DAILY TEXT, Today Wednesday May 31, 2023,  Take good care of your sheep (Prov. 27:23).

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Wednesday May 31

Take good care of your sheep (Prov. 27:23).

The principle of James 1:19 applies to those who give advice. Santiago wrote: "Everyone should be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to anger." An elder should not assume that he knows all the circumstances of the brother he is going to advise. Proverbs 18:13 reminds us: “To answer a matter before hearing the facts is foolish and humiliating.” It is best to ask the person directly, and for this you have to listen before you speak. The elder might ask questions like “how are you?”, “how are you feeling?”, “how can I help you?”. If the elders care about the situation of the brothers, they are more likely to help and encourage them. To get good results when advising someone, it is not enough to read a few texts and give a few suggestions. Siblings need to feel that we care about them, that we understand them, and that we want to help them. w22.02 17 paras. 14, 15.

What must the elders do for their advice to have a good effect?

The elders should avoid giving the impression that they only talk to the brothers when they have to call them out for something. Instead, they should get into the habit of talking to them and taking an interest in them when they are having difficulties. An experienced elder says that if you do this, you will become good friends with the brothers. And he adds: "Then when the need to give advice arises, it will be much easier to do so." And, in turn, it will be much easier for the person receiving the advice to accept it.

When is it especially important for the elderly to show patience and caring?

Show patience and affection. It is especially important to show patience and caring when someone initially rejects Bible-based advice or is slow to act on it. The elders shouldn't be upset if that happens. They should follow the example of Jesus, of whom it was said in a certain prophecy: "He will not break a reed that is broken or quench a wick that is barely burning" (Matt. 12:20). Thus, the elder can ask Jehovah in his personal prayers to help the person see why he needs the advice and to put it into practice. She may need time to think about what was said to her. If the elder is patient and loving, the person will focus on the advice and not how it was given. Of course, the advice should always be based on the Word of God.

What should we remember when giving advice? y As seen in the image and in the box, what should parents analyze before advising a child?

Learn from your mistakes. Since we all make mistakes, we will not be able to perfectly apply the suggestions in this article (James 3:2). We are going to make mistakes, but we must strive to learn from them. If the brothers see that we love them, it will be easier for them to forgive us if we do or say something that offends them. (See also the sidebar “A Message to Parents.”)

How can we gladden the hearts of our brothers?

As we have seen, it is not easy to give effective advice. We are all imperfect, both those who give advice and those who receive it. Therefore, let us remember the principles that we have analyzed in this article. When we advise someone, let's do it with the right motivation. Also, let's make sure that the advice is really needed and who is the right person to give it. Ask questions and listen carefully to learn what the person's circumstances are. Let's strive to put ourselves in their place. Let's treat brothers with affection and be good friends with them. Let's not forget our goal: to give advice that has a good effect and that gladdens the heart (Prov. 27:9).

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