1. Why do we all need God's wisdom? (Proverbs 4:7).
Have you had to make any important decisions? If so, surely he asked Jehovah to give him wisdom, for he knew he needed it (Jas. 1:5). King Solomon wrote, “Wisdom is the most important thing” (read Proverbs 4:7). Of course, he was not talking about any kind of wisdom, but that which comes from Jehovah (Prov. 2:6). But can God's wisdom help us deal with today's problems? Of course yes. This article will show us.
2. What is one way to make us truly wise?
One way to become truly wise is to study and apply the teachings of two men known for their wisdom. First , we will talk about Solomon. The Bible says that “God gave Solomon great wisdom and discernment” (1 Kings 4:29). And, second, we will analyze the example of Jesus, the wisest man who has walked the Earth (Matt. 12:42). Speaking of him, a prophecy said: "The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding" (Isa. 11:2).
3. What will we analyze in this article?
With God-given wisdom, Solomon and Jesus offered sound advice on matters that are very important to all of us. In this article, we'll look at three of them: the need to have a balanced view of money, work, and ourselves.
A BALANCED VIEW OF MONEY
4. How was Solomon's financial situation different from that of Jesus?
Solomon was very rich and lived in luxury (1 Kings 10:7, 14, 15). Instead, Jesus had few belongings and did not even have a house of his own (Matt. 8:20). Even so, both Solomon and Jesus viewed material things with balance because the wisdom of both came from Jehovah.
5. What balanced view of money did Solomon have?
Solomon recognized that money “is a protection” (Eccl. 7:12). Money helps us to obtain what is necessary to live and perhaps give us a whim. But despite all his wealth, Solomon understood that there are more important things than money. For example, he wrote, “A good reputation [or “a good name”] is preferable to great riches” (Prov. 22:1; note). He also realized that people who love money are rarely content with what they have (Eccl. 5:10, 12). And he warned of the danger of putting all our trust in money, because it is here today and tomorrow it may disappear (Prov. 23: 4, 5).
6. What balanced view did Jesus have of material things? (Matthew 6:31-33).
Jesus had a balanced view of material things. He enjoyed food and drink (Luke 19:2, 6, 7). On one occasion, he turned water into wine of the highest quality, and that was his first miracle (John 2:10, 11). Furthermore, on the day of his death he was wearing an expensive robe (John 19:23, 24). But material things were not the most important thing in his life. He told his disciples: “No one can be a slave to two masters […]. They cannot be slaves to God and to Riches at the same time” (Matt. 6:24). Jesus taught that if we seek the Kingdom first, Jehovah will see to it that we have what we need (read Matthew 6:31-33).
7. What blessings has a brother enjoyed for having a balanced view of money?
Many brothers and sisters have benefited from following Jehovah's wise advice regarding money. Let's look at the example of a single brother named Daniel. He says: “When I was a teenager, I decided that serving Jehovah would be the most important thing in my life.” Because Daniel has striven to live a simple life, he has been able to use his time and his skills to help with relief efforts and serve at Bethel. He adds: “The truth is that I have never regretted the decision I made. Sure, I could have made a lot of money if I had focused on that, but then I wouldn't have all the good friends I have now. Also,Putting the Kingdom first gives me a happiness that I would never have if I were dedicated to earning money. There is no money in the world that can be compared to all the blessings that Jehovah has given me.” It is clear that if we focus on spiritual things and not on money, we win.
ILLUSTRATION:
Does our way of seeing material things prevent us from putting the Kingdom first? (See paragraphs 6 and 7). *
A BALANCED VIEW OF WORK
8. How do we know that Solomon had a balanced view of work? (Ecclesiastes 5:18, 19).
Solomon said that the satisfaction we feel from our hard work “is a gift from God” (read Ecclesiastes 5:18, 19). He also wrote: “All hard work brings benefits” (Prov. 14:23). And he didn't talk just to talk. He knew very well what it was to work, for he built houses, planted vineyards, made gardens and ponds, and also built cities (1 Kings 9:19; Eccl. 2: 4-6). Without a doubt, he had to work very hard. And sure Solomon was satisfied to some degree, but he knew that was not enough to be happy. Furthermore, he did many things for Jehovah. For example, he oversaw the construction of a beautiful temple to worship Jehovah, a project that took seven years (1 Kings 6:38; 9:1).After doing so many different things in his life, he realized that spiritual activities are the most important. He wrote: “After hearing it all, the conclusion is this: he fears the true God and obeys his commandments” (Eccl. 12:13).
9. What did Jesus do to keep the job in place?
Jesus was a hardworking man. When he was young, he was a carpenter (Mark 6:3). He sure that his parents appreciated the help he gave them to meet the needs of such a large family. And, since he was a perfect man, he could do perfect jobs, so he probably had a lot of clients. We can imagine Jesus enjoying his work. But he did not let it rob him of the time he needed for spiritual matters (John 7:15). And when he was already a full-time minister he gave this advice: "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that lasts and leads to eternal life" (John 6:27). And in the Sermon on the Mount he said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20).
10. What danger might we face for being good workers?
The wisdom that Jehovah gives us helps us to see employment with balance. Christians are told to work hard and to do “good work” (Eph. 4:28). Our employers often notice that we are honest and hard-working, and may tell us that they love the way we do things. It could be that, with the best of intentions, we started working overtime so that our boss would have an even better opinion of Jehovah's Witnesses. But if we did, we may soon begin to neglect our family and spiritual activities. In such a case, we would have to do something to restore the balance.
11. What did William learn by observing the example of an old man?
A young Christian named William learned the importance of keeping a job in place. At one time he worked for a brother who was a congregation elder. Speaking of him, William says: “He is an excellent example of how to be balanced. He works hard and his clients are very happy with the quality of his services. But when he is done for the day, he knows how to leave it all behind and focus on his family and his religion. And the truth is that he is one of the happiest people I know.” *
ILLUSTRATION:
Series of images: 1. Juan in his office late at night. 2. Thomas and an elder visit a sister and read Bible texts to encourage her.
What can we do to maintain the balance between work and spiritual activities? (See paragraphs 10 and 11). *
A BALANCED VIEW OF OURSELVES
12. How did Solomon show that he had a balanced view of himself, and how did he lose it?
While Solomon was a good servant of Jehovah, he had a balanced view of himself. On one occasion, when he was young and only a short time on the throne, he recognized his limitations and asked Jehovah to guide him (1 Kings 3:7-9). Also, he was aware of the danger of becoming a proud person. He wrote, “Pride comes before crashing, and arrogance before falling” (Prov. 16:18). Unfortunately, he eventually forgot his wise words. After he had been reigning for a few years, he became proud and began to disregard God's standards. For example, the Law included this command for the Hebrew kings: "Neither should he have many wives, lest his heart turn away."(Deut. 17:17). Solomon disobeyed this law and had 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of whom worshiped other gods! (1 Kings 11:1-3). He maybe he thought he had everything under control. Whether he thought about it or not, the truth is that he eventually suffered the consequences of turning away from Jehovah (1 Kings 11:9-13).
13. What lessons do we learn by meditating on the humility of Jesus?
Jesus always saw himself with humility and balance. Before coming to earth, he did many wonderful things in his service to Jehovah. Colossians 1:16 says that "through him everything else was created in heaven and on earth." Apparently, at the time of his baptism Jesus remembered things he had done when he was in heaven with his Father (Matt. 3:16; John 17:5). But he did not become proud remembering all that. In fact, he never behaved as if he was superior to others. He told his disciples that he had not come to Earth "to be served, but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom in exchange for many people."(Matt. 20:28). He admitted that he could not do a single thing on his account (John 5:19). How humble was Jesus! Isn't it true that we want to follow his good example?
14. How do the words of Jesus help us to have a balanced view of ourselves?
Jesus taught his disciples that they should have a balanced view of themselves. On one occasion he assured them: “The hairs of his head are all numbered” (Matt. 10:30). How these words comfort us, especially if we have a tendency to see ourselves in a negative way. They remind us that our heavenly Father cares deeply about us, that we are very valuable to him. If Jehovah believes that we deserve to serve him and live forever in the new world, who are we to question his judgment?
15. a) As recommended by The Watchtower a few years ago, what balanced approach should we have? b) As seen in the photos on page 24, what blessings do we miss out on if we focus too much on ourselves?
About 15 years ago, The Watchtower encouraged us to have a balanced view of ourselves. He said, “Of course, we don't want to make such a big deal out of ourselves that we become conceited; but neither do we want to go to the other extreme and conclude that we are worthless. Rather, our goal should be to form a realistic concept of ourselves, and to do so we must take into account both our strengths and our limitations. One Christian put it this way: 'I am neither evil personified nor am I the best person in the world. I have virtues and I have defects, like the rest of the people'”. * Do we realize that it is very good to see ourselves in balance?
ILLUSTRATION:
Series of images: 1. Juan takes a selfie with his sports car. 2. Tomás takes a selfie with some friends while they are working on the remodeling of an Assembly Hall.
What opportunities and blessings might we miss if we don't have a balanced view of ourselves? (See paragraph 15). *
16. Why does Jehovah offer us wise counsel?
In his Word, Jehovah offers us wise counsel. He does it because he loves us and wants us to be happy (Isa. 48:17, 18). The best decision we can make is to put Jehovah first in our lives. That is what he will make us truly happy. We will save ourselves many of the problems that people have who focus too much on money, on work or on themselves. Therefore, let us always be wise and let Jehovah's heart rejoice! (Prov. 23:15).
WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE INSPIRED COUNSELS GIVED BY SOLOMON AND JESUS ON THE FOLLOWING MATTERS?
The money
People who love money are rarely happy with what they have, he warned of the danger of putting all our trust in money, because today it is here and tomorrow it may be gone. Jesus taught that if we seek the Kingdom first, Jehovah will see to it that we have what we need.
The job
After doing so many different things in his life, he realized that spiritual activities are the most important. He wrote: "After hearing it all, the conclusion is this: he fears the true God and obeys his commandments." The wisdom that Jehovah gives us helps us to see employment with balance. Christians are told to work hard and do "a good job."
Ourselves
Jesus always saw himself as humble and balanced. Before coming to earth, he did many wonderful things in his service to Jehovah. Jesus taught his disciples that they should have a balanced view of themselves. On one occasion he assured them: “The hairs of his head are all numbered.” They remind us that our heavenly Father cares deeply about us, that we are very valuable to him.
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