3. Tuesdays with Thomas 11.04.25

Mind Your Own Business – 1st Thessalonians 4:11

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Thessalonians Paul’s first recorded writing

After being on a refreshing one-year sabbatical with our Lord Jesus and His Word, starting the process of sharing what I have learned is a little harder than I expected. It started with questions: Lord why are we on the earth, and what is your purpose for our lives today in 2025?

Even though the information I have is MASSIVE, I have simply started with 1st Thessalonians highlighting Chapter 4 verse 11 & 12. In time, if you stay with me, we will master 1&2 Thessalonians together.

¹¹ that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, ¹² that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.

Let us continue with the practical things in 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Last week we warmed up with what this verse means to us today, how do we apply this instruction to our daily lives.

1. aspire to lead a quiet life

Aspire – aim, make effort, endeavor, labor with speed to live

A Quiet Life focused on simplicity and peace, focused on eternal things: Word of God, people, prayer. Characterized by fewer distractions, less noise and making deliberate choices to prioritize service over performance.

I call it “Living under the radar.” This can involve removing things from your life that cause unwanted attention or drama, living a more private life. Developing a strategy of what we post on social media?

Application: The world we live in is the same as those who were in Thessalonica. We Jesus followers are the minority, the counterculture; the world hates us. When we walk into a room the demons that reside in them are agitated with the Holy Spirit that lives in us. Therefore, we must make deliberate choices of what battles we engage in. Better to stop complaining about the government in public, causing divisions with people that we may never reach for the Gospel, instead lets simply pray for them in private. Our true battles are not “flesh and blood” they are supernatural in the realm of the spirit.

Moving on to the second item Paul understood as foundational in a New Jesus following life:

• to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you

Does this seem self-explanatory? Then why would Paul think this be the second most important thing to write? We have three ideas connected together here as to what to do and next we will look at the two blessings that are promised if we obey, so let’s break down the first three.

1.that you also aspire to lead a quiet life,

 2.to mind your own business,

 3.and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,

1.that you may walk properly toward those who are outside,

2.and that you may lack nothing.

Part One to mind, your own business in context means your job and how you provide for your family and others, but I looked at the more general meaning of the phrase first: it means to do the opposite of a busybody or meddler.

Paul had this same thought in mind when he later wrote to Timothy about young widows:

…they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 1 Timothy 5:13

Jesus summed up meddling the best, when rebuking Peter about what was going to happen the apostle John:

…what is that to you? You follow Me. John 21:22

Later on, Peter finally understood the subject, as he wrote this:

…let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 1 Peter 4:15

Bring it home.

– I can easily name 10 people in my life that fit this category; the first three come to mind when I would be in a religious service and it was prayer request time. The order of things was for a person to stand and share a prayer need and the congregation would come into agreement. It was when it turned into a gossip session that it turned into sin. Telling everyone publicly of a person’s downfalls and shortcomings in detail until it needed a sex rating with children covering their ears. Can you say Busybody, Meddler, Gossip?

– The next one that comes to mind is that person that seems to have an appearance to help but has no personal boundaries. They continually ask questions that are too personal, only so they can gather gossip, as if to feed on the knowledge. Can you say Busybody, Meddler, Gossip?

– Lastly the person who passes on information (true or not) just seems to be important. Again, can you say Busybody, Meddler, Gossip?

– But what about today? Social media like Facebook can be a voyeuristic activity of the unclean and perverted mind set. Based on the scriptures above have you been caught in the same activity?

…idle, wandering about from Facebook profile to profile…as gossips and busybodies, posting things which they ought not as a busybody in other people’s matters.

Paul thought it was important then and it is important today. We must choose our battles and not bring unwanted attention, drama and curses on our lives.

WARNING! There is a war on Truth today, and I would guess 90% of what you see on Social Media is FALSE, stop passing it along, it hurts your testimony.

We can be prepared with an answer for others when they try to drag us or hook us into gossip…

Jesus said: “…what is that to you…follow me.”

“…what is that to me…follow Jesus.”

“…what is that to me…follow Jesus.”

“…what is that to me…follow Jesus.”

Here is a short bonus clip that I thought you may enjoy!

Next Tuesday we will jump into Part Two work with your own hands

Father God we are asking for discernment as we war against deception. Amen.