LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: Week of February 27 to March 5, 2023, “Use Biblical principles to help your children be happy serving Jehovah”, Video Analysis and Responses.

LIVING AS CHRISTIANS: 27-February-5-March-2023, "Use Biblical principles to help your children be happy serving Jehovah", Video Analysis and Responses.

“Use Bible principles to help your children be happy serving Jehovah” (10 min.): Discussion with the audience and video.

How can parents show that they are reasonable?

One way is by listening to our children and trying to understand them instead of telling them what to do all the time.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Another way is by helping them understand Jehovah's way of thinking, so they can make good decisions themselves, instead of radically forbidding things all the time.

Another way is to be flexible and leave them a margin of decision so that they learn to be discerning and responsible for their actions. For example: instead of strictly prohibiting them from using social networks, we can help them analyze which social networks are okay for a Jehovah's Witness to use and which ones are not, how much time could they spend on it, what use can they give it, to whom they can add to them and those who can't. 

Parents can show that they are reasonable by being understanding and not going to extremes, because this doesn't work, and what's more, they can cause even more problems with their children. So they should try to understand their point of view and above all help them to have a close relationship with Jehovah.

As the first case shows us, initially the parents are unreasonable, since they completely forbid the young woman to use social networks. But then they realize her mistake and change this rule and tell her that she can use social networks, but as long as she keeps her principles in mind. and there they also realize how it is that with a reasonable attitude they can have a positive response from their children.

Another way to show that we are reasonable is by apologizing to our children when we have made a mistake, in this way we are also helping them to do the same if that is the case.

We can also give our children the confidence to talk to us and tell us about even the most delicate topics, but for this to be possible we must not get irritated easily. So we must work on it if necessary. With this our children will see that although sometimes it is not easy to react reasonably, we are making an effort because we want to be good parents.

How can you apply the principle of James 1:19?

The text of Santiago is very clear, because there it says that we must be slow to hear, to speak, and in terms of anger, that is, we must learn to remain calm. So in the case of parents, they should listen to their children first and not react in an irritated way, in this way they will gradually gain the trust of their children and thus it is more likely that our children will stop hiding things from them.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

As James 1:19 says, Christian parents should be quick to hear and slow to speak, so instead of getting easily irritated, we should make an effort to listen to our children all the time, but especially when problems like the ones in the video arise. . Only then will we know how they feel, why things are happening and what leads them to assume certain attitudes. In the same way we will perceive the best way to help us.

It may be that due to the concerns of life we ​​think that we are applying James 1:19, but in reality we are not dedicating time to our children to talk or listen carefully and we only dedicate ourselves to telling them what to do all the time, if so , we must amend our mistake and take time to talk with them and probe them with thoughtful questions, to help us feel confident and to allow them to express their concerns freely. In this way we will create a favorable environment to ask for and give advice.

James 1:19 also teaches us that we should not rush to give our opinions, punish or prohibit, without first listening to our children, nor should we humiliate them, or reject everything they say immediately, since they should see us as allies and not as enemies. Only in this way can we help each other.

What can they do when problems arise?

First the parents should talk about the problem that has arisen and see how they can help their children, and something very important that reminds us of the last case shown in the video is that instead of punishing their children they should talk to them and make them see little by little what the problem is.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

When problems arise with our children, Christian parents must strive to be reasonable and we do so by listening to them, talking with them, trying to understand their points of view and helping us to get closer to Jehovah, and although it will not always be easy, we can use the guidance and direction of Jehovah, through Biblical principles, the advice of mature brothers, family worship, knowing who they associate with outside the congregation, how they use their social networks, what things worry them and many other things.

One way to help them when there are problems is by setting a good example, we can also encourage ourselves to fulfill their different facets of service, giving them timely and loving advice based on biblical principles, inviting them to preach and study with us, sharing pleasant time with them. , listening carefully and helping them prepare their presentations and assignments.