The phrase mind your own business is a common phrase in the Pentecostal circles today. You visited a sister at home only to find out the door is bolted from behind, now she took such a long time to open and a brother was found sitting in an awkward position. Should I mind my own business ?
The news reached you that your deacon is implicated in embezzling his company’s fund and the police are seen repeatedly on his neck quizzing him. Now someone says : Mind your own business. What business was Paul telling the Thessalonian church to mind ?
[ And that ye study to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you (1Thess 4:11)
What business is Paul saying the believer should mind according to this scripture ? Very explicit. It is shown by Paul in the concluding part of the same verse :
And to work with your own hands…
Paul is talking of the work of your own hands. He is saying pay attention to your career, to your craft, to your daily secular business through which you feed your family. Paul is not telling you to look away when sin is trending under your nose as a way of minding your own business. Absolutely not.
See another phrase in the concluding verse :
As we commanded you…
What did Paul command them ? Knowing what he commanded them would serve as the key to dividing this scripture. What he earlier commanded was repeated in his second epistle to them and is quite simple :
[ For even when we were with you this we commanded you, that if any man would not work, neither should he eat (11Thess 3:10 ]
He commanded them to work so they can have enough to provide for their family and that no one should come around eating who is not working. Quite explicit.
Again, if you step out of this verse and employ the biblical tool of context, with regard for surrounding verses then you are good to go. See some of the surrounding verses :
[ For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you, neither did we eat any man’s food for nought, but wrought with labour and travail, that we might not be chargeable to any of you (11Thess 3:7-12].
Paul was instructing them to go about their daily business, to work hard at it and ensure they are not begging around. That is what that scripture is saying. So when you look away when your brother is living in sin instead of calling him aside privately and admonish him, you are not minding your own business, you are covering up sin in hypocrisy. If he dies in his sin, the Lord will require his blood from your hand.
Now if I were you, I will cross reference the common word which is “quietness” as found in Paul’s first and second epistle to the Thessalonians and establish a continuum. See it, very beautiful : Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread (11Thess 3:12).
We can see that Paul was saying mind your career, mind your business for through it your family is fed and your needs are met. He is not saying when you see your brother in sin mind your business. That is wrong interpretation.
When you notice your sister is now dressing nudely, dont say mind your own business instead tell yourself I must be about my father’s business.