Mind Your Own Business

“I remember that a wise friend of mine did usually say ‘That which is everybody’s business is nobody’s business.’”

—IZAAC WALTON

Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.

—Psalm 141:3

The Bible is filled with practical advice for everyday life. One of the things it instructs us to do is mind our own business (see 1 Thessalonians 4:11). Needing to express an opinion about almost everything and everyone is a symptom of pride and always leads to relationship problems.

One time my husband and I were discussing a man who lived in a rather large house in our neighborhood. We were expressing our opinion about him being single and wondering why he wanted all that space to himself. We assumed he purchased it for an investment, but we thought maybe he would have been better off investing in the stock market instead of taking on such a large home to care for. God was dealing with me at the time about learning to mind my own business, and suddenly I realized Dave and I were driving down the street discussing the finances of a man we didn’t even know. Once I saw how ridiculous that was, it helped me also see how often we have opinions about things which really don’t concern us at all.

We all have enough business of our own to take care of without getting involved in other people’s business. If you have a tendency to be opinionated, make an effort to pray people will follow God and then don’t worry about what they are doing.

I often say to myself, “Joyce, that is none of your business.” I find that often helps me stay on track with my attitude. If you really stop and think about it logically, what sense does it make to have an opinion about something having nothing to do with you? It makes no sense, and just keeps us busy doing something that will never bear any good fruit. Make a decision to obey God’s Word and forget about the business of others. You’ll be amazed at how much lighter you’ll feel.