Mind Your Own Business!

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we are at peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 5:1

Are you at peace with God? If you're not, you may relate to how this hamster feels. Without peace, a caged life is ours. God wants to unlock our cages and let us live in freedom. But how?

According to this verse, all it takes to be at peace with Him is to have faith in Jesus. That's it. Simple.

Then why is being at peace with God so difficult?

Enter guilt and judgement.

God has much more grace for us than we have for ourselves. Guilt for not being a "perfect Christian" (which is completely impossible anyway,) attacks us when we let our guards down. The enemy wants us to get our eyes off God and onto our own measly efforts to please. Guilt interferes with peace because it offers up a litany of reasons why we will never be good enough. Ergo, peace flys away.

Judgement interferes with peace because it takes our eyes off God and onto others. "She shouldn't be doing that." "I can't believe she let her son see that movie." At the root of judgement is comparison. Comparison in Christianity is futile. We are each individuals with individual strengths and weaknesses.

My mother used to tell me often to "Mind your own business." If she was alive today to see how our society loves to get in each others' business, she would be disgusted. From reality shows to talk shows, from open courts to blogs and facebook, our society has flung itself into the business of knowing other people's business.

The energy expended in looking around leaves less energy for looking up to God.

So I've started the mantra with Noah. "Mind your own business, Noah."

See, I know that if he learns early to "let it go" when he sees other sins, he will experience much more peace than the average Joe. If he learns now to repent of his failings quickly and then "let them go" he will use more of his time following God and less time wallowing in guilt.

He'll be at peace with God.

Last night and this morning I had the opportunities to go to two different writers' meetings that I enjoy. I made the choice to skip both, due to being tired and having a long list of to-dos. The enemy tempted me this morning to feel guilt about my choice. Ridiculous, but since I am such a people pleaser my first thought was I should go just to support others and make sure they know I'm for them. Nice enough motive, you'd think. But it comes from a place of guilt. I'm not "enough" because I am not pleasing everyone.

Then I heard my mom's voice, "Robbie, mind your own business." So I put down the guilt and looked up.

Peace reigned down on me.

Trust in Jesus, look to Him in faith and mind your own business. Let others' failings go. They're God's business. Repent quickly of your own sins and then let them go. What happens to your sins after you give them to God is well, His business. Not yours.

And enjoy peace. Deep breathing, smile inducing, gratitude rising peace. May Jehovah Shalom (the LORD is peace) bless you!