in New Delhi, he can be reached at Stanleytisac@gmail.com