MYOB

Drama

Some do the Devils work for him.

Own worst enemies.

Dont need the Devil to destroy lives, more than capable and willing to do it themselves.

What am i talking about?

DRAMA

“Drama doesn’t just walk into your life out of nowhere, you either create it, invite it, or associate with people that bring it.”

“Some people create their own storms then get mad when it rains.”

“Don’t waste time on what’s not important. Don’t get sucked into the drama. Get on with it: don’t dwell on the past. Be a big person; be generous of spirit; be the person you’d admire.” Allegra Huston

Drama + Strife, quarrelling, arguing.

It is nothing less than a sign of carnality.

1 Corinthians 3:3 ESV

3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?

1 Corinthians 3:3 KJV 1900

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

How can we drastically bring down the level of drama and strife and stress and frustration in our lives?

Pastoral Advice - 10 years of listing to different tradgies all of which start in the exact same way.

1 Thessalonians 4:11 ESV

11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,

MYOB?

Mind Your Own Business!

That single sliver of advice will, natural and unavoidable difficulties aside, it will, if followed, give you the best year of your life.

No one, not the police, not psychologists, not family GP’s no one, is on the cutting edge of conflict and reconciliation in interpersonal relationships more than the pastor.

And so when i make daring claims like this, i am not exaggerating, follow this advice and you will never see the inside of a pastor’s office, police station jail cell and psychologist comfy chair or the rest of your life.

Meddling is s sin, a serious sin.

1 Peter 4:15 ESV

15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.

Notice the list of sins that meddling shares with - murder, thief, evildoer = judas Iscariot.

and notice what all of these things cause: Suffering.

I Just Wanted to Help

Proverbs 20:3 NLT

3 Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.

“I just wanted to help” - Dont.

If it is not your business then dont help.

Let me tell you how this goes: Other people were fighting, you offering to help or you gave advice, then they turned on you an you are now in trouble for just trying to help. right?

No Sympathy!

Proverbs 26:17 ESV

17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.

But They asked for help - even then, No.

Luke 12:13–14 ESV

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?”

ie: That is between you and your brother - its none of my business - go and see a legal or spiritual professional.

Simple: If their problem is spiritual send them to the pastor. If its legal, send them to the police station - Thats how you help - by sending them to the proper people, not by you getting involved because you are only going to end up getting bitten.

Don’t be a busybody

2 Thessalonians 3:11–13 ESV

11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.

1 Timothy 5:12–14 ESV

12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.

idle hands occupied.

1 Timothy 5:9–15 ESV

9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan.

Idle is the key word - idle hands are the devils playground.

The cure for idleness is work. You cannot sit around all day and do nothing. are you board? Read and study the Word. Put your efforts into the kingdom.

pic

When i say Mind your own business I mean that literally, not defensively. Be busy minding, working on, tending to, caring for your own personal life.

again:

1 Thessalonians 4:11 ESV

11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,

Don’t worry about other people lives

Now im not picking on anyone, or saying this is only a woman issue, its a generalisation not a rule, but the ladies over 40 will know if it applies to them.

Dont worry about other people lives

Take a look:

John 21:20–23 ESV

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

John 21:20–22 ESV

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

a man can be perfectly misribel in his own life just because he cant understadning something in someone elses.

“Why does he have such a good job?”, “how does he manage to keep his children in line?” < “Why did he not come to church on sunday?”, “why did they.....

John 21:20–22 ESV

20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

John 21:20–22 KJV 1900

20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? 21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? 22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

jn 21

What is that to you? How is that Your business? How is that your concern? YOU follow me.

Stop worrying about other people.

Stop worrying about other people worship, work, dress, celebrate christmas, sing songs, raise their hands, .....

Dont worry about your neighbour, his wife or his children.

When to interfere?

When is not the question, its more about what. What should you interfere with?

I can only think of 2:

1: A lost sinners destiny.

2: When not getting involved with result in loss of life.

A lost sinners Destiny

James 5:20 ESV

20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Mark 16:15–16 ESV

15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

We have a biblical and Divine mandate to interfere in the lives of sinners by preaching to them the gospel.

A Life at Risk

Luke 10:25–37 ESV

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” 29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Mercy.

If you have an opportunity to show mercy to someone in need of mercy, then show it.

This man wold have died from his wounds, the samatarin intervened.

Intervened is the key word.

Never interfere, but always intervene.

We intervene in the lives of lost sinners, we dont interfere.

We intervene in the lives of people, but we should never interfere.

Where is that line? Know that is wisdom.

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.