BUSYBODY
Scripture Reading - 1 Peter 4:15
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. KJV
In today’s society it is very easy to get caught in the trap of meddling in the activities of other people. Those of the world system will report any information they desire about another person with no regard for restraint. Often the information they report is negative and damages the name of the person. The majority of American’s claim “freedom of speech” to boldly broadcast hurtful words to ruin the person’s reputation. As Christians we should not follow the pattern of those in the world. We must train our spirit, soul (mind) and mouth to not gossip. Gossiping is basically speaking about another person when they are not present during the conversation. There is a negative connotation with gossiping because many know it is ungodly. This means the majority of conversations about others are typically negative and unproductive. If you are speaking well of an individual without their expressed permission given to you it is still a form of gossip and a symptom of a busybody. A “busybody” should suffer according to this verse because they are violating God’s Word. The word of God clearly states “you should mind your own business”, which means you should not be mindful about the affairs of others. This translates into keeping your tongue when it comes to the actions of others and this also means keeping your actions out of the physical boundaries (privacy) of others. If a person would like to be quiet please don’t force conversation as a busybody. If you hear someone speak about another person please don’t repeat the conversation because that would be gossip. If you hear negative words about a person of honor (the Pastor, the President, the Pope, etc…) don’t repeat the spoken offense. Many don’t realize that speaking evil words about someone else is performing the duties of a bona fide busybody. Busybodies will also take actions involving the things, property, position, and jurisdiction of another without being “asked” to. This means they will shuffle in and out of your business without regard for your opinion. Busybodies as a whole are people who need patience, prayer and pose to keep them away from the affairs of others. We all can enjoy the benefits of each others company if we can respect the privacy of everyone in this earth. Our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ are content to be quiet and satisfied to stay out of the affairs of each person on the earth, unless they are invited (asked) into their life to help. Since the Lord behaves in this righteous fashion shouldn’t we honor God by staying clear of “busybodiness”? The earth is flooded with busybodies let us be sure the Christian is not one of them. Amen!