Most people tend to be open and sociable if they like the attention you give them. If you inquire into a subject that is embarrassing or they don’t want to make public, they will tell you to mind your own business. What exactly is “my business?”
I understand the desire for privacy. Some things aren’t meant for everyone to know, and others should be revealed only to people that need to know. If you have a serious illness, you may not want everyone to know about it. An embarrassing personal failure might be something you want to keep to yourself. A person that has been hurt after letting others in on their life secrets wouldn’t want that to happen again. There are good reasons not to share everything, but there are also benefits from letting others be part of our lives.
I used to be shy and reserved. I was very happy to keep out of the spotlight and not open “my business” to people. My dream was to live way out in the country and limit my exposure, but then a preacher said something that changed my outlook. He said, “You can’t do anything for GOD without people.” That means people are “my business” and I need to reach out to them.
When asked what the greatest commandment is, JESUS said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV). When asked who our neighbor is, JESUS talked about the Samaritan who went out of his way to help a person in need after the “good” people passed him by. So loving GOD with my all and showing His love to my neighbor is “my business” and will help me get past the defenses they put up to keep me out.
Once you show the love of JESUS to your neighbor, you can tell them about JESUS. They will listen to your words because they see it in your life. That is called being a witness. Much like in a trial, we need to testify and prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt. So “my business” is to tell people about JESUS. I might even have to use words.
Besides showing love and telling your neighbor about JESUS, you need to pray that they will accept Him as their SAVIOR. I can’t make them accept Him, but I can point them to where I found Him and that is “my business.”
Wayne Lance – That’s Good News to Share!