Watchtower Study, Week of November 20-26, 2023, If we are gentle, we are strong, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, November 20-26, 2023, If we are gentle, we are strong, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response.

Dark Yellow: Additional Response.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

“The slave of the Lord does not have to fight, but must be kind to everyone” (2 TIM. 2:24).

1. What kinds of questions might our co-workers or classmates ask us?

 HOW do you feel when a coworker or classmate asks you about your beliefs ? Do you get a little nervous? Many of us feel this way. But those types of questions can tell us a lot about what the other person thinks or feels, and it also gives us the opportunity to preach. However, sometimes someone may ask a question in a challenging tone, and that should not surprise us. Perhaps you have been carried away by what other people have said about us (Acts 28:22). Furthermore, we live in “the last days,” a period in which many are “unwilling to come to terms” and “fierce” (2 Tim. 3:1, 3).

2. Why is it good to be gentle?

2 You may wonder how you can be kind and stay calm when someone harshly questions your beliefs. There is one quality that will help you: mildness. The gentle person does not get angry easily and is able to control his temper when he is provoked or does not know how to respond (Prov. 16:32). Maybe you think that behaving like this is very difficult. But it is possible to develop this quality. As? What suggestions will help you be calm when another person wants to debate with you about his or her beliefs? And if you have children, how can you help them gently defend their faith? Let's see.

3. Why do we say that gentle people are actually strong? (2 Timothy 2:24, 25).

3 The gentle person is not weak, but strong. Staying calm in difficult situations requires a lot of inner strength.   Mildness is an aspect of the “fruit of the spirit” (Gal. 5:22, 23). The Greek word translated “mildness” was sometimes used to describe a wild horse that had been tamed. Can you imagine the change? From being a wild horse to being a gentle horse…, gentle but strong. And we? How can we be gentle and strong at the same time? We cannot achieve it alone; we need to ask God for his spirit. It has been proven that gentleness is not unattainable. For example, many Witnesses have shown this beautiful quality when other people have argued with them, and this has helped others form a good impression of the Witnesses. (Read 2 Timothy 2:24, 25.) What can you do to make mildness one of your virtues?

4. What do we learn from Isaac's example?

4 In many stories in the Bible the value of mildness is highlighted . For example, when Isaac lived in Gerar, the Philistines, who were the inhabitants of the place, began to envy him, and they covered with earth the wells that his father's servants had dug. Instead of fighting to keep his wells, Isaac moved away and dug others (Gen. 26:12-18). But the Philistines began to say that the water in that place was theirs too. Through it all, Isaac remained calm (Gen. 26:19-25). What helped him to be gentle even when he was so persistently provoked? Surely he learned a lot from his parents' example. Abraham was peaceful, and Sarah was “quiet and peaceful” (1 Pet. 3:4-6; Gen. 21:22-34).

5. What example shows that parents can teach their children to value gentleness?

5 Christian parents can also teach their children to value mildness. Let's see what happened to Maxence, who is 17 years old. He had to deal with rude people in school and in preaching. With patience, his parents helped him be peaceful. They say: “Our son has come to understand that it requires more inner strength to control himself than to get angry or pay in kind.” It's a good thing that mildness is now one of Maxence's virtues!

6. How does prayer help us be more peaceful?

6 Imagine yourself in a very tense situation. For example, someone says unkind things about Jehovah or mocks what the Bible teaches. What can help us? Ask Jehovah to give us his spirit and wisdom to respond in a peaceful way. And what can we do if we realize that we should have responded better? Talk to Jehovah again and think about how we could handle the situation next time. If we do that, he will give us his holy spirit from him so that we can control ourselves and show mildness.

WRITE YOUR RESPONSE

7. When tense situations arise, how can knowing some biblical texts by heart help us? (Proverbs 15:1, 18).

7 Some biblical texts can help us speak mildly when tense or difficult situations arise. The holy spirit can cause us to remember those verses (John 14:26). For example, the book of Proverbs contains principles that help us be gentle (read Proverbs 15:1, 18). It also shows us the advantages of controlling ourselves in stressful circumstances (Prov. 10:19; 17:27; 21:23; 25:15).

INSIGHT HELPS US TO BE GENTLE

8. What is good to keep in mind when someone questions our beliefs

8 Insight can also help us (Prov. 19:11). The insightful person knows how to control himself when someone questions his beliefs. Let's take an example. When we see an iceberg, we only see the tip; the largest part is hidden under the water. The same thing can happen when someone asks us a question; Many times we do not know the real reason why he did it to us. Therefore, before responding, it is good to remember that we may not know why the person brought up the topic (Prov. 16:23).

9. How did Gideon demonstrate that he was insightful and gentle?

9 Let's think about Gideon. On one occasion, the men of Ephraim angrily reproached him for not inviting them to go with him to fight against Israel's enemies. What was hidden behind those reproaches? Could it be that their pride was hurt? In any case, Gideon was insightful, respected his feelings, and responded to them mildly. Which it was the result? “When he spoke to them thus, they became calm” (Judges 8:1-3).

10. What can help us react well when we are asked about our beliefs? (1 Peter 3:15).

10 Maybe a coworker or classmate asks us what our position is on some moral issue. Sure, we want to defend our beliefs, but we must do so while respecting the other person's point of view (read 1 Peter 3:15). Something that can help us is to see the question as an opportunity to discover what worries the person, and not as an attack or criticism. Regardless of the reason why the person brought up the subject, it is good that we respond in a kind and calm way. That may lead her to question his own opinion. Our goal should always be to treat people with kindness, even if they speak harshly or sarcastically to us (Rom. 12:17).

11, 12. What is the first thing we should do before responding? Give an example of how that can lead to a pleasant conversation. (See also the image).

11 Let's imagine that a co-worker asks us why we don't celebrate birthdays. What could we think about before responding? Could it be that he thinks they're not letting us have a good time? Or is she worried that we will ruin the good work environment? We could start by telling him that we really appreciate his interest in his colleagues and then assure him that we also like to have a good environment at work. Maybe that will put your mind at ease and open the door to a nice conversation about what the Bible implies about birthdays.

12 We could do something similar when other controversial issues arise. For example, a classmate may say that Jehovah's Witnesses should change his views on homosexuality. Is he saying that because he has the wrong idea about what the Witnesses believe? Will you have a gay friend or family member? Does he think we hate homosexuals? We may need to reassure him that we care about all people and respect their right to make their own decisions (1 Pet. 2:17). Perhaps this will give us the opportunity to explain why it is good to follow the rules of the Bible.

ILLUSTRATION

A sister is working in her office and a colleague offers her a piece of birthday cake. In the office next door there are more people eating, drinking and having a good time. If someone invites you to a birthday, think first about the possible reasons. That will help you respond better. (See paragraphs 11 and 12).

13. How can you help someone who says believing in God is ridiculous?

13 If someone who disagrees with our beliefs strongly expresses his opinion, let us not be too hasty and assume that we know what he believes (Titus 3:2). Let's say a classmate tells you that it's ridiculous to believe in God. Would you assume that he believes in evolution and knows a lot about the subject? In reality he may have never given the matter much thought. Therefore, instead of starting to debate about evolution, it is best to say something that makes him think. Perhaps you could send him a link to a jw.org article or video about creation. He may be willing to watch some more with you later. Talking to him respectfully may encourage him to reconsider his opinion.

14. How did Niall use jw.org to help a colleague who had the wrong idea about the Witnesses?

14 A teenager named Niall used jw.org to help someone who had misconceptions about us. Niall said: “I had a classmate who was always telling me that I didn't believe in science and that I trusted a story book more than tests.” Since his classmate wouldn't let him explain his beliefs, Niall told him to look at the “Bible and Science” section on jw.org. Later, Niall got the impression that his partner had read the information, and it was easier for him to talk to him about the origin of life. It can go this well for us too.

PRACTICE AS A FAMILY

15. What can parents do to help their children respond mildly?

15 Parents can teach their children to respond mildly when someone questions their beliefs (James 3:13). What some parents do is have practice sessions during family worship. They analyze topics that could arise at school and role-play how to respond. In addition, they teach their children to speak in a calm and interesting way. (See sidebar “Practice sessions can help your family.”)

ILLUSTRATION

In family worship, a child gives a response to his father during a practice session.

Practice Sessions Can Help Your Family

Many have found it helpful to discuss controversial topics that might arise at school or work during family worship. (Prov. 9:9) Think about how you would respond if someone said something like this to you: 

“Only ignorant people believe in God.”

“Evolution is a fact that is more than proven.”

“If it is true that there is a Creator, who created him?”

“Jehovah's Witnesses hate homosexuals.”

“Why do Jehovah's Witnesses pressure people to change their religion?”

“You have changed the Bible to fit your beliefs.”

16, 17. How can practice sessions help young people?

16 Practicing as a family not only helps young people present convincing arguments, but also convinces themselves that their beliefs are founded. The jw.org sections “Young People Ask” and “Put It Down” are designed to strengthen the faith of young people and help them explain their beliefs in their own words. If we discuss this information as a family, we will all learn to defend our faith in a peaceful and interesting way.

17 A young man called Matthew says that the practice sessions have helped him a lot. In family worship, he often researches with his parents topics that might come up in class. He explains: “We imagine possible situations that could arise and practice how to handle them taking into account what we have studied. When I am clear about why I believe what I believe, I feel secure and it becomes easier for me to be gentle with others.”

18. According to Colossians 4:6, what should we give importance to?

18 Having logical arguments is sometimes not enough to convince others. But expressing ourselves tactfully and mildly can help (read Colossians 4:6). Talking to someone about our beliefs is like throwing a ball at them. We can throw it gently or throw it hard. When we pass it gently, it is easier for the other person to catch it and continue playing. In the same way, if we express ourselves tactfully and gently, the person is more likely to want to continue listening and not cut off the conversation. Of course, if someone wants to argue or make fun of us, we are not obligated to continue the conversation (Prov. 26:4). But most people are not like that; many may listen to us.

19. What can motivate us to be gentle when defending our beliefs?

19 As we saw, setting the goal of being peaceful has many advantages. Ask Jehovah to give you strength to be gentle when others raise controversial topics or criticize you unfairly. Don't forget that mildness will prevent a difference of opinion from turning into a heated debate. And a respectful and gentle response may cause some to reconsider their opinion of us and of Bible teachings. So always be ready “to present a defense…with mildness and deep respect” (1 Pet. 3:15). Be gentle yet strong!

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How can we develop mildness?

We can develop passivity by asking Jehovah for it, as it is part of the qualities of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, doing our part, recognizing the benefits of being gentle, and learning from others by giving responses.

How does insight help us respond with gentleness?

The insightful person knows how to control himself when someone questions his beliefs. Insight allows us to see the reasons why the person asks a certain question or comment, and see whether it is appropriate to continue or not continue the game. Sure, we want to, but we must do it while respecting the other person's point of view.

What can parents do to help their children defend their faith with gentleness?

They can do practice sessions with their children, analyze topics that may arise at school, and role-play how to respond to those questions. Additionally, you can teach your children to speak in a way that is calm and interesting.