Please God Through Accurate Knowledge

AS SINCERE, dedicated Christians we desire with all our heart to please Jehovah. We want to do, not what is right in our own eyes, but “what is right in the eyes of Jehovah.” We want to please him because it is right, because we love him and because our everlasting life depends upon it. So we pray: “Teach me thy way, O Jehovah.”—Deut. 13:18, NW; Ps. 27:11, AS.a

But we must do our part, as the apostle shows: “Be filled with the accurate knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual discernment, in order to walk worthily of Jehovah to the end of fully pleasing him as you go on bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the accurate knowledge of God.”—Col. 1:9, 10, NW.

Accurate knowledge is essential to our ministry. If we would wield “the sword of the spirit” effectively we must be completely equipped for every good work by accurate knowledge. Additionally, accurate knowledge will help us to strip off our old personality with its practices and to clothe ourselves “with the new personality which through accurate knowledge is being renewed according to the image of the one who created it.”—Col. 3:9, 10, NW.

As Christ foretold, Jehovah today has a “faithful and discreet slave” organization that he is using to bring forth spiritual food from his storehouse. That organization aids us in acquiring this accurate knowledge. To do so, however, takes effort on our part. At times we may have to struggle, persevere and make it a matter of prayer, even as Jacob wrestled all night for a blessing. At times it may be necessary to go to a mature brother for help or, as a last resort, to write to the Society.

In our quest for accurate knowledge we should go about it in a systematic way. We should have regular times for study and then not let anything interfere if we can at all prevent it. In fact, we should set aside some time every day for taking in spiritual food, preferably when our minds are alert, as at the beginning of the day or after a brief rest period. Moderation at the table will keep us from getting drowsy when we want to take in accurate knowledge.

To get the greatest amount of accurate knowledge from our meeting attendance we must prepare in advance; only then can we give and receive to the full. Especially should servants in the congregation be careful to make full use of their privileges in this respect.

In our efforts to acquire accurate knowledge we must concentrate. To do that we must be keenly interested in what we are studying. It will help us to remember what we read if we bring our imagination into play, calling upon our five senses to make what we read come to life. To retain abstract arguments we should endeavor to associate new ideas with one another and with what we have previously learned. Repetition will also aid us in this respect. For example, after reading a paragraph, section or chapter, close the publication and endeavor to reconstruct the main points of what you have just read. Underscoring key thoughts in the publication we are studying, if it is our own, will further aid us to impress them upon our minds as well as make for easy future reference.

In ways such as these we shall acquire accurate knowledge and be able to present ourselves “approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright.”—2 Tim. 2:15, NW.

[Footnotes]