Mind Your Own Business
Memorial of Saint Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs
My dear encountered couples:
Peter had just been told by Jesus, “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” “Feed my sheep.” And Peter motioning towards John asked, “And what about him?” What answer did Jesus give Peter? “How does that concern you? Your business is to follow me.”
Many of us are more concerned about what others should do than what we ourselves should do. Our purpose in life is to become one in mind and heart and will with Jesus Christ and his Father. If we would major in that we would have our hands full without trying to run other people’s lives. Oh yes, we are supposed to show love for others by doing things for them - even perhaps giving suggestions and advice. But we had better be sure it is advice God wants us to give, not just something that we, in our love to manage and control others, decide to give. How can we know the difference?
How can we know whether we are wrongly or rightly becoming involved in the lives and affairs of others? I hate to give you this answer, but maybe we can’t ever be clearly sure.
Most of us probably live on the conscious level in regard to God. We consciously serve him. That means we decide what to do and we know we are doing it. And we seldom forget our good deeds for God or people. We must arrive at the unconscious level of serving God. In other words, at the level of not even knowing we are serving him. A saint is never consciously a saint. A saint is consciously dependent on God, while unconsciously doing good for others. It just happens as a result of union with God. Do we maybe have a long ways to go yet? Peter did. “Mind your own business,” is what Jesus told him. “Just keep your mind on me.”
