“MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS” – PASSIONATELY PURSUING OUR GOD GIVEN PURPOSES

Let us look at *”TO MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS”* as part of our ongoing meditation of 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.
– ’11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Knowing the purpose is very important for a successful life. Knowing the purpose for our life is half the work done. When we don’t know the purpose of our lives, we would be aimlessly wandering around, thinking we are doing great, and achieving a lot. When in fact, all what we are doing is, beating the air, and considering ourselves as some great achiever. The greatest purpose of our lives is to know God, and to follow Him. 
– Do we remember the Parable of Talents? – Matthew 25:14-30. 
– I am sure, we remember these words of God, as the Judge – “Well done thou good and faithful servant.” 
– Do we remember the response of boy Jesus, to His earthly mother and father, when they were worried about His whereabouts, on their return journey from the annual pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem? 
– The boy Jesus amazes the scholars, at the Temple in Jerusalem, and by his response – “I am in my Father’s business” – He astounds His earthly parents – Luke 2:41-50.

As a young Christian, I read a quotation of Oswald Chambers, which has left an indelible mark on me. I am sure it will help all of us, to get our basics right, about the purpose of our lives, and see it in its rightful perspective.
– “I am in my Father’s business; and if I am not on that business, I have no business to be here.” – Oswald Chambers

1- KNOW YOUR GOD GIVEN PURPOSE
As a disciple of the LORD Jesus Christ, we are to know, what is the purpose of our lives. The Bible makes this amply clear. 1 Peter 2:9-10 makes its clear, “to live for God, and make Him known to others, in and through our lives.” We are called primarily to live for God, and not for ourselves.

2- PASSIONATELY PURSUE YOUR GOD GIVEN PURPOSE
Having known the purpose of God for our lives, we are to passionately pursue it, all the days of our lives. This is the whole business of a Christian, for the rest of our lives.

3- THE REST IS ALL INCIDENTAL AND INSIGNIFICANT
Outside the purpose of God for our lives, there is nothing much to be desired. If there is anything, it surely is not much of worth, anyhow, in the overall equation of life. So be wise and careful how much we wish to invest in such things. Our time, talents and opportunities have a set limit. One day we will be called by God, and we are expected to give an account.

Thomas A. Tarrantso, writing in his article, “Discovering God’s Purpose for Your Life” writes the following words, that sums up beautifully, all what is being considered above.
– “Consider God’s purpose for the prophet Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Or His plan for the apostle Paul, “when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles . . .” (Gal. 1:15–16). It was said of King David, “After he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, he fell asleep” (Acts 13:36). God has plans not just for notable figures like these, but for each of us in our own generation, plans which He has “prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Our great concern and frequent prayer should be for God to fulfill his plans for our life. What a tragedy it would be to discover at the judgment seat of Christ that we had not fulfilled His purposes for our lives but our own.” – Thomas A. Tarrantso

How are we going about our lives, dear brothers and sisters? What place does God have in our lives? How significant are God’s plans and purposes in our lives? Are we passionately pursuing God, and His purposes for our lives? Do we  “MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS” and “PASSIONATELY PURSUE OUR GOD GIVEN PURPOSES?” Even so, the LORD help us TO MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS – the business of living for God, and declaring His praises, in and through our lives.