Study From The Watchtower, Week of August 7 to 13, 2023, You can reach your spiritual goals, Underlined Answers.

Study From The Watchtower, 7-13-August-2023, You can reach your spiritual goals, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Answer.

Dark Yellow: Additional Answer.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

"Let us not stop doing what is right, for in due time we will reap if we do not get tired" (GAL. 6:9).

1. What struggle do many of us have?

HAVE YOU set any spiritual goals that you have struggled to achieve? If so, he's not the only one who's had that struggle. For example, Philip wanted to pray more often and have deeper prayers, but found it difficult to find times to talk to Jehovah. Erika made it a point to be on time for the meetings to preach. But still she was late for almost everyone. Tomáš tried several times to read the entire Bible. He says: “It's just that he didn't enjoy reading the Bible. He made three attempts, but he couldn't get past Leviticus”.

2. Why shouldn't we get discouraged if we have a spiritual goal that we haven't reached yet?

2 If you're trying to reach a goal but can't, don't get discouraged. It takes time and effort to achieve even the smallest goals. The fact that he has not given up shows that he values ​​his friendship with Jehovah very much and wants to give him the best. Jehovah sees that, and does not ask him for the impossible (Ps. 103:14; Mic. 6:8). So you have to make sure that your goal is realistic, that it is something that you can actually achieve. If you are sure that your goal is reasonable, what can you do to meet it? Let's look at some suggestions.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE MOTIVATED

3. Why is it important to be motivated?

3 To achieve spiritual goals, it is very important that we are motivated. Because? Because if we are determined to achieve what we have set out to do, we will do our best. Motivation is like the wind that pushes a sailboat. If the wind continues to blow, the sailboat will probably reach its destination. And, if it blows hard, it may even arrive sooner than expected. Similarly, the more motivated we are, the more likely we are to achieve our goals. A brother from El Salvador named David says: “When you feel motivated, you try harder. You do everything possible so that nothing prevents you from achieving your goal . So what will help you be more motivated?

4. What can we ask Jehovah? (Philippians 2:13; see also image.)

4 Ask Jehovah to help you be more motivated. Through his spirit, Jehovah is able to give him the motivation he needs to reach his goal.—Read Philippians 2:13. Sometimes we set ourselves a goal because we know it is our duty, and there is nothing wrong with that. But maybe deep down we don't have the desire to do it. That is what happened to Norina , a sister from Uganda. She had proposed to lead a Bible course, but she was not so motivated because she felt that she was not a good teacher. What did she help her? She counts:“I started asking Jehovah every day to help me feel more like teaching someone the Bible. And I also did my part, because I tried to be a better teacher. After a few months, I noticed that I was more motivated. That same year, I started two Bible courses . ”

ILLUSTRATION

A man in a small boat with full sails. Ask Jehovah for more motivation. (See paragraphs 3 and 4).

5. What can we meditate on to be more motivated?

5 Meditate on what Jehovah has done for you (Ps. 143:5). The apostle Paul meditated on the undeserved kindness that Jehovah had shown him, and that moved him to serve him with all his soul (1 Cor. 15:9, 10; 1 Tim. 1:12-14). Similarly, the more you reflect on what Jehovah has done for you, the more motivated you will be to reach his goal.—Ps. 116: 12. Look at what helped a sister in Honduras become a regular pioneer. She says: “I got to thinking about how much Jehovah loves me. He brought me to his town, he takes care of me and protects me. As I meditated on these things, I came to love Jehovah more, and my desire to pioneer grew stronger.”

6. What else will help us to be more motivated?

6 Focus on the benefits of reaching your goal. Let's go back to the example of Erika, mentioned in paragraph 1. What helped her to be punctual? She says: “I realized that by being late for the preaching service, I was missing out on a lot. But if he arrived early enough, he could greet the brothers and talk to them. Also, I could hear practical suggestions that would help me improve and enjoy the ministry more.” As Erika focused on the advantages of being punctual, she achieved her goal. What benefits can you focus on? If your goal involves reading the Bible or praying, consider how your friendship with Jehovah will be strengthened.—Ps. 145:18, 19. If you want to cultivate a Christian quality, focus on how it will help you get along better with others (Col. 3:14).What else can you do? Write down all the reasons why you want to reach that goal and review them from time to time. Tomáš, also mentioned at the beginning, says: “If I see that I have many reasons to reach a goal, I am less likely to give up”.

7. What did Julio and his wife do to reach their goal?

7 Hang out with people who encourage you (Prov. 13:20). Julio and his wife wanted to move to a place of need. He tells what helped them achieve it: “We looked for friends who would support us and we talked with them about our plans. Since many of them had already achieved similar goals, they could give us good advice. They also asked us how the preparations were going and, when we needed it, they encouraged us to keep going.”

WHEN WE DON'T FEEL MOTIVATED

8. What might happen if we only put in effort when we feel motivated? (See also image).

8 To be honest, we all have days when we don't feel very motivated. Does that mean we should give up on our goal? No. Let's go back to the example of the wind and the sailboat. Although the wind can push the sailboat towards its destination, the truth is that it does not always blow with the same force; and some days there is not even wind. Does that mean that the sailor can't go any further? Not necessarily. For example, some sailboats have an engine, and others have oars. So the sailor can use them to continue his voyage. Similarly, there will be days when we are more motivated than others. And sometimes we won't feel like trying. Therefore, if it only depended on our motivation, we might never get anywhere.But just as the sailor finds a way to keep going when there is no wind, we too can keep striving for our goal even when we lack motivation. Sure, this takes effort, but it's worth it. Before we discuss what will help us in that situation, let's answer a question that some might ask.

ILLUSTRATION

The same man rowing to continue his journey. He keep trying. (See paragraph 8).

9. Is it okay for us to strive for a goal if we don't feel like doing it?

 9 Jehovah wants us to serve him with joy and from the heart (Ps. 100:2; 2 Cor. 9:7). So why strive to achieve a spiritual goal if deep down you don't feel like doing it? Consider the example of the Apostle Paul. He said: “I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave” (1 Cor. 9:25-27, note). Paul forced himself to do what Jehovah expected of him even when he didn't feel very motivated. Was Jehovah pleased with Paul's service? Of course. And he rewarded him for his hard work (2 Tim. 4: 7, 8).

10. What are the advantages of striving for a goal even when we don't feel motivated?

10 Jehovah is also happy when he sees that we strive to reach a goal even if we are not motivated. Because? Because we do it out of love for him even though we don't always like the activity we set out to do. Jehovah blessed Paul and he will bless us too if we strive (Ps. 126:5). And as we see Jehovah bless our efforts, we may begin to feel more motivated. A sister from Poland named Lucyna recounts: “Sometimes I don't want to go preach, especially when I'm tired. But the happiness I feel when I return home is priceless; It's a great gift." Let's see now what we can do when we are unmotivated.

11. How does Jehovah help us to have more self-control?

11 Ask Jehovah to help you gain self-control. The person who has self-control knows how to control his feelings and his actions. This quality not only stops us from doing bad things. The other side of the coin is that it drives us to do what is right, especially when we find it difficult or we are not motivated. Let us remember that self-control is part of the fruit of the spirit. So, if we ask Jehovah for his holy spirit, we can cultivate this very important quality (Luke 11:13; Gal. 5:22, 23). David, mentioned in paragraph 3, proposed to be more constant in his personal study. For him, prayer was very important. He says: “I asked Jehovah to help me gain self-control. And he helped me. I started a good personal study program, and I'm sticking with it.”

12. How does Ecclesiastes 11:4 help us reach our spiritual goals?

12 Don't wait for the perfect circumstances. In this world it is very unlikely that we will have them. If we wait idly for them to arrive, we may never reach our goal (see Ecclesiastes 11:4). A brother named Dayniel puts it this way: “Perfect circumstances don't exist. But, when you take the first step, you create the best possible circumstances.” Paul, a brother from Uganda, gives another reason not to procrastinate: “When you keep going despite difficult circumstances, you give Jehovah something to bless” (Mal. 3:10).

13. What are the advantages of going from less to more?

13 Go from less to more. Sometimes we may lack motivation because our goal seems too big. If that's the case for you, why not turn the big goal into several small ones? For example, if you want to develop a quality, how about trying to show it with little things? If you're looking to read the entire Bible, why not schedule shorter reading periods? Tomáš, mentioned at the beginning of this article, found it difficult to read the Bible in a year, as he had proposed. He says: “I realized that reading it all in one year was too much for me. So I decided to start over, but this time at a pace that I could keep up with. I would read a few paragraphs a day and meditate on what I was learning.I was enjoying reading more and more. As Tomáš felt happier, he began to spend more time reading the Bible. And he ended up reading the whole thing. 

DON'T BE DISCOURAGED BY OBSTACLES

14. What obstacles might we face?

14 The sad reality is that even if we have all the motivation in the world, obstacles can still get in our way. For example, an "unforeseen event" could take away the time we need to dedicate it to our goal (Eccl. 9:11). We could also have a problem that discourages us and robs us of strength (Prov. 24:10). Also, because we are imperfect, we make mistakes that may lead us away from our goal (Rom. 7:23). Or perhaps all that happens is that we are tired (Matt. 26:43). What can help us move on or get over a bad day?

15. Why don't we give up on obstacles? (Psalm 145:14).

15 Remember that a step back is not a defeat. According to what the Bible says, we are likely to go through a lot of trouble. But it also tells us that, with Jehovah's help, we can press on and reach our goal.—Read Psalm 145:14. Philip , mentioned in the first paragraph, sees it like this: "For me, the important thing is not how many times you fall, but how many times you get up and continue." Let's go back to David's example. He says: “When things get complicated or I have a bad day, I don't see those situations as obstacles. For me, these are opportunities to tell Jehovah how much I love him.” Yes, when we keep going despite the problems, we show Jehovah that we want to please him.Can you imagine Jehovah's big smile as he sees him struggling to reach his goal?

16. What can obstacles teach us?

16 See obstacles as opportunities to learn. Analyze the situation and ask yourself: “What could I change so that no obstacle stops me again?” (Prov. 27:12). On the other hand, if we have not been able to reach our goal despite the attempts, is it not that what needs to be changed is the goal? To find out if this is your case, think about whether what you proposed is really reasonable for you. Jehovah will not think that you have failed by not reaching a goal that was beyond your reach (2 Cor. 8:12).

17. Why should we keep in mind what we have already accomplished?

17 Keep in mind what you have already accomplished. The Bible says that “God is not unjust and does not forget your works” (Heb. 6:10). So don't forget them either. Think about goals you have already achieved, such as becoming friends with Jehovah, preaching, or getting baptized. The spiritual goals you have accomplished in the past show that you can continue to progress and achieve what you have set out to do now (Phil. 3:16).

18. What should you do as you move toward your goal? (See also image).

18 With Jehovah's help, you can reach your goal, just like the sailor who reaches his destination and feels happy. Also, many sailors enjoy the ride. You, too, can enjoy yourself as you move toward your goal by noticing how Jehovah helps and blesses you along the way.—2 Cor. 4:7. If you don't give up, even greater blessings await you (Gal. 6:9).

ILLUSTRATION

The same man watches from the boat a group of dolphins that jump at sunset. Enjoy the ride. (See paragraph 18).

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

What will help us to be more motivated to reach a goal?

We have seen what will help us reflect are Jehovah's manifestations of love. So this is going to generate in us a desire for gratitude, and that desire for gratitude is going to be transformed into motivation that is going to help us serve Jehovah.

Another thing that can help us is to focus on the advantages and benefits that we will obtain by reaching our spiritual goals, since we can strengthen our motivation and maintain a constant commitment to our spiritual growth and service to others.

What can we do when we lack motivation?

What we can do is pray, asking Jehovah to give us the necessary motivation to achieve spiritual goals. This can influence us as the desire and determination to carry out what we have proposed.

How should we view the obstacles?

We must see them as opportunities to develop perseverance. Learning to overcome challenges helps us strengthen our resolve and face future obstacles with greater confidence. They also challenge us to find creative solutions and adapt to changing situations. As we face challenges, we learn to think outside the box and find different ways to approach problems.