Marsha's Musings: Busybodies

                        

    

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. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. (1 Peter 4:15-16 KJV)

Peter is not saying a murderer, their, evildoer or busybody should get out of suffering for their wrongdoing. He is simply saying, "Don't do these things!"

I think it is significant that he lists being a busybody right up there with murder, thievery and evil doing. Wow.  And somehow we tend to be more guilty of this than anybody. Perhaps one reason he puts it right along with these other sins is because it's a form of killing. It's character assassination....killing someone's reputation. Why else would someone care to snoop on someone else except to get dirt on them so they can pass it along to their friends?

No, Peter says we should not do these things!  And if we suffer for doing these things, we deserve it. There is nothing to glorify God about in that.  Rather, we should such that if we suffer, we suffer because of our Christian Faith.  We have no reason to be ashamed of that and we can glorify God because of that.