09 March - Earn Respect
“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, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
We all like to be respected. Paul’s advice is for us to win the respect of outsiders. One, by leading a quiet life. Two, by working with our own hands. Three, by minding our own business.
Working with their own hands might not be difficult for some but leading a quiet life and minding one’s own business can be a great challenge to some. Some just love to be busy bodies because they have no business of their own. They are always free. Therefore, for them, the business of others becomes their business. They simply love to poke their noses into other peoples’ personal matters. When Paul wrote this letter, there may have been Christians who may have given up their jobs because of their expectation of the imminent return of Christ. But Christ did not come back, and since they had no work to do, so they got busy getting into other peoples’ business and living on charity.
Minding other peoples’ business is not always bad when it is done with the intention of helping them. For example, we all love to get involved in our children’s business because we love and care for them. Of course, we should know where to draw our line. I have seen parents trying to shape their children’s family lives only to be told off by their children. So we must be careful. Another good example is, when a loved one or a friend is having problems and we are urged by love and the Holy Spirit to get involved and to help them. Our only intention is to help. When we show genuine interest in the welfare of others and when our intentions are pure, we will definitely earn their respect.
In today’s passage, Paul advises the believers to lead a quiet life and mind their own business. Is he advising them to isolate themselves from others? Definitely not. Because the Christian life must be a witnessing life. We cannot lead a witnessing life by isolating ourselves from the world. Jesus did not isolate himself from the people. He was always surrounded by people. He was people-centred. He was not dependent on charity. He was always doing something constructive. He was always reaching out to people. Like Jesus, we must also be people-centred and productive.
Lent is a good time to reflect on our spirituality and the calling to be witnesses. When we are respected by society, it is easy to witness for Christ. Therefore, we must be seen as those who are busy working with our hands, not as those living on charity and meddling in other people’s affairs. Paul had set an example by working and supporting himself (1 Thessalonians 2:9–10). By minding our own business and taking a genuine interest in the well-being of society, we will definitely earn the respect of the people around us and we can shine for Jesus. Remember, true respect cannot be bought or forced, it can only be earned.
PONDER
When was the last time you genuinely felt led by the Spirit to get involved in the life of others? Do your friends see you as one who minds his/her own business but ready to help, or as a busy body poking your nose in other people’s affairs and causing problems? Can you effectively share the faith if you are not respected by others?
PROMISE
An overseer or believer ‘must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.’ (1 Timothy 3:7)
PRAYER
Dear Father, I thank you for your love demonstrated in Jesus Christ. Teach me to lead a quiet but productive life, minding my own business and at the same time reaching out to those who are in need. May my friends see me not as a person who lives on charity and a busy body but as one who loves and cares for them. May I reflect Jesus in every area of my life and earn the respect of my friends to be a witness for you, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour I pray. Amen.
Article by the Venerable Edward John, Vicar of St Christopher’s Church and Archdeacon of the Southern Archdeaconry