Watchtower Study, Week of November 14-20, 2022, Proving We Are Reliable, Answers Underlined.

Watchtower Study, November 14-20, 2022, Proving We Are Trustworthy, Answers Underlined .

Yellow: Direct Response.

Dark Yellow: Additional Response.

Celeste: Additional Points.

“The trustworthy person knows how to keep a confidence” (PROV. 11:13).

1. How is a trustworthy person?

THE dependable PERSON strives to keep what he promises and tells the truth (Ps. 15:4). Others know they can count on her. We want our brothers to think that of us. What will help us earn your trust?

2. How do we show that we are trustworthy?

2 Trust cannot be required; you have to earn it. It's like money: hard to win and easy to lose. Without a doubt, Jehovah has earned our trust. We can always trust him because “everything he does is trustworthy” (Ps. 33:4). And he expects us to imitate him (Eph. 5:1). In this article, we will look at the example of some of Jehovah's servants who imitated his heavenly Father and proved trustworthy. We will also talk about five qualities that will help us to be trustworthy people.

LET US IMITATE JEHOVAH'S SERVANTS WHO WERE RELIABLE

3, 4. (a) How did the prophet Daniel show that he was trustworthy? b) What should we ask ourselves?

3 The prophet Daniel left us an excellent example. When he was taken captive to Babylon, he soon gained a reputation for trustworthiness. And that fame grew when he with the help of Jehovah he interpreted the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar. a) On one occasion he had to communicate a message to him that no king would like to hear: that Jehovah was not happy with him. Daniel had to steel himself because Nebuchadnezzar had a very bad character (Dan. 2:12; 4:20-22, 25). Many years later, Daniel again proved himself trustworthy when he accurately interpreted a mysterious message that appeared on the wall of the Babylonian palace (Dan. 5:5, 25-29). And later Darius the Mede and his officials also realized that Daniel "had an extraordinary spirit." They recognized that he “was trustworthy and could not be blamed for negligence or corruption” (Dan. 6:3, 4). Even rulers who did not worship Jehovah saw that this servant of theirs could be trusted.

4 Taking into account the example of Daniel, let us ask ourselves: b)  “What do non-Witnesses think of me? Do they consider me someone trustworthy and who fulfills their responsibilities? . It is important that we ask ourselves these questions because when we show that we are trustworthy, we honor Jehovah.

5. Why was Hananiah reputed to be very trustworthy?

5 In the year 455 BCE, after rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Governor Nehemiah put trusted men in charge of the city. One of them was Hananiah, the head of the Fortress. The Bible says that Hananiah “was a very trustworthy man and he feared the true God more than many others” (Neh. 7:2). Love for Jehovah and fear of displeasing him motivated Hananiah to take seriously any responsibility he received. These same qualities will help us to be trustworthy servants of God.

ILLUSTRATION

Nehemiah gives instructions to two men outside one of the gates of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah chose trusted men to attend to important tasks. (See paragraph 5).

6. How did Tychicus show that he was a reliable friend of the apostle Paul?

6 Let's look at the example of Tychicus, a trusted companion of the apostle Paul. When Paul was under house arrest, he enlisted the help of Tychicus and said that he was a “faithful minister in the Lord” (Eph. 6:21, 22). He trusted him not only to take the letters to the brothers in Ephesus and Colossae, but also to encourage and comfort them. Tychicus reminds us of the faithful and trustworthy men of our day who care for our spiritual needs (Col. 4:7-9).

7. What good example do the elders and ministerial servants in our congregation set for us?

7 Today we highly value the work of elders and ministerial servants, who are trustworthy brothers. Like Daniel, Hananiah, and Tychicus, they take their responsibilities seriously. For example, when we go to the midweek meeting, we are sure that all parts of the program will have been assigned. And the elders are very appreciative that the brothers and sisters prepare well and submit their assignments. Also, when we invite our Bible students to the weekend meeting, we don't wonder if a speaker has been invited for the public talk. On the other hand, we trust that we will have the necessary publications to preach. We certainly feel that these faithful brothers take good care of us, and we thank Jehovah. ButHow can we show that we are trustworthy?

WE KNOW HOW TO KEEP CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS

8. How do we demonstrate balance by caring for others? (Proverbs 11:13).

8 We love our brothers and we care about what happens to them. But we must be balanced and respect their privacy. In the Christian congregation of the first century there were people who were gossips, meddling in other people's business and talking about things they shouldn't (1 Tim. 5:13). We certainly don't want to be like that. Let's imagine that someone tells us about a personal matter assuming that it will remain between us. For example, a sister tells us that she has a health problem or that she is undergoing some other test, and she asks us not to tell anyone. It is clear that we must respect her wishes (read Proverbs 11:13). In what other situations is it important that we know how to keep a confidence?

9. How can family members show that they are trustworthy?

9 In the family. All family members should keep certain household matters private. For example, a husband may think a custom of his wife's is kind of funny. He wouldn't talk about it with other people, right? Of course not. Because he loves her, he never wants to do anything that will embarrass her or hurt her feelings (Eph. 5:33). Parents should remember that teens like to be treated with respect. That is why they would not humiliate them by telling other people about their mistakes (Col. 3:21). And children have to learn to be discreet, not to say things that could embarrass someone in the family (Deut. 5:16). If everyone does their best to keep household matters private, the family will be more united.

10. How does a true friend behave? (Proverbs 17:17).

10 With friends. Almost everyone needs to vent to a good friend at some point in their life. Sometimes that's hard. Perhaps we are not used to talking to anyone about our deepest feelings. And, if we dare to do it and then we find out that our friend told others what we told him, we feel very bad. On the other hand, how much we appreciate having someone who knows how to keep a confidence . He is a “true friend”! (Read Proverbs 17:17).

11. (a) How do elders and their wives show trustworthiness? (b) What do we learn from an elder who deals with a confidential matter and then is with his family? (See photo).

11 In the congregation. Elders who know how to keep a confidence are “like a shelter from the wind” for their brothers (Isa. 32:2). We know that we can talk to them about anything with the confidence that a). They won't tell what we tell them. We don't pressure them to tell us things that they should keep private. In addition, we highly value the wives of the elderly because they do not try to extract confidential information from them.  b)  Actually , it is a blessing that the elders do not discuss the personal matters of the brothers with their wives. An elder's wife said, “I'm glad my husband doesn't tell me about the brothers he attends on shepherding calls or those who need spiritual help. He doesn't even tell me his names. I appreciate that he doesn't burden me with issues that I can't do anything about. So I can treat all the brothers naturally. And I know that when I tell him about a problem or how I feel, he won't tell anyone." Of course, we all want to have the reputation of being reliable. Let's look at five qualities that will help us achieve this.

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. Two old men visit a sister at her home. 2. Then one of the elders reads a Bible story to her little daughter while the wife brings them something to eat.

Elders do not tell their family confidential matters. (See paragraph 11).

LET'S CULTIVATE QUALITIES THAT HELP US TO BE RELIABLE

12. Explain why love is the basis of trust.

12 Love is the foundation of trust. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love Jehovah and to love your neighbor (Matt. 22:37-39). Since we love Jehovah, we want to be like him, who is the most trustworthy person there is. For example, love for our brothers prompts us not to divulge their personal affairs. Let us never reveal anything that could hurt or embarrass them (John 15:12).

13. How does humility help us to be trustworthy?

13 Humility will help us to be trustworthy. The humble Christian will not try to impress others by being the first to break the news (Phil. 2:3). Nor will he act important by implying that he knows things that he cannot tell. On the other hand, if we are humble, we will not go around hawking our personal ideas on issues that are not mentioned in the Bible or in our publications.

14. How does discernment help us to be trustworthy?

14 Discernment will help a Christian know when it is “time to be quiet” and when it is “time to speak up” (Eccl. 3:7). In some places there is a saying "The word is silver and silence is gold." What he means is that there are times when it is better to remain silent than to speak. No wonder Proverbs 11:12 says: “He that has true discernment keeps silent.” Let's look at the example of an experienced elder who is often asked to help other congregations deal with difficult issues. Another elder says the following about him: “He is always very careful and does not share confidential information from other congregations.” Thanks to your discernment , this experienced elder has earned the respect of the elders of his congregation, as they know that he will not divulge confidential matters.

15. Explain with an example how honesty helps us earn the trust of others.

15 Honesty is another quality that helps us to be trustworthy. Since honest people always tell the truth, they are easy to trust (Eph. 4:25; Heb. 13:18). For example, imagine that a brother wants to improve his way of giving talks. So he asks a friend to listen to him and tell him what he can do better. Who would he go to? Someone who will tell him what he wants to hear, or someone who is honest and will kindly tell him the truth? The answer is clear. The Bible says, “Better is correction expressed than love hidden. The wounds caused by a friend are faithful” (Prov. 27:5, 6). Honest observations from a friend may be hard to accept at first, but they will do us a lot of good in the long run.

16. How does Proverbs 10:19 show that self-control is very important?

16 Self -control is very important if we want to earn the trust of others. This quality helps us bite our tongues when we are tempted to divulge a confidence (read Proverbs 10:19). Something that can test our self-control is social networks. If we are not careful, we could inadvertently reveal sensitive information to a great many people. And once we send that information, we can't control how it's used or undo any damage it might cause. Self-control also helps us to remain silent when our enemies try to trick us into telling them things that may endanger our brothers.This could happen if the police question us in a country where our work is prohibited or restricted. In this and other situations it can help us to put this principle into practice: “I will keep my mouth shut with a muzzle” (Ps. 39:1). We must be trustworthy with our relatives, with our friends, with our brothers and with any other person. And for this it is essential that we have self-control.

17. What can we all do to create an atmosphere of trust in the congregation?

17 We are very grateful that Jehovah has invited us to be part of a family of brothers who love and trust each other. Earning the trust of our brothers is everyone's responsibility and a constant process. If each one strives to show love, humility, discernment, honesty and self-control, he does his bit so that there is an atmosphere of trust in the congregation. Let us imitate the example of our God, Jehovah, and continue to prove ourselves trustworthy.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

What can we learn from trustworthy servants of Jehovah?

Today we highly value the work of elders and ministerial servants, who are trustworthy brothers. Like Daniel, Hananiah, and Tychicus, they take their responsibilities seriously. For example, when we go to the midweek meeting, we are sure that all parts of the program will have been assigned. And the elders are very appreciative that the brothers and sisters prepare well and submit their assignments.

In what situations can you show that you are trustworthy?

In the family with friends and in the congregation.

What qualities will help us earn the trust of others?

Discernment, love, humility, honesty and self-control.