DAILY TEXT, Today's  Friday, October 6, 2023,  Let us not become self-centered, envying one another (Gal. 5:26).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2023

Friday October 6

Let us not become self-centered, envying one another (Gal. 5:26).

The self-centered person is proud and selfish. The envious person not only desires what another person has, but also desires that that person not have it. Therefore, being envious of someone means hating them. Egocentrism and envy are similar to the impurities that foul airplane fuel. The plane may manage to take off; But if impurities clog the fuel lines, the plane may crash. Similarly, someone may have been serving Jehovah for some time; But if there is self-centeredness and envy inside, you will end up crashing (Prov. 16:18). He will fail to serve Jehovah, harm himself, and harm others. We can fight self-centeredness if we follow this advice from the apostle Paul: “Do nothing motivated by a conflicting or self-centered spirit, but humbly think that others are superior to you” (Phil. 2:3). w21.07 15 paras. 6-8.

What questions should we ask ourselves ?

It is a good idea to analyze ourselves 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 simply my desire to give the best to Jehovah?” Why is it important to answer these questions? Let's see what the Bible says.

Why should we not compare ourselves with others, as Galatians 6:3, 4 says?

The Bible tells us not to compare ourselves with others (read Galatians 6:3, 4). Because? Because, if when we compare ourselves with others we feel superior, we can become proud. And, if we feel inferior, we can become discouraged. Neither option reflects good judgment (Rom. 12:3). A sister from Greece named Katerinab says: “I had a habit of comparing myself to other sisters who seemed prettier, more skilled in ministry, and friendlier. “That made me feel like I was worthless.” 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).

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

We can also ask ourselves: “Do others see me as someone who always seeks 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 says: “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 must take action if we notice that we have a tendency to promote competition instead of seeking peace.

What will help us control the tendency to envy?

What will help us control the tendency to envy? Be modest, that is, recognize that we have limitations. If we are modest, we will not try to prove 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 us. For example, if a brother in the congregation presents excellent public talks, we can ask him how he prepares them. If a sister cooks very well, we can ask her for some tips to improve. And, if a young person doesn't have much ease in making friends, perhaps she can ask someone who does for suggestions. All this will help us avoid envy and improve our own skills.

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