Article By Georgia Peterson-Hall // EEW Magazine // Spiritual

2021 is a great year to mind your business. But if you just so happen to struggle with nosiness, child, you’re not alone. Thankfully, there is help for you in the word of God.

If you want to spend more time sweeping around your own front door and keeping your nose where it belongs, here are 5 Scriptures to help cure nosiness and train you to stay out of other folks’ business.

Proverbs 26:17 NIV: “Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.”

Grabbing a dog by its ears is not only dumb, it’s dangerous. In the same way, the Bible says poking your nose into someone’s contentious or violent disagreement is equally dangerous. Stay out of arguments that don’t concern you. Remember and apply this old saying: “This is an A and B conversation, so C your way out.”

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12: “…and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you.”

In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he gives very practical advice. One of his standout wisdom nuggets explicitly says mind your own business. It doesn’t get any plainer than that folks. He also says work with your hands, because busy people don’t have time to dibble and dabble in everyone else’s affairs.

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.”

As a Christian, you will suffer regardless. Why add to that suffering by being a busybody? Inviting yourself into someone else’s business leads to undue stress, chaos, drama, and upheaval in your life. We all have enough problems on our own without adding other people’s issues to them. Stay in your lane.

John 8:1-11 This passage is too long to quote here, but it’s about the men who caught a woman in the act of adultery. Do you ever wonder how they “caught” her in the act? What were they doing there? Anyway, they were clearly minding someone else’s business! When they brought the woman to Jesus, expecting Him to punish her, they were shocked when the Savior told them to focus on themselves. In verse 7, He said, “But let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” One by one, they walked away, because they weren’t perfect either. No one is, so that leaves no place to judge or pick others apart.

1 Timothy 5:13: “Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”

In this Bible passage, Timothy was talking about young women whose husbands had died. After their loss, the widows stopped being devoted to God and started being idle, messy gossips, chatting about nonsense, and engaging in inappropriate conversations. As you can see, there’s a theme here: when folks don’t have anything better to do, they fixate on someone else’s life, which is displeasing to the Lord. Don’t be that person.

God desires to see you growing in grace, focusing on your betterment, and strengthening your relationship with Him. None of these things will be accomplished, however, unless you get anointed to mind your own business.

When you focus on you, God will show you the areas where you need to grow and change, so He can work on you, for you, and through you.

Being nosy is a hindrance to destiny.