Addressing the all-too familiar problem of meddling

Years ago, my friend returned home from work and walked in the front door to discover a stranger snooping through his fridge looking for something to eat.  “Dude, what are you doing?”  Nobody likes strangers snooping in their fridge!

If you have children, you know how prone they can be to stick their nose where it doesn’t belong.  One of my children is notorious for stirring the pot and getting involved in sibling issues just to create more problems.  As a result, there is a Proverb I have quoted so often it has become memorized by our entire family:  “Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.” (Proverbs 26:17)  In other words, be careful if you meddle, because it might come back to bite you!

One of my pet peeves is when children look over my shoulder while I’m on my cell phone or texting.  It drives me nuts.  Even worse, I suppose, would be when total strangers snoop by taking a peek at your mobile device while you are texting.  It’s called “screen-snooping” and studies show that it happens often, at coffee shops, on planes, or at schools. In a 2017 survey by the University of Munich, 97% had observed or been involved in at least one instance of screen-snooping!  O my goodness!  Our world is full of snoopers and meddlers!

One chief executive, Robert Siciliano, was on a flight emailing a client on his laptop when the person behind him tapped him on the shoulder.  Turning around, the person just wanted to tell Mr. Siciliano that they knew the person he was emailing!  What a snooper!

In a WSJ article on May 10, 2018, Sue Shellenbarger writes, “peeking at what others are doing on their mobile devices is a temptation few can resist.”  True.  But it doesn’t make it right.  It’s not right snooping in someone else’s fridge.  It’s not right meddling in affairs not your own.  And it’s not right to be looking over the shoulder at someone’s emails.  Most of the time people snoop because they are bored or curious.  But it still doesn’t make it right!

The Scripture has very practical advice for snoopers and meddlers:

“We urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.” (1 Thess 4:10-11)

I performed a wedding for a friend of mine years ago, and he had this Scripture reference inscribed on the inside of his ring.  It was a description of how he wanted to live his life.  Minding his own business.  Not snooping.  Not meddling.  Just keeping your head down, your nose in your own affairs, and not stirring the pot of controversy in other business that’s not your own.  I love it!

Consider how practical this advice is:

• Not meddling in family controversies that don’t affect you.
• Not meddling in work disputes where one employee has a problem with another.
• Not meddling in relational strife between 2 people where you are not involved.
• Not snooping in someone else’s fridge (unless I’m at my mom’s house…in which case, I have full right to snoop!)
• Not screen-snooping on someone else’s media (parents, of course, have right to do so for their underage children.)

So, although I grew up loving the cartoon character Snoopy, I commend to you that we need to strongly avoid the temptation of snooping or meddling in things that don’t involve us.

Mind your own affairs! (ESV)

Mind your own business!  (NIV)

Be quiet, and to do your own business (KJV)

My friend inscribed that verse on his wedding ring.  And it’s a verse we should all have tattooed on our hearts!

You are loved,

Craig Trierweiler