Daily Devotional – 1/19/17 “Unnecessary suffering!”

On my way to work this morning, I got stuck in traffic. The traffic was moving but extremely slow and as we slowly crawled, I realized there was an accident on the right hand side. But get this … The accident wasn’t the reason traffic was jacked up. It was because people were being nosey. And because they were nosey, we all had to suffer by way of being stuck. See, I wasn’t stuck because I’d done something wrong but I was stuck because someone else had the mind to be nosey. I don’t know about you but if I had to get into trouble at work, for being late, I’d want it to be because of my doing and not somebody else. This pricked my spirit because if I am going to suffer for anything, let it be something worthy of suffering for. What do I mean? Well, if I have to suffer for anything, let it be for me being Godly and not a gossiper. If I have to suffer for anything, let it be for being notable and not nosey. If I have to suffer for anything, let it be for being merciful and not a meddler. If I have to suffer for anything, let it be because I am a testimony and not a troublemaker. If I have to suffer, let it be my doing.

And I’ve learned, in my years of spiritual growth that in order to avoid suffering for somebody else sake, I’ll mind my own business. See, it’s a sad day when you can’t grow because you’ve been stunted by somebody else mistake. But the only reason their mistake became your mistake is because you stuck your hand in when you should have minded your business. Yea, you ought to know by now that you can’t get punched unless you jump in the fight. You won’t get burned unless you’re close to the fire. Your name won’t be in the midst of mess if you weren’t in it. This is why the bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11, “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.” In 2017, stop commenting on everybody’s stuff, stop putting yourself in fights that don’t affect you, stop calling trying to find out what’s going on with them and stop giving unsolicited advice. It’s not your business! For the bible says in Proverbs 26:17, “Interfering in someone else’s argument is as foolish as yanking a dog’s ears.” And we all know what can happen when you pull a dog’s ear right? You might get bitten.