DAILY TEXT, From today  Thursday September 7, 2023,  Let each one examine his own actions, and then he will have reason to rejoice in what he himself has done (Gal. 6:4).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2023

Thursday September 7

Let each one examine his own actions, and then he will have reason to rejoice in what he himself has done (Gal. 6:4).

It's a good idea to check in from time to time. We can ask ourselves: “Do I need to compare myself to others in order to feel good about myself? What drives me to work in the congregation? Is it a desire to be better than others, or at least better than a certain brother or sister? Or is it just my desire to give my best to Jehovah?” The Bible tells us not to compare ourselves to others. Because? Because if we feel superior when comparing ourselves to others, we can become proud. And, if we feel inferior, we can become discouraged (Rom. 12:3). Let us remember that Jehovah did not bring us to him because of our beauty, ease of speech or popularity, but because we are willing to love him and listen to his Son (John 6:44; 1 Cor. 1: 26-31). w21.07 14, 15 pars. 3. 4.

What do you learn from what happened to a brother named Hyun?

We can also ask ourselves: “Do others see me as someone who is always looking for peace, or do I get into conflicts with others every now and then?” Let's look at the case of a brother named Hyun, who lives in South Korea. There was a time when he saw those who had privileges in the congregation as rivals. He recounts: "I criticized them and almost never agreed with what they said." Which it was the result? He admits: “My attitude caused divisions in the congregation.” Several of his friends helped him see that he had a problem. Hyun made the necessary changes, and today he is a very good old man. What do we learn? That we should take action if we notice that we have a tendency to promote competition instead of seeking peace.

According to Galatians 5:26, what defects can lead us to manifest a spirit of competition?

(Read Galatians 5:26.) What defects can lead us to manifest a spirit of competition? One is egocentrism. The self-centered person is proud and selfish. Another defect is envy. The envious person not only wants what another person has, but he also wants that person not to have it. So, being envious of someone implies hating them. Without a doubt, we want to avoid these defects like the plague.

What example helps us understand the damage caused by self-centeredness and envy?

Egocentrism and envy are similar to the impurities that dirty the fuel of an airplane. The plane may get off the ground; But if debris clogs the fuel lines, the engines may lose power just before landing and the plane crashes. Similarly, someone may have been serving Jehovah for a while; but, if there is self-centeredness and envy inside, it will end up crashing (Prov. 16:18). He will stop serving Jehovah, harm himself and harm others. How can we avoid becoming self-centered and envious?

How can we fight against egocentrism?

We can fight against self-centeredness if we follow the advice that the apostle Paul gave to the Philippians: “Do not do anything out of a contentious or self-centered spirit, but humbly think that others are superior to you” (Phil. 2:3). . If we think that others are superior, we will not compete with those who have more talents or abilities than us, but we will be happy for them. This is especially true if they are using their abilities for the praise of Jehovah. For their part, if the brothers who have talents also follow Paul's advice, they will focus on the good qualities they see in us. The result will be that we will all foster peace and unity in the congregation.

What will help us control the tendency to envy?

What will help us control the tendency to envy? Being modest, that is, recognizing that we have limitations. If we are modest, we will not try to show that we have more talent and ability than other people. Rather, we will look for ways to learn from those who do certain things better than we do. For example, if a brother in the congregation gives excellent public talks, we can ask him how he prepares them. If a sister cooks very well, we can ask her for some advice to improve. And, if a young person doesn't have an easy way to make friends, she may be able to ask someone who does for suggestions. All this will help us avoid envy and improve our own abilities.

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