Watchtower Study, “Keep Your Judgment in All Things,” Week of January 23-29, 2023, Practical Comments and Answers.

Watchtower Study, 23-29-Jan-2023, “Keep Your Judgment in All Things”, Comments and Answers.

"Keep your senses in all things" (2 Tim. 4:5).

1. What does it mean to maintain good judgment? (2 Timothy 4:5).

Maintaining good judgment means staying awake spiritually strong in faith, staying calm, thinking clearly, and striving to see things as Jehovah sees them. Especially when our loyalty to him and his organization is tested or when we go through difficult situations.

Another meaning of keeping good judgment is shown in verse 5 of chapter 4 of the second letter of Timothy. Here is reflected the advice that the apostle Paul gave to Timothy who was a brother with responsibilities in the congregation, in this case it meant that Timothy should not only be on guard to fulfill his role as evangelizer well and carry out his ministry fully, but In addition, he had to entrust the things learned to faithful men who, in turn, would be adequately qualified to teach others, with which the congregation would be built as a bulwark against things to come, such as apostasy and persecution.

2. What will we see in this article?

In this article we will look at three difficult situations that can arise within the congregation and that can test our loyalty to Jehovah. These situations are when we think that a brother has treated us badly, when they discipline us and when we have a hard time adapting to changes in the organization.

In this article we will also look at what we can do to maintain good judgment and remain loyal to Jehovah and his organization if we were to find ourselves affected by any of the situations mentioned above.

WHEN WE THINK A BROTHER HAS TREATED US BADLY

3. What might our reaction be if we think that a brother treated us badly?

Our reaction would most likely be to feel very hurt and disappointed, perhaps we could lose our peace of mind and develop negative feelings. We could also come to wonder if we are really in God's organization and worst of all, perhaps we could move away from Jehovah and his organization.

4. (a) What did Joseph do to keep his senses when he was treated badly? (Genesis 50:19-21).

To maintain his good judgment, Joseph was mainly not filled with bitterness and never thought that Jehovah had abandoned him, despite the fact that he went through many difficult situations, and he never doubted God's love. On the other hand, he always remained calm, he made an effort to see the whole picture, instead of focusing only on his problems, and when he had the opportunity to take revenge on those who had hurt him, he concentrated on forgiving.

4. b) What do we learn from his example?

We learn that if someone treats us badly we should not become bitter or think badly of Jehovah, nor should we think that Jehovah abandoned or forgot us.

Another lesson we learn is that, in these situations, instead of focusing on our pain, we should meditate on how Jehovah has helped us endure trials, as this will motivate us to be willing to forgive and apply principles like First Peter's. 4:8, which teaches that our love for Jehovah and for our neighbor must be great and strong enough to forgive those who have treated us badly.

5. How did Micah manage to keep his senses when he felt he had not been treated well?

Micah felt that the elders had treated him harshly, which caused him a lot of stress, anguish, loss of sleep, and even tears. However, she managed to maintain her good judgment because she struggled to control her negative emotions because she prayed to Jehovah for holy spirit and strength to endure and looked for information in our publications.

Micah says that he struggled to control his emotions, this shows that what this brother went through was not easy, and that it can happen to any of us at some point. So we do well to learn the lesson, tell Jehovah in prayer how we feel and ask him to give us stamina so that in this way we can remain calm and try to control our negative feelings and put ourselves in the place of those who have offended or treated us badly. Giving them the benefit of the doubt or glossing over their offense will help us maintain our good judgment subtopic when we are disciplined.

WHEN WE ARE DISCIPLINED

6. Why is it important that you see Jehovah's discipline as a demonstration of his love? (Hebrews 12:5, 6, 11).

It is important that we see discipline as a sign of love, because Satan wants us to get carried away by negative emotions, so that we reject the discipline that comes from Jehovah. Satan knows that if we reject this discipline we will distance ourselves from Jehovah and his organization and then we will be defenseless against his attacks and attempts to keep us in check.

It shows that Jehovah is our heavenly father and like every father he wants the best for his children. So it is love that moves him to discipline us, a good father does not ignore the bad actions of his children and when he disciplines them, he does it in a balanced way, while instructing them so that they do well. Jehovah does the same therefore we must see Jehovah's discipline as a sign of his love

7. (a) As shown in the pictures, what jobs did Jehovah give Peter after he accepted the discipline?

The work entrusted to Peter was to strengthen his brothers in faith, he had to shepherd them, provide them with comfort, invigorate them and give them spiritual support. Because as Jesus said, satan wanted to sift them like wheat, this was very important since Peter himself had stumbled precisely because he was too confident in his spiritual strength, and because he thought that there was no possibility of stumbling in him. And as we see in the image Peter accepted his discipline and then obediently strengthened his brothers.

7. b) What lesson can we learn from Peter's example?

One lesson we learn is that none of us should ever become overconfident about his spiritual strength, and believe that he will never stumble. So we must be vigilant and keep our good judgment because Satan wants to sift us like wheat and devour us like a roaring lion.

We also learn that Jehovah strives to strengthen us and that discipline is a means for it, so we must see it as a sign of his love.

Another lesson we learn is that Jesus disciplines Peter, but He also does everything He can to strengthen him. He prays on his behalf that he doesn't give up completely, reminds him of Satan's intentions and tactics, gives him time to meditate, and recovers after being disciplined, and also gives him the commission to strengthen his brothers. With all this Jesus showed Peter that discipline was a sign of Jehovah's love and that both he and his father considered it valuable and useful, therefore from this example we learn that we must imitate the example of Jesus when we want to help a brother to readjust and when we want to strengthen others and from Peter's example we learn that we must accept discipline obediently and willingly.

ILLUSTRATION

Jesus rebukes Peter in front of other apostles. Series of images: Responsibilities entrusted to Pedro over time. 1. Peter in a meeting with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 2. Visit Cornelius and his house. 3. Write on a scroll.

Peter was humble and accepted advice and discipline, and thus he was more useful to Jehovah. (See paragraph 7).

8, 9. How did Bernardo feel when he was disciplined at first, but what helped him correct his thinking?

Bernardo felt hurt because he did not like the discipline he received and he was worried that the brothers in the congregation would think badly of him, but the passage of time helped him see things from the correct perspective. It also helped him meditate on the biblical text of Hebrews 12:7 and remember when he as an elder had to correct other brothers, all these things helped him see discipline in a positive way, also reading the Bible and deep meditation They strengthened his confidence in Jehovah and in the organization once again.

WHEN IT IS HARD FOR US TO ADAPT TO CHANGES IN THE ORGANIZATION

10. What organizational change might have tested the loyalty of some Israelites?

For example, the change that occurred with the arrival of the Law of Moses. Until then, the head of the family was the priests of his house and those who built altars and made sacrifices to Jehovah in favor of his own, but with the advent of this law, he no longer had that honor, because Jehovah had appointed priests of the family of Aaron, to offer the sacrifices. Consequently, if someone unauthorized made the sacrifices, they had to die. This change tested the loyalty of some Israelites as was the case with Core and other men who rebelled against Moses and Aaron.

11. What lesson can we learn from the example of some Kohathite Levites?

The Levites and Kohathites had the honor of carrying the Ark of the Covenant in full view when the Israelite camp moved from one place to another, but when they occupied the promised land things changed, because it was no longer necessary to move the ark to another location. . However, the Levites, Cohatitas did not complain, nor did they demand more prominent jobs. From this we learn that regardless of the changes that occur within Jehovah's Organization we must continue to support wholeheartedly. We also learn that we must obediently and willingly accept the changes that occur, even if they affect us personally, and if we are given new assignments for responsibilities we must enjoy and value them.

ILLUSTRATION

Four Kohatites carry the ark of the covenant. Series of images: Responsibilities entrusted to the Cohatitas over time. 1. A cohatita singing. 2. Another cohatita closes a door. 3. Another cohatita keeps a stock count in a warehouse.

When the Cohatitas were assigned new jobs as singers, porters, and storekeepers, they gladly accepted the changes. (See paragraph 11).

12. How did Zaira feel when she had to leave Bethel?

Zaira was hit hard when, after 23 years of Bethel service, she was reassigned as a special pioneer. She came to think that she was no longer good for anything and wondered if she had done something wrong, she felt sunk in sadness and cried every night and she even had to put up with some brothers telling her that if she had done things better she wouldn't they would have let her go. Yet he never felt doubts about the organization or about Jehovah's love.

13. What did Zaira do to overcome the negative feelings?

To overcome her negative feelings, Zaira read articles from our publications that talk about the situation she was going through, such as the one in The Watchtower of February 1, 2001 entitled You can face discouragement, which analyzes the case of the Biblical writer Marcos , who possibly felt like her when facing changes in his service to Jehovah, this helped her not to isolate herself, to understand that the spirit of Jehovah guides her organization and that the responsible brothers cared about her. In the same way, this helped her to understand that the most important thing was that she continue doing the work that Jehovah has entrusted to us.

14. What organizational changes did Vlado have to adapt to, and what helped him to do so?

At 73 years of age, brother Vlado had to accept that his congregation merged with another and that his Kingdom Hall was closed. He did not understand how a hall that had recently been remodeled was going to be closed. It also bothered him because he he had made much of the furniture in the Hall. However, he adapted to these changes in Jehovah's organization. What helped him was concentrating on the fact that changes in Jehovah's organization are always for our benefit and to prepare us for bigger changes in the future. 

It also helped him to keep in mind that when we accept these changes obediently and willingly, we receive many blessings from Jehovah subtopic keep good judgment in all things.

MAINTAIN GOOD JUDGMENT IN ALL THINGS

15. What can we do to maintain good judgment when difficult situations arise within the congregation?

When difficult situations arise within the congregation to maintain good judgment, we must avoid becoming bitter, accept advice, see beyond the shame, in the case of being disciplined, make the necessary changes, continue to wholeheartedly support Jehovah and his organization, willingly accepting both discipline and guidance from Jehovah.

16. What can you do to continue to trust Jehovah and his organization?

In order to continue trusting in Jehovah and in his organization, I must strive to maintain my good judgment, especially when I go through trials, I must also remain calm when difficult situations arise within the congregation, I must always try to see each matter in its proper dimension to be able to think clearly.

I must also study and meditate on the lives of biblical characters who overcame similar situations.

I must also avoid isolating myself from my brothers and above all I must ask Jehovah for help in prayer to prevent Satan from separating me from him and his organization.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO REMAIN LOYAL TO JEHOVAH AND HIS ORGANIZATION IN THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS?

When we think that a brother has treated us badly.

If someone treats us badly, let's not get bitter thinking badly about Jehovah asking ourselves if he has forgotten us. Rather, we should meditate on how it is helping us to cope with the situation. Also, let us be willing to forgive and remember that "love covers a multitude of sins."

Well, when someone treats us badly, we should not blame Jehovah for it, or move away from the congregation, but rather let us focus on how Jehovah is helping us to endure the situation and thus overcome it, we must also ask Jehovah for help and also something The very important thing we have learned is that we must be willing to show love and forgive.

When we are disciplined

It pays to see past the shame of receiving discipline, accept the correction, and make the necessary changes. If we do, we will be more useful to Jehovah and to our brothers.

We must not get carried away by emotions, since that is what Satan is looking for, but rather we must accept the discipline and make the necessary changes, that way Jehovah will reward us later.

When it is difficult for us to adapt to changes in the organization.

We can wholeheartedly support any changes Jehovah's organization makes, even if it affects what we were doing up to that point. Let's enjoy whatever work is assigned to us. Let us remember that our value as a person does not depend on the responsibilities we have in the organization. For Jehovah, our obedience is more important than any assignment.

What we can do is wholeheartedly support the changes that occur, even if at first we do not fully understand them, because we must remember that Jehovah is the one who leads his people and knows what is best for us, and something else that can help us It is reviewing examples of ancient servants of God who have gone through situations similar to ours and, above all, never isolate ourselves from our brothers in the congregation.