MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!

1 Timothy 4:16 Amplified Bible

¹⁶ Pay close attention to yourself [concentrate on your personal development] and to your teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

1 Timothy 4:16 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

¹⁶ Look well to yourself [to your own personality] and to [your] teaching; persevere in these things [hold to them], for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

This scripture for me is very important to who I am and who I am becoming. We have a responsibility as believers of Jesus to ensure that the necessary things are put in place physically and spiritually to guarantee our growth and maturity. There is a misconception that all we are required to do is pray and read the word and go to church and the changes will magically occur. Nothing could be further from the truth. Since we are made in the likeness and image of God, we have the capacity to think, reason, plan and strategize. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that we live our lives in such a way that it facilitates health and growth in all areas of our lives.

In this day and age of everything quick, we look for and want quick fixes, and people are becoming more unwilling to endure God’s refining processes. Christianity is being advertised as a get rich, healed quick scheme and many come into Christianity under falsehood based on incorrect information and so are disappointed and retreat.  Whereas health and wealth are some benefits of salvation, God’s greatest desire is that the soul of man be saved. I have been to the hospital to pray for the sick and the Lord said that the body is easy to fix and that His concern was about the soul. There are some sicknesses, curses, misfortunes, cycles that will never be dealt with until there is a change in either the person’s choices or their behavior.

The scripture in 1 Timothy 4:16 stresses that we have to pay attention to our personality/personal development and also as to what we teach. Personality according to Britannica.com, is “a characteristic way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Personality embraces moods, attitudes, and opinions and is most clearly expressed in interactions with other people. It includes behavioral characteristics, both inherent and acquired, that distinguish one person from another and that can be observed in people’s relations to the environment and to the social group.” We are responsible ultimately for our choices as adults and to some degree as a child. God gave us emotions, but they must be managed, we are creative beings, but we must be mindful of thoughts and what we create by them through words, meditations, or deeds. Introspection therefore becomes a very valid tool in assisting with the paying attention or the concentrating on our personalities.

The Word of God and the Spirit of God are mirrors through which we will be able to see the true self. There are so many things hidden from us. Some of these things, others see, but may not understand its origin and misjudge what is manifesting. I remember years ago I was a part of a deliverance session and I saw the spirit lift up a flap within the individual and hid itself. Spirits can hide themselves within us, even if you are a tongue talking believer. There are things that can be hidden from persons also because of witchcraft or occultic practices. The potency of the Word and Spirit of God will illuminate all, pull secrets out and unravel mysteries.

The story in John 5 about the man that was at the pool of Bethesda for 38 years waiting to be healed had an encounter with Jesus. He was asked if He wanted to be made whole. Whole in the Strongs Concordance is the Greek word “hugies“, it is used to mean sound, healthy, pure, wholesome. In John 5:10 KJV, the Jews were making reference of what happened but they said he was cured. The Greek word in the Helps Word -Studies for cure is, “therapeúō – properly, heal, reversing a physical condition to restore a person having an illness (disease, infirmity)”. The onlooking Jews in essence reduced what Jesus did to mere physical healing. But this man was made whole, sound, healthy, pure, wholesome. Jesus said in verse 14, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” This man remaining whole was dependent on him not sinning anymore. If he did, worse than what he had experienced in the last 38 years would be his portion. This man had to begin to pay attention to his ways and to his choices.

When we monitor our thoughts, intents, actions and meditations and align them with the Word and Spirit of God, and watch what we teach, the promise is that our own souls will be saved and also those that we will hear us speak. Although this is predominantly read as a word for ministers, I believe this goes for all Christians as we all teach one way or the other. We teach by the way we live, this is often our most powerful witness. When our speech and deeds do not line up we are hypocrites and so there is nothing integrous about us that would strongly draw men to the God that we serve. When our thoughts and speech do not line up. God sees and He who judges the heart will cause what is within to be made manifest. This manifestation will cause holes to be poked in the fabric of our teaching/witness and we will not be able to save neither ourselves or others. This is the reason that so many persons will backslide when a leader messes up. It’s not always because of the person idolizing the leader, but the teachings have been compromised so the souls of those in their care may be lost. Our most effective Evangelistic strategy is to be righteous. The righteous are as bold as a lion (Prov. 28.1), so your teachings will come off with much confidence and much persuasiveness.

Righteousness (the quality of being right in God’s eyes-Christiaity.com) does not only exalt a nation but individuals. Righteousness causes a very firm fortification to be built around our lives, families, associates, ministries and destinies. This fortification will see to the saving of our souls and that of others! Let us all continue to examine ourselves that we can know whether we are in an upright or fallen position (1Cor. 10:12). Let’s pursue holiness without which no man can see God (Heb. 12:14)!