What Does It Matter?

Articles/Bulletins

Kevin Harrington
05/26/13 - Sunday Bulletin

“It’s nobody else’s business how I live…”

This claim has sure become a popular catch phrase today. You hear it almost every day. It is often said as an excuse for immoral, self-destructive, selfish behavior. Strangely, people don’t say, “It’s nobody else’s business how I live” when they are generous, righteous, and helpful.

The Bible declares, “For none of us lives to himself alone” (Romans 14:7). What we do matters to others. Our lives, influence, and work are interrelated. We need to be reminded of just whose business it is how we live:

It is God’s business. God made us, we are His creation. He has a right to expect us to live to His purpose and His standards. It is His word that will judge us (John 12:48). For the Christian, the price of salvation was paid by Jesus. We have been bought. Paul told the Corinthians, “you are not your own…you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). What we do with our time, money, social life, etc. is God’s business. What we text, Facebook, search on the web is God’s business. We have up ourselves when we became a Christian. We “denied” self and followed Christ. Our lives are God’s business!
It is the church’s business. As Christians we are part of a spiritual family that is connected to each other and is accountable to each other. What effects one of us has an effect upon all of us. If one brings shame to Christ or the church, all suffer. The apostle said, “Brethren, if any man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). When one is discouraged, it affects us. When one is weak, it affects us. When one walks with the Devil, it affects us. When one strays away, it affects us. “We are members of one another.” We gave up our independence when we came to Christ.
It is your neighbor’s business. What we do has an impact upon others. People see you. They are influenced by you. When Achan stole gold and hid it in his tent, he may have thought, “It’s nobody else’s business what I do.” He may have thought, “If I want to do wrong, then I can.” But the nation suffered because of his actions. Your co-workers, your family, your neighbors may want to visit us and worship with us because of you. Or, they may want nothing to do with us because of you. Your light shines for Christ or it shines that Christ doesn’t mean much to you. What you do on Friday night with your friends can have a greater impact than a month of sermons preached here. You owe it to your neighbor to be a Christian. You owe it to the Lord to be a Christian. You owe it to the congregation to be a Christian.

~ Roger Shouse, New Albany, IN