2 Thessalonians 3:11 - Busybodies

2 Thessalonians 3:11 "We say this because we hear that there are some people among you who live lazy lives and who do nothing except meddle in other people's business." (TEV)
Matthew 7:3-5 "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (NASB)

One of the things it took me some time to acquire.........and I still can't declare success.....is my inclination to pay too close attention to what other people around me are doing.

Some of this other-centered focus is healthy, but too often if I'm not careful simple observation is often backed up by judgment and I know what the Lord said about that..........a few verses before the scripture I quoted above from Matthew, He said......."Do not judge lest you be judged." (Matthew 7:1 (NASB)).

You'd think that would be enough for me, and most of the time it is, but every so often, I find myself more interested (in a judgmental sort of way) about the other guy..........and when I am in that mode, I'm most certainly *not* in the place I need to be. In fact, one of the indicators that alerts me that I'm, perhaps, too far over that line is when I feel emotional about another person's actions......either approving of them or disliking them.

When that happens, the Lord has helped me recognize that I need to stop what I'm doing and immediately assess if I'm in the proper place.........more often than not I'm where I shouldn't be.

When I'm where I should be I look out at another person as an opportunity the Lord has placed before me...........an opportunity to reach out to them in love as He would. I try my best to represent the Family of Jesus in the way He wishes me to.........and to reach out to others to encourage them............not to point out where they need to get their act together (the Lord knows I'm at the front of the line of those who need a little more work before they're perfected.....alright so it's *more* than a "little" work for me).

And that's why I don't need to concentrate on the other guy..............because this guy is still a long, long way from the Perfection modeled by my Lord when He was among us.

In John, the Lord said, "I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me. (John 17:23 (NASB))

Who am I to criticize anyone the Lord loves?

Love in Jesus,

Jim

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"But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." (1 Corinthians 12:18 NASB)

"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."

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This devotional was originally posted on CCI-Devo - Daily Group Devotionals on January 24, 2004 in post #459. It was written by Jim Ross, a former United Pentecostal Church member, who attends Christian Challenge International, the sponsor of the devotional group. The devotional is the copyright of Jim Ross and is reprinted on this site by permission.

Page added April 14, 2006

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