1. Why doesn't Jehovah compare us with others?
Because he knows that comparisons will never do us any good, when he created us he did not make two people the same, rather creation shows us that they like variety, in his view we are valuable. As 1 Samuel 16: 7 says "Jehovah sees what the heart is" and takes into account our strengths, weaknesses and our past. So we have to follow their example, show "good judgment" and think no more or less of ourselves than we should.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because Jehovah loves variety, a sample of his creation and also human beings, no two brothers are the same because Jehovah loves that variety and he looks within us that each one of us is unique.
And because it would also not be fair for him to measure everyone the same by what he says, because he takes into account our strengths our weaknesses our past things that we do not have control but that undoubtedly affects our way of being and sometimes in our decisions But as we see, what is in our heart and what we really are inside is fixed.
2. Why is it not good for us to compare ourselves with others?
Because we can become envious, discouraged or even feel that we are worth nothing. In addition, we must bear in mind the advice of Galatians 6: 4 which says: "May we be happy with what we can personally do, without comparing ourselves to others." And remember that Jehovah does not like us to compare ourselves, if we do, we would damage our relationship with him.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because no result of comparing ourselves is a benefit, if we compare ourselves with others and feel superior how we saw last week we can become proud but if we feel inferior as we see we can feel envy, discourage us and even feel that we are worth nothing, so we see that no result it reflects good judgment as we saw before.
And this does not mean that we cannot look at the examples of others, but rather that we must seek balance and we have to know why we observe others, that is, we observe them to learn from them and improve ourselves or we observe them to determine if we are better than them or worse but look at others yes we can do it.
And another important reason why it is not good for us to compare ourselves with other people as the paragraph says there, why it would harm our friendship with Jehovah, which is the most valuable thing we have, therefore, as Galatians 6: 5 says, we must examine all our actions and rejoice in our own actions, not compare ourselves with others.
3. What progress in your service to Jehovah makes you happy?
One of the greatest accomplishments and progress that makes us happy is having dedicated our lives to Jehovah and getting baptized. Another achievement is that, perhaps, now we enjoy reading and studying the Bible more or we pray deeper and we are more skilled in using the different tools in preaching. We also feel satisfaction that Jehovah helps us to be better parents, husbands, wives and children every day.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, here the paragraph mentions some of them, for example the fact that we now enjoy reading the Bible more, if I had to answer this question on a personal level, I would say that when I was baptized one has a faith that allows one to reach baptism but the truth is is that when time goes by that faith makes it stronger now I feel badly determined to be able to defend that faith, the important thing is that as the paragraph says we rejoice for these progress and for that decision that we decided for our love for Jehovah not because of what others were doing but because of what our love for Jehovah led us to, so it is important that we think about how much progress we have made.
It also talks about the prayers that perhaps we have noticed that with the passage of time we have progressed, now they are deeper more felt and as the psalm says they are how that incense that had to be prepared well and with the passage of time we are able to prepare the best and express better to Jehovah what we feel and what we need.
4. What will we see in this article?
We will see how parents can help their children, how husbands can help each other, and how elders and the rest of the congregation can help their siblings. And finally we will look at some biblical principles that will help us set reasonable goals that fit our circumstances and personal capabilities.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
And then there are four aspects where we can in some way help to bring joy to another for what they are achieving, the field can be that of parents helping spouses how they can help each other and also elders how they can help the rest of the congregation in this issue.
WHAT PARENTS AND MARRIAGES CAN DO
5. According to Ephesians 6: 4, what should parents not do?
This text advises us "Do not irritate our children" this implies not making the mistake of comparing one child with another or demanding or asking for more than they can give, we must understand that if we do so we can cause a lot of frustration to our children and their children. it would lead to spiritual and emotional devastation.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The principle of Ephesians 6: 4 mentions not to irritate your children and a source of irritation or great frustration is precisely those comparisons or those unrealistic demands that you can have when there are several children or in relation to one of them.
Well, this sister points out that her teachers expected her to get the best grades and not only that but also at home she says that her mother wanted her to be a good student who would make everything perfect for them, even the intentions were good, because she says she wanted her father to He was not a witness, but he did not have a good result because it seems that to this day he sometimes thinks that he does little for Jehovah.
Therefore, it is important that the parents' demands are reasonable because otherwise they may affect their children's self-esteem.Even in totally different fields, in this case, his mother or his teachers were being too demanding on the subject of studies, but it is evident That this affected their relationship with Jehovah, it may seem that in the spiritual realm it makes us want to be more demanding because it is a good thing but it does not really help because since Jehovah does not squeeze us more than we can give a father either you should do the same with your child.
6. What can parents learn from Psalm 131: 1, 2?
These texts invite us "not to aspire to things that are too great, nor to what is beyond our reach", rather, we must "be calm and calm." Which teaches us that as parents we must be humble and modest not only with what we expect of ourselves, but also with what we expect of our children. Therefore, when setting goals, we must take into account their strengths and weaknesses so that they feel good about themselves.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, the paragraph gives a very good application, not only to be humble and modest as parents but also applies it to having that humility and modesty with respect to your children, perhaps with the best intention you want your children to improve in every field that they are very good or that they improve more and more in different skills or even within the congregation but we see that parents also have to cultivate that humility and modesty regarding what they expect of their children and what they demand of their children and that will help them by the rest of his life.
We see that as if parents treat their children, compare them or not with others or if they set goals that are too high, it can affect them in such a way that it creates the germ of this very corrosive thought of comparing themselves with each other of Unfairly, it is something to be very careful about because your long-term relationship with Jehovah may be affected by this trend, but if treated well it can become a problem that does not exist.
And King David spoke of not aspiring to too big things is very interesting, maybe they could think well because I did not have the studies that I would have liked and now I ask my children for the opportunity that they have what I did not have , then they can expect very big things for them and put a lot of pressure on them that is not good and hence the importance of being humble modest and as the verse says, seek that young people are like the weaned child who feels safe protected in the arms of his mom.
Well, the paragraph also encourages them to set goals for their children taking into account their strengths and weaknesses and says something very interesting because parents have to be humble and modest, but of course that does not mean that they have to be passive but on the contrary they have They have to be proactive in setting goals so that they continue to improve and progress.
ILLUSTRATION:
Some parents and their three children make a Noah's ark and put some animals on it.
Parents, show each of your children that you value their efforts. (See paragraphs 5 and 6.) *
7, 8. How can a husband honor his wife?
We can honor our wives by giving her special attention and treating her with respect. We also show that we value her when we speak well of her, we tell her that we love her and we congratulate her for what she does and, of course, we should not compare her with other women. By showing them proper honor, we show that we care for our relationship with her and with Jehovah.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Also not asking her for more than she can give and not comparing her with other interesting women, which is not an option according to 1 Peter 3: 7 is not a question of whether to honor or not but a question of how to do it.
If the negative example says of the pink sister that her husband is not a witness and acts like a person who does not have faith in Jesus because he compares her and thus humiliates her, he says that he needs to be constantly reminded that Jehovah values him, what a pity.
And then we also have the example of Caterina, despite the fact that she had grown up with her mother, who looked down on her many times, compared her because her husband helped her to break that trend and have a more reasonable opinion of herself and all that was through congratulate her for wanting to express it several times, including those negative thoughts that she might have due to that upbringing because the good example that her husband set for her and helped her as she faced them.
WHAT ELDERLY AND THE REST OF THE CONGREGATION CAN DO
9, 10. How did the elders help a sister who tended to compare herself to others?
Hanuni is a sister who in her childhood almost never told her that she had done something well and they always compared her with other children, because of that she was shy, even after she became a witness, she continued to compare herself with others and felt that she contributed little to the congregation. But the elders who are loving shepherds with great affection helped her and assured her that they trusted her, congratulated her on her good example and asked her to help other younger sisters, then they read her what 1 Thessalonians 1: 2,3 says. This touched her heart, now she is happy and feels that they have a valuable place in Jehovah's organization.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, they assured her that they trusted her and congratulated her for her good example, they made her feel useful in the congregation according to her abilities to her possibilities and she understood that each one of us, no matter who we are, the abilities we have, we have a valuable place in the congregation.
Well, as she herself says, she was shy, she felt that other children were better than me as far as I can remember, I have always compared myself to other people and what a pity because she recognizes that it is that they almost never told her that she had done something well, that when The end affected him so much that, as we see, even when he came to know the truth, he continued to compare himself, so that also teaches us something, perhaps to the elders or the brothers of the congregation to try to see beyond the qualities or the personality of a certain brother if we arrive to understand because it is in a certain way that we may be able to give you the help you need just like these elders did.
Yes, even paragraph 9 says that he felt so useless that he said that he contributed little to the congregation and what a good example of those elders who now tell him that he has a role in the congregation, which is to encourage other sisters and that is how he feels that the congregation it needs it, so good the role of the elders to encourage the sisters to the brothers of the congregation who may feel this way.
Well, this idea is very nice because they let her know that no matter what happened as a child, the trauma that Jehovah and the congregation had had, the elders, the entire congregation knew of her faithful work, they knew of her work motivated by the endurance and hope that they had and that undoubtedly made her think about the role that Jehovah thinks of her and therefore the congregation of the elders think of her.
11. How can we help the “crushed ones” mentioned in Isaiah 57:15?
Everyone in the congregation can encourage and comfort those who are "crushed." It is true that we may not be able to solve your problems, but we can show you how much we care at heart. Also by helping him we want to be humble and modest, not draw attention to ourselves and arouse envy, rather, we want to use our skills and knowledge to encourage each other.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The idea that appears in proverbs 19:17 when it says that the one who shows compassion to the needy makes a loan to Jehovah and he will repay it is precious, that is, when we help others with a sincere heart, we are interested in the welfare of others. the rest is as if we are there making a loan to Jehovah and that is undoubtedly something precious on their part.
And very interesting that the words interest from the heart is not something superficial is not how to give gifts out of obligation but without understanding the situation of the other person and giving concrete help.
First Peter 4:10 and 11 the gift that we have to use it to serve others, to be humble and modest and not try to draw attention to ourselves but not to use it to encourage others and thus also honor them.
Because if we did not, how sad it would be if the gifts and abilities that Jehovah has given us to help others become a reason why a brother feels inferior, but how important it is that we be humble that we remember that everything we have comes from Jehovah and use it to help others.
Yes, how beautiful it is that in imitation of Jehovah that he, although he lives in that high and holy place with all his power and all his characteristics, he lowers what it takes to find us and get up because it is the same thing that the elders should also strive to do. Although maybe sometimes you have many responsibilities and jobs that affect many people, take time out for those people who feel bad to bend down so to speak in some way to try to help those people, surely it can make a difference for those siblings who are feel that way.
12. Why did humble people like to be with Jesus? (See the drawing on the cover).
People liked being with Jesus because he was "gentle and humble in heart." Although he had an amazing intelligence and immense knowledge, he did not go around presuming or feeling superior, rather, when teaching he used simple, attractive language and examples that reached the hearts of humble, ordinary people who were rejected by religious leaders. . Instead, Jesus made them feel that they were valuable to Jehovah.
In the drawing on the cover you can see how good the disciples felt with Jesus and how much they enjoyed being together as friends, because they are seen singing and their faces reflect a pleasant atmosphere between them.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
And the answer is clear because of how he treats his disciples and if we look at how he demonstrated the development of the qualities he had, such as mildness and humility, this will also help us to treat others in the same way as he did. Here Jesus says that he used simple language attractive examples and that reached out to the people and in that way the others felt comfortable with Jesus.
And also treating ordinary people with respect gave them the dignity they deserved and this made people feel valued then by feeling that way, feeling valuable is how it made them feel comfortable and happy next to Jesus.
There is no doubt that the warmth of the heart of Jesus also his affable and close character allowed people to feel comfortable and feel at ease with him, and if together with that he gave him the dignity that they needed and that contrasted a lot with those religious leaders of his time because without a doubt we saw that when he spoke from the heart and did so from the heart, he touched their heart.
ILLUSTRATION:
Jesus and some of his disciples sitting around a bonfire. One of them plays the flute and the others sing and clap their hands.
The disciples of Jesus liked being with him because he never had an air of superiority. He loved spending time with his friends. (See paragraph 12).
13. Why do we say that Jesus treated his disciples with kindness and love?
Because he knew that they had different capacities and circumstances, so not all of them were going to assume the same responsibilities or do the same in the ministry. Also in the parable of the talents he showed his understanding attitude because the story says that a master entrusted work to each slave "according to his ability" and although there was one who earned more than the other, the master congratulated them both with the same words, and said to them: "Well done, good and faithful slave!" With this he showed that he values what each disciple strives to do from his heart.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, because he was understanding, he knew that not everyone could assume the same responsibilities, not all were equal and this attitude is seen in the parable of the talents where he says that he is assigned a job according to his ability and although some earn a little more, others a little less. but all are congratulated.
Jesus had the same point of view of the people that Jehovah all were valuable but he did not compare them and he knew that each one had different strengths and weaknesses from a past and therefore he did not treat everyone the same he did not give the same talents to all because not all have the capacity to bear the same responsibilities, some five other two, perhaps from the world's point of view the one who had two was a failure because he was not 5 but Jesus did not reflect it that way but rather the one who had 5 and another 2 were valuable to Jehovah.
14. How can we follow Jesus' example in treating others?
We follow Jesus' example if we look for opportunities to congratulate our brothers because they are giving their best to Jehovah. We never make them feel inferior or ashamed of their contribution to the congregation.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, we do not want any brother to feel inferior or ashamed for not being able to do as much as others in this situation of the covid, especially perhaps some brothers are facing certain situations in which they had never faced and that perhaps preaching as a precursor Some publisher can not do as much as another pioneer or another publisher and that makes them feel bad but the idea of this article is not at all that we want to congratulate you on the good work you continue to do.
And also unlike Jesus we do have many brothers and sisters who are above us who have better abilities than us who can do more for Jehovah and also we must never forget to also congratulate them for what they are doing even though we cannot do as much as they do, but let him know that what they do is very valuable and that we are very happy to have him with us in the congregation.
SET REASONABLE GOALS
15, 16. How did you help a sister set reasonable goals?
Our sister recognized that to serve Jehovah she had to set reasonable and achievable goals, this helped her stay on course and purpose in her life. She understood that the objectives should be adjusted according to circumstances, not those of others. So when she reached her goals, she felt joyful that she was able to give Jehovah the best she could, despite struggling with low self-esteem from what she had suffered in childhood.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, he says that it gave him inner peace and made him feel the love of Jehovah and it is very good what paragraph 15 says when we do that when we are modest we have reasonable objectives we keep the course and the purpose of life no matter what our circumstance and this sister got it.
And in the paragraph we can see that the word ours is underlined and it is possible that the objectives and goals that for a person are very good because each of us is different for us is out of our reach therefore good that the objectives and goals that we set are in relation to our capabilities and circumstances.
And how good the text of Luke 14:28 because if I see that my neighbor is building a tower, I say good if he has been able, because I also start doing it, that reasoning would not be logical because each one has their capacities and also has their In the same way, we may see that siblings have been doing a long time, but I have my abilities and I have my circumstances, so that we set reasonable goals for ourselves is very important.
And how important it is that Jehovah is always involved in this whole process because he knows better than anyone what our circumstances are, our capacities, strengths, weaknesses, and he will help us set those reasonable goals and when we fulfill them we will see how Jehovah has blessed us.
ILLUSTRATION:
Series of images: 1. A sister looks at the calendar while her little boy plays nearby. 2. The same sister is preaching with another sister and shows a video to a lady. The sister's son holds a treaty.
We will be happy if we set reasonable goals and achieve them. (See paragraphs 15 and 16.) *
LET'S KEEP GIVING JEHOVAH THE BEST OF US
17. How can Christians “keep renewing their thinking,” and what will be the results?
We know that the mind is the center of perception and understanding, therefore, to renew our way of thinking we must pray, study the Bible and meditate on it. The result will be that Jehovah through his holy spirit will help us to correct the tendency to compare ourselves with others, to act immediately and thus free ourselves from any other defects that we have.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, what we have to do is pray, study the word of God and meditate on it, this is key so that we can continue renewing, that is, it is a continuous process to continue renewing because negative feelings or thoughts will not disappear from one day to the next, then we have We must continue fighting against them and by following these steps we will be able to continue renewing our way of thinking.
18. How do the words of 2 Chronicles 6:29, 30 comfort you?
We are comforted by knowing that Jehovah knows our hearts and does not condemn us, rather, he knows the constant struggle we have against the spirit of the world and against our own imperfections, for this reason, he is willing to forgive us, this without a doubt shows us how much he loves us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
As we saw in experiences in previous paragraphs, whether we compare ourselves or perhaps others who compare us, this can make us feel inferior, but in the end, neither we see what Jehovah sees of us as we see in the book of chronicles Jehovah sees our Our own heart our own plague and pain, it comforts us to know that he sees the efforts we make and values them.
19. What example does Jehovah use to express his feelings for us?
The example of the deep love a mother feels for her baby. In the paragraph the experience of a mother named Rachel is recounted, she comments that her daughter was premature, because of this she was very small and defenseless and the first month, she was in an incubator, but the doctor allowed her to hold her in his arms all the time. days. This created a very special bond between the two. Now the girl is six years old and she is happy she loves her with all her heart because she clung to life. Similarly, when Jehovah sees that we are struggling with all our might to give him the best, he has such a deep love for us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, the example of the love that a mother feels for her child in Isaiah 49:15 mentions the question of whether a woman forgets her baby or if she does not feel compassion for her child, is this possible? but it is difficult although it could be possible but in the case of Jehovah it is impossible that he does not feel love for us as he says at the end of the verse he never forgets you and this refers to us so he does not forget us.
The example that is established in the paragraph of Estefany with her little girl even though she was premature and it is true she was smaller than the others but we see her mother's feelings for her daughter when she says she says I love her with all my heart because there is who clung to life because we can see those feelings multiplied even more in the case of Jehovah with us who values each one of us, does not compare us but sees the heart and rewards us for it.
20. Why can we rejoice?
We can rejoice because we know that Jehovah drew us to him, not because we were better than others, but because he looked at our hearts and saw that we were meek and willing to be taught and shaped by him. In addition, we can rejoice because we know that he is happy for what we do in his service, so we must strive to continue giving him the best of ourselves. In that way, we will have reason to be happy about what we have done ourselves.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, the first paragraph mentioned that Jehovah loves variety and this last paragraph concludes by saying that Jehovah has chosen to dignify us using that of variety for when he says at the beginning of the paragraph so that each of his servants occupies a special and valuable place in his varied family, so what is a reason for us to feel happy, joyful and dignified that Jehovah has chosen it.
And also in the idea of Psalm 25: 9 it is very beautiful because it indicates that Jehovah guides the meek, that is, he has separated us from the world, he has seen something good in us, he has seen that we were meek so we want to mold ourselves in his own way and Out of love has attracted us and has allowed us to be in your organization that is something that is undoubtedly appreciated.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
How can parents help their children rejoice in what they can do in their service to Jehovah?
Parents should avoid comparing one child with another, also not ask for more than he can give, rather we should congratulate, encourage and commend them for what each one does to serve Jehovah and remind them that they are valuable to us and also to Jehovah .
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, not to compare them with any of their brothers or with another brother and I also really liked the idea that he said to take into account their strengths and weaknesses and now choose goals that they can achieve when they are fulfilled they will feel happy.
What can elders do to make those in their care feel loved and valued?
Elders can use encouraging, loving words and congratulate all the brothers on their efforts to serve Jehovah. Excellent shepherds ensure that the sheep feel they have a valuable place in Jehovah's organization.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, as good shepherds who know the appearance of the flock, make use of precisely that of their knowledge of Jehovah's sheep of their antecedents of their particular circumstances so that now they can use them to give the judicious commendation that is needed at each moment that they can always look for opportunities to give encouragement and there was a very nice idea in paragraph 10 when it said that in the case of the experience to assure the brothers that they are valuable and that what they do is important for the congregation and also for Jehovah.
We saw in the experience in the case of a sister the good effect that using the Bible had to give encouragement advice, the sister did not forget the text, although it has been time to use the word of God, it also helps a lot in moments of anguish of difficulty.
Why are we happy to give Jehovah our best?
Because we know that giving him the best of our service makes him happy, so we must remain faithful to Jehovah, strive to continue giving him our best, thus showing that we have a sincere heart willing to continue learning from him.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because Jehovah is reasonable loving kind he always understands our situation he values us based on our heart not on our abilities the truth that we always feel good.
We are very happy because Jehovah sees each person individually and that each one has a place and that we count for him and that Jehovah appreciates us a lot individually and that encourages us so that we can continue to give him the best of ourselves, knowing that this brings joy to Jehovah and also makes us happy.
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