DAILY TEXT, From today  Friday, September 29, 2023,  I will relieve you (Matt. 11:28).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2023

Friday, September 29

I will relieve them (Matt. 11:28).

Jesus showed that he was kind by being loving and reasonable, even in difficult circumstances (Matt. 11:29, 30). For example, when a Phoenician woman begged him to cure her daughter, he at first did not do what she asked. But he was kind to her and healed the girl when he saw her great faith (Matt. 15:22-28). Now, he did not allow himself to be carried away by sentimentality. Sometimes kindness required him to be firm with those he loved. For example, when Peter tried to influence Jesus not to do Jehovah's will, he rebuked him in front of the other disciples (Mark 8:32, 33). He did not do it to humiliate Peter, but to teach him and to warn the other disciples that they should support him and not prevent him from doing the will of God. Without a doubt, Pedro felt a little embarrassed, but it was for his own good. To be truly kind to those we love, sometimes we have to speak frankly. When we do, let us imitate Jesus and base our advice on the principles of God's Word. w22.03 11:12, 13.

How did Jesus demonstrate kindness?

Jesus not only knows what is good; he does it too. He loves his Father, so he always does what is right and with the right motive. The person who manifests kindness always looks for ways to help others and do things for them. It is not enough to know what is good; We have to do it and with the right reason. Someone might ask: “Is it possible to do something good with a bad motive?” Of course it is possible. For example, Jesus spoke of those who gave alms to the poor but made sure others knew what they were doing. These apparent good works did not impress Jehovah (Matt. 6:1-4).

How can we be truly good?

We can only be truly good if we do good things thinking about others and not out of selfishness. We should ask ourselves: “Can I say that I not only know what is right, but that I do it? Why do I do good things?”

What do we have to do every day, and why?

Let us not think that when we are baptized we completely clothe ourselves with the new personality, and we no longer have to do anything else. The new personality is like a piece of clothing that we must keep in good condition. Therefore, every day we have to look for new ways to manifest the fruit of God's spirit. Because? For Jehovah is a God of action, and his spirit is an active force (Gen. 1:2). This means that each of the qualities of the fruit of the spirit can and should motivate us to act. For example, the disciple James wrote: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). And the same can be said of the other qualities that the spirit of God produces. Every time we manifest them, we demonstrate that the spirit of God is acting in us.

What can we do when we do not manifest the fruit of the spirit as we should?

Even Christians who have been baptized for many years sometimes do not manifest the fruit of the spirit as expected. But the important thing is not to give up. Let's take an example. If our favorite item of clothing tears, don't we throw it away right away? We will most likely try to fix it, if possible. And from then on we would be more careful. Similarly, if we ever do not treat someone with as much kindness, patience, or love as we should, let us not be discouraged. A sincere apology can repair the damage and be the first step in restoring our good relationship with that person. And let's aim to do better next time.

What can we be sure of?

How grateful we are to have the example of Jesus! The more we imitate his way of thinking, the easier it will be for us to act like him. And this way we will better reflect the new personality. In this article, we have only talked about four of the qualities of the fruit of God's spirit. But it would be good for us to spend time analyzing other qualities that the spirit produces to see if we can manifest them better. We will find a list of very useful articles in the Study Guide for Jehovah's Witnesses, under the topic “Christian Living” and then “Fruit of the Spirit.” We can be sure that if we work hard to put on the new personality and continue to wear it, Jehovah will help us.

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