DAILY TEXT, Thursday July 18, 2024. This is my commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you (John 15:12).

DAILY TEXT, Today Thursday, July 18, 2024. This is my commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you (John 15:12).

Let us examine the scriptures every day 2024

Thursday July 18, 2024

This is my commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you (John 15:12).

Love is the basis of trust. Jesus said that the two most important commandments are to love Jehovah and love your neighbor (Matt. 22:37-39). Because we love Jehovah, we want to be like him, who is the most trustworthy person there is. For example, love for our brothers drives us not to disclose their personal affairs. Let us never reveal anything that could hurt or embarrass them. Humility will also help us be trustworthy. The humble Christian will not try to impress others by being the first to give news (Phil. 2:3). Nor will he act important by implying that he knows things that he cannot tell. On the other hand, if we are humble, we will not go around preaching our personal ideas on issues that are not mentioned in the Bible or in our publications. w22.09 12 paras. 12, 13.

How does discernment help us be trustworthy?

Discernment will help a Christian know when it is “time to be silent” and when it is “time to speak” (Eccl. 3:7). In some places there is the saying “The word is silver and silence is gold.” What this means is that there are times when it is better to remain silent than to speak. No wonder Proverbs 11:12 says, “He who has true discernment remains silent.” Let's look at the example of an experienced elder who is frequently asked to help other congregations deal with difficult issues. Another elder says this about him: “He is always very careful and does not share confidential information about other congregations.” Thanks to his discernment, this experienced elder has earned the respect of the elders in his congregation, as they know that he will not divulge confidential matters.

Explain with an example how honesty helps us earn the trust of others.

Honesty is another quality that helps us be trustworthy. Because honest people always tell the truth, it is easy to trust them (Eph. 4:25; Heb. 13:18). For example, let's imagine that a brother wants to improve his way of giving speeches. So he asks a friend to listen to him and tell him what he can improve on. Who would he go to? Someone who will tell him what he wants to hear, or someone who is honest and will kindly tell him the truth? The answer is clear. The Bible says: “Expressed correction is better than hidden love. Wounds caused by a friend are faithful” (Prov. 27:5, 6). A friend's honest observations may be difficult to accept at first, but in the long run they will do us a lot of good.

How does Proverbs 10:19 show that self-control is very important?

Self-control is very important if we want to gain the trust of others. This quality helps us hold our tongue when we are tempted to divulge a confidence (read Proverbs 10:19). Something that can test our self-control is social media. If we are not careful, we could inadvertently reveal confidential information to many, many people. And once we send that information we can't control how it will be used or undo the damage it may cause. Self-control also helps us stay silent when our enemies try to trick us into telling them things that could endanger our brothers. This could happen if we are questioned by the police in a country where our work is prohibited or restricted. In this and other situations it can help us to put this principle into practice: “I will keep my mouth covered with a muzzle” (Ps. 39:1). We must be trustworthy with our family, with our friends, with our brothers and with anyone else. And for this it is essential that we have self-control.

What can we all do to create an atmosphere of trust in the congregation?

We are very grateful that Jehovah has invited us to be part of a family of brothers who love and trust each other. Earning the trust of our brothers is everyone's responsibility and a constant process. If each one strives to show love, humility, discernment, honesty and self-control, he does his part so that there is an atmosphere of trust in the congregation. Let us imitate the example of our God, Jehovah, and continue to demonstrate that we are trustworthy.

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