Love One Another (4-25-2015)

Love One Another: Hospitality and Busybodies 4-25-21 I Peter 4:8,9 and 15 8 " Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults." TLB 9 "Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay for the night." TLB 15"But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters." In these three verses we see that Peter was realistic about the early Christian movement. He realized that the Christian churches were imperfect. Believers were still prone to sin and needed exhortations to encourage them. I think in this way he was also showing pastors and leaders today how to be practical and down-to-earth about their people, honest about their fallibility and weaknesses, while at the same time positive and focused on the main message of Jesus - to love one another. In verse eight Peter sets the stage for his specific advice to the people by encouraging them to care for one another. Jesus had made an enduring impression on his apostles. He imprinted in them the message of Christian charity by his own loving nature and actions. Recently I experienced that love-in-action in our community in our participation at Brother Jim Stacy's funeral and the dinner for family and friends here in our gym. Sister Sheila put the word out and several people responded by bringing chicken, barbecue beef, salads, veggies and plenty of cakes, cookies and other goodies. Sheila, T.J and April had assembled the chairs and covered the tables in blue, to match Brother Jim's Air Force blue. By four pm after the funeral somehow things had gotten all prepared to serve Jim's family, friends and loved ones. And after all bellies were full and we had had a chance to fellowship with one another, sharing stories about Jim and experiences with each other, the self-appointed crew cleaned up. I was amazed at the way our people cooperated with each other with great efficiency, but above all, with great love. And I heard not a word of complaint or grumbling. Peter would have been proud of us for the hospitality shown to people, many of whom we had seen for the first time. Meal plus hospitality = love. The wrong doing Peter addressed in verse fifteen was murmuring, acting the busybody and by extension, gossip. Who here has not been titillated, excited and captivated, by stories of others' misbehaviors? Newspaper, television, and tabloids makes billions of dollars every year rewarding busybodies including millions of readers, watchers, Paparazzi and sensationalist journalists for their efforts. Meddling in people's affairs is big business and very very popular. In Romans, Timothy and Proverbs and other places in the Bible are many passages about gossip and meddling, and of course 1 Peter 4:15 warns against being annoying others by being a busybody. The harm done by people's interest in and pursuit of salacious, juicy, trashy and naughty behavior can be very great, indeed. Maybe you've heard the stories of teenagers who have committed suicide over lies, misinformation, and cyberbullying. There are laws against intrusion into someone's privacy, disclosing information about someone that places them in a false light, and disclosure of private facts about someone. So civil laws themselves embody Peter's admonition against meddling behavior. I was wondering what causes people to be busybodies? Here are some possible factors in being a meddler: 1. Being overly outwardly-focused and blinded to one's own selfishness, problems, tendencies, and insecurities 2. deep-seated fears, anxieties and guilt based on experiences someone has had growing up 3. Busybodies intrude on others to distract themselves to avoid confronting and being true to themselves 4. Busybodies are typically socialites and extroverts rather than introverts...in fact introversion would make them too self aware, so they run from it 5. Fear of boredom and a constant desire to feel good and be seen as a hero, drives them to continue and fuels their self-deception1 How do you deal with busybodies? One article I read suggested the following: 1. Minimize your time around the busybody or you'll get more and more irritated and annoyed, because of their ways, especially if your a "call a spade a spade" type of person who hates playing games and being a socialite 2. Should You Confront a Busybody Gossiper, or Meddler? Not usually. Talking to them about it is probably not going to work, because they usually don't change who they are or how they act.2 What would Peter suggest about being a busybody? I think Peter's main antidote to busybodiness is love. Ask yourself if you are showing love for another by asking questions or probing into someone's private matters. Err on the side of respecting people's privacy. Speak to them about other matters and get to know them as a person. Or simply remain silent and show a lack of interest if someone starts gossiping or is revealing matters that are supposed to be a secret or private. I'd like to end by saying that I do not want to leave you with the wrong impression. In our community here at Free Will Baptist I have not seen nor heard this busybodiness and gossiping behavior that Peter is warning his readers against. On the contrary, over and over, consistently, I have seen our people show their care and concern for each other, praying for and reaching out to those in need, who are sick, or dying. This kindness is the main thing that drew me to this community in the first place and it is one of the things that keeps me here, in love with you. Questions and Challenges * Remembering what I said to start this devotional, that is, Peter's encouragement to love and be hospitable to one another - in what ways have you been hospitable to your fellow Christians and to non-Christians? * Have you ever been irritated with or gotten angry with people who have over-stayed their welcome, taking undue advantage of your hospitality? * In my devotional I tried to point out the danger and harm that is done when people invade each others privacy. What harm have you seen done when Christians meddle and intrude on one-another's privacy? * Is it easier for Christians to meddle in non-Christian's private matters than in fellow Christian's business? * How do you avoid being a busybody or encouraging gossip or busybodiness? Prayer Dear Father, we praise you for your creation and for renewing your creation each and every day within us. We thank you for your kindness, for giving us your leaders from the past like Peter and Paul and your leaders in the present like Pastor Kevin, Deacons Autry and Benny, for our worship leaders and for our beautiful community. May we stay in your love, always mindful of our duty to be hospitable to others and to each other, and to avoid meddling and gossip. Lord we ask your mercy on all those who have been unjustly killed aw well as their families and friends. We ask your guidance and blessing on law enforcement officers that they might be courageous, careful, and safe. We beg of you to help our communities to create new ways of policing, caring for and protecting us. We pray these things in the name of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen More Scriptures 2 Thessalonians 3:11; For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. NKJV 2 Thessalonians 3:11 Yet we hear that some of you are living in laziness, refusing to work, and wasting your time in gossiping. TLB 1 Timothy 5:13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. NIV Sources 1 http://www.44thingz.com/2016/07/best-ways-to-deal-with-busybodies.html 2 http://www.44thingz.com/2018/01/how-to-deal-with-busybodies-gossipers.html https://www.gotquestions.org/gossip-Bible.html https://www.gotquestions.org/busybody-Bible.html