I’m Not a Meddler. I Just Know What’s Right. For Everyone. All the Time.

1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.

I am fantastic at identifying meddlers. I can just sense when people have this defect of inserting themselves into every situation just because they are busybodies. When I see others doing this, it irritates me because I know it is a defect disguising itself as right behavior. This defect makes me want to insert myself into that situation and let the meddler know how wrong they are. I am the kid at the dinner table who keeps his eyes open just to make sure no one else does. Apparently, I am a meddler too.

Meddling is one of those defects that our faith almost seems to promote. It is so easy to use our rightness as grounds to indulge in our defective desire to see the world run our way. I know what is right and I know you are doing it wrong! I must involve myself. It is my duty! As Christians, we consider ourselves to be keepers of the truth and as such, we feel that it is our religious obligation to point out the wrong in others. Couple this righteous conviction with a personality defect that likes to be involved in the business of others, and you have a perfect storm of meddling.

I found it telling that Peter included meddlers in this short list of sins, right alongside of thieves and murderers. Meddling seems to me to be a petty, annoying behavior, so why would Peter be so harsh on busybodies? I think it is because it offends God severely when we use him as an excuse for our defective behavior.  When I meddle and insist that God wants me to, I am actually blaming God for my sin.

As in all things, I have to examine the motives behind my desire to involve myself in another’s situation. If I am honest, I have to admit that usually, I am just annoyed that someone is doing it wrong. The problem of course is, that I can so easily lie to myself, insisting that I am God’s special meddler.

If I am involving myself in someone else’s business, it is usually because I am just irritated that they are doing it wrong. This is meddling, and it a product of focusing on me. When I keep my eyes on God, I will usually have the wisdom to mind my own business.