1 Peter 4.15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
In 1 Peter, chapter 4, verses 7–11, the church is exhorted to be about the business of doing five things as we see the end of the age drawing closer: (1) be given to prayer, (2) be devoted to loving our fellow believers, (3) be compassionate to the stranger and foreigner, (4) use spiritual gifts to serve one another, and (5) give God glory in all things.
Immediately following this exhortation, there is a warning about not being a busybody in other men’s matters. What is a busybody? They are inspectors of other people’s lives. Someone who meddles with oth-er people’s personal matters and makes it their business to pass it on to others. Sadly, the local church today has become a safe haven for busybodies. They hear something about the personal lives of other saints and then pass it on to others “in the name of Jesus”. This hellish behavior has become acceptable behavior in the church.
Let the truth be told, a busy-body is nothing more than a “sanctified gossiper” that intentionally spreads personal and private information about others that eventually destroys lives and di-vides people. A busybody, like a murderer or thief is a cancer in the body that grieves The Spirit of God. Not a single person in the body of Christ would ever want their often unholy or impure personal thought life pro-jected for all to see, or their behind the scenes easily besetting private or secret behavior, habits or sins exposed. But they have no problem passing on the shortcomings of others that they themselves have thought or have done without getting exposed.
The wise stewards of the grace of God will be occupied with the Christ centered business of 1 Peter 4.7-11 and pray for the personal of struggles of others leave their judgment to The God Who knows them best and loves them most. The self righteous steward of the grace of God will be occupied with the James 3 tongue lashing business of sin sniffing and making sure that the flawed personal lives of others become everybody’s business. On judgment day, they will be held accountable for every single word that they have spoken and the sinister motive behind it. He who is without sin among you, cast the first stone. Selah.
