DAILY TEXT, Today, Friday, March 1, 2024, Why are you showing off? (1 Cor. 4:7).

DAILY TEXT, Today's Friday, March 1, 2024, Why are you bragging? (1 Cor. 4:7).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024

Friday March 1, 2024

Why are you bragging? (1 Cor. 4:7).

The apostle Peter advised his brothers to use whatever gifts or talents they had to encourage their fellow Christians. He wrote, “According to the gift each of you has received, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's free kindness” (1 Pet. 4:10). We should not hold back from using our abilities to the fullest for fear that others will be envious or discouraged. But let us be careful not to boast about them (1 Cor. 4:6). Let us remember that any ability we have has been given to us by God. So let's use it to encourage the congregation, not to show off (Phil. 2:3). When we use our energies and talents to do God's will, we have reason to rejoice. Because? Because we are using everything we have to praise Jehovah, not to stand above others or make them feel that we are superior to them. w22.04 11, 12 paras. 7-9.

Why is it absurd to compare ourselves with others?

If we are not careful, we could fall into the trap of comparing our strengths to the weaknesses of others. Let's take an example. A brother may be very good at giving public speeches. That's his strong point. But maybe in his heart he believes he is superior to a brother who has a hard time presenting speeches. However, this brother may excel in other things, for he may be hospitable, he may be raising his children well, or he may be very enthusiastic in preaching. How grateful we are that there are so many brothers and sisters who use their talents to serve Jehovah and help others.

Why should we strive to follow Jesus' example?

Although it is not good to compare ourselves with others, we learn a lot when we look at the example of other servants of Jehovah. Let us think of Jesus, who is our best model. Although we are not perfect like him, we can learn from his beautiful qualities and his ways of acting (1 Pet. 2:21). If we make every effort to faithfully follow in his footsteps, we will be better servants of Jehovah and will have better results in the ministry.

What do we learn from King David?

The Bible tells us about many men and women who, despite their imperfections, are good examples for us (Heb. 6:12). One of them is King David. Speaking of him, Jehovah said: “I have found… a man who pleases my heart” (Acts 13:22). But David was not perfect. In fact, he made some serious mistakes. Still, he left us a good example. Because? Because, when they corrected him, he didn't try to make excuses. Rather, he accepted firm discipline and heartily repented for what he had done. And for that reason Jehovah forgave him (Ps. 51:3, 4, 10-12).

David's example can help us if we ask ourselves questions like these: “How do I respond when someone advises me? Do I immediately admit my mistakes, or do I try to make excuses? Is my first reaction to blame others? Do I make an effort not to repeat my mistakes?” Let us ask ourselves similar questions as we study the lives of faithful men and women of the Bible. Did they face difficulties similar to ours? What qualities did they demonstrate? In each case, let us ask ourselves: “How can I be more like this loyal servant of Jehovah?”

How does it benefit us to look to the example of other Christians?

We can also learn a lot from our brothers, whether young or old. We may think of someone in our congregation who is faithfully facing trials such as peer pressure, family opposition, or poor health. Does that person demonstrate qualities in which we can improve? If we look at his example, we will learn things that will help us cope with our difficulties. Don't we really value these examples of faith? Without a doubt, they give us countless reasons to rejoice (Heb. 13:7; James 1:2, 3).

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