Help Men to Progress Spiritually
THEME SCRIPTURE
“From now on you will be catching men alive.”—LUKE 5:10.
1, 2. (a) What did many men do when they heard Jesus preach? (b) What will we learn about in this article?
JESUS and his disciples had been busy preaching in Galilee. One day, they went by boat to rest in a quiet place. But many people followed them along the shore. There were “about five thousand men, besides women and young children.” (Matthew 14:21) At another time, a crowd came to Jesus because they wanted him to heal them and they wanted to hear him teach. In the crowd, there were “four thousand men, besides women and young children.” (Matthew 15:38) Many men were among the people who came to Jesus and wanted to learn more about what he was teaching. But Jesus knew that many others would accept the truth, because after the miracle when he filled the disciples’ nets with fish, he said: “From now on you will be catching men alive.” (Luke 5:10) Jesus meant that their preaching was like their fishing. He could help them find many people who would accept the truth. These would include many men.
2 There are also men today who like the message that we preach. They are happy for us to study the Bible with them. (Matthew 5:3) Some men start learning about God but do not progress in the truth. How can we help them? In his ministry, Jesus did not preach in a different way to men. But he wanted to help them because there are some situations that worry men especially. In this article, we will learn how Jesus helped men and how we can imitate him. We will talk about three situations: (1) if a man is anxious about money, (2) if a man is afraid of what others think, and (3) if a man thinks that he is not as good as others.
IF A MAN IS ANXIOUS ABOUT MONEY
3, 4. (a) What do many men think is important? (b) Why do some men think that money and a job are more important than accepting the truth?
3 A man who was an expert on the Law of Moses said to Jesus: “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you are about to go.” Jesus then told him that “the Son of man has nowhere to lay down his head.” But the Bible does not say that he became a follower of Jesus. So maybe the man was anxious about where he would live and what he would eat.—Matthew 8:19, 20.
4 Many men think that having money and a job is more important than studying the Bible and obeying what it teaches. To get a university degree and a well-paid job is more important to them. They know that they need money to live every day. So they think that money and a job can benefit them more than studying the Bible and becoming God’s friend. They may like what the Bible teaches, but “the anxieties of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches” stop them from learning more about God or obeying what he says. (Mark 4:18, 19) But Jesus helped his disciples decide what was most important, and we can imitate his example.
5, 6. What helped Andrew, Peter, James, and John to decide what was the most important work for them?
5 Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen. They worked with John, his brother James, and their father, Zebedee. Their fishing business was doing well, and they employed other men. (Mark 1:16-20) When Andrew and John first learned about Jesus from John the Baptizer, they were sure that Jesus was the Messiah. Andrew then told his brother Simon Peter about Jesus, and perhaps John told his brother James. (John 1:29, 35-41) During the months after this, Jesus preached in Galilee, Judea, and Samaria, and these four disciples went with him. Then they returned to their fishing business. They liked learning the things that Jesus taught, but at that time they did not think that the preaching work was the most important work for them.
6 Later, Jesus invited Peter and Andrew to follow him and become “fishers of men.” What did Peter and Andrew do? “At once abandoning the nets, they followed him.” James and John did the same. “At once leaving the boat and their father, they followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22) What helped these men decide to start preaching full-time? They had thought carefully about this decision. They had traveled with Jesus for some months and had listened to him teach. They also saw his miracles and the zeal he had for what was right. They saw that people really liked what he taught. Because of the things they learned, their faith in Jehovah and trust in him became stronger.
7. How can we help Bible students to learn to trust in Jehovah?
7 How can we imitate Jesus and help our Bible students to learn to trust in Jehovah? (Proverbs 3:5, 6) We can help them by the way we teach. When we study with them, we can teach them that Jehovah promises to bless us if we put the Kingdom first. (Read Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6:33.) We can use the Bible to show them that Jehovah always cares for his people. But we should not forget that we can also teach our students by our own example. When we tell Bible students how Jehovah has helped us, this can help them learn to trust in him too. We can also show them experiences from our books and magazines.a—See footnote.
8. (a) Why is it important for a Bible student to “taste and see that Jehovah is good”? (b) How can we help a Bible student to see that Jehovah is good?
8 To have strong faith, it is not enough for a Bible student to read and hear how Jehovah has blessed others. He needs to experience, or see, in his own life that Jehovah is good. Psalm 34:8 says: “Taste and see that Jehovah is good, O you people; happy is the able-bodied man that takes refuge in him.” How can we help a student to see that Jehovah is good? What if the student has money problems? He may also be trying to overcome a bad habit, like smoking, gambling, or drinking too much. (Proverbs 23:20, 21; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Timothy 6:10) We can teach him to pray to God for help to stop his bad habit. When his life improves, he will see that Jehovah is good. Then we can encourage him to put worship of Jehovah first in his life. We can teach him that he needs to study the Bible every week and prepare for meetings and attend them. When the student sees that Jehovah is blessing his efforts, his faith will be stronger, and he will be less anxious about other things, like money.
IF A MAN IS AFRAID OF WHAT OTHERS THINK
9, 10. (a) Why did Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea not tell others that they were Jesus’ disciples? (b) Why are some men today afraid to be followers of Jesus?
9 Some men worry about what other people might think about them, so they may not become followers of Jesus. For example, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea did not tell other people that they were Jesus’ disciples because they were afraid of what other Jews might say or do. (John 3:1, 2; 19:38) There was a reason why they were afraid. The religious leaders hated Jesus so much that anyone who believed in him was no longer allowed to come to the synagogue.—John 9:22.
10 In some places today, it may be difficult for a man to show that he is interested in God, the Bible, or religion. His workmates, friends, and family may criticize him or try to cause him trouble. In other places, it may be dangerous for a person to tell others that he wants to change his religion. And a man who is serving in the military, in politics, or is in an important position in the area where he lives may get a lot of criticism from others if he talks about religion. For example, a man in Germany said: “What you Witnesses preach about the Bible is true. But if I became a Witness today, by tomorrow everyone would know about it. What would they think at work, in the neighborhood, and at the club my family and I belong to? I could not put up with that.”
11. How did Jesus help his disciples not to be afraid of what others thought about them?
11 Jesus’ apostles showed courage. But sometimes they were afraid of what others might think about them. (Mark 14:50, 66-72) How did Jesus help his disciples to progress in the truth even when people opposed them? Jesus prepared them for the opposition that would come. He said: “Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.” (Luke 6:22) He warned his followers that they should expect opposition. But he told them that this opposition was “for the sake of the Son of man.” And he reminded them that God would always care for them if they asked Him for help and strength. (Luke 12:4-12) Jesus also invited those who began following him to associate with his disciples and to be their friends.—Mark 10:29, 30.
12. How can we help a Bible student not to be afraid of what others might think about him?
12 We too need to help Bible students not to be afraid of what others might think about them. One way we can do this is to help a student know what to do when people oppose him. (John 15:19) For example, workmates and others may not agree with his new beliefs, or they may have questions about what he believes. We can help him to prepare simple answers from the Bible. We can be his friend, and we can introduce him to others in the congregation. Maybe he and some of the brothers have similar situations or interests, and they can become friends. It is very important to teach him to pray regularly and from his heart. This will help him become Jehovah’s friend. Jehovah will be like a strong rock and a place of refuge for him, so he will not need to be afraid of what people might think about him.—Read Psalm 94:21-23; James 4:8.
IF A MAN THINKS THAT HE IS NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS
13. If a brother thinks that he is not good enough, how can this hold him back from speaking about the truth?
13 Some men may think that they cannot do what others in the congregation can do. Maybe they do not read well, or they feel that they cannot explain their thoughts well. Maybe they are shy, or they do not like to talk about their beliefs in front of other people. So it is very hard for them to study, comment at the meetings, or preach to others. One brother explained that when he was young, preaching was hard for him. He said that he would go to the door, pretend to ring the doorbell, and then quietly walk away and hope that no one would hear or see him. He said: “The thought of going from door to door made me physically ill.”
14. Why could Jesus’ disciples not cure the boy who was possessed by a demon?
14 Think how Jesus’ disciples must have felt when they could not cure a boy who was possessed by a demon. They probably thought that they could never do what Jesus wanted them to do. The father of the boy came to Jesus and said: “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and is ill, for he falls often into the fire and often into the water; and I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” When Jesus expelled the demon, the boy was cured. Later, the disciples came to Jesus and asked him: “Why is it we could not expel it?” Jesus answered them: “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, If you have faith the size of a mustard grain, you will say to this mountain, ‘Transfer from here to there,’ and it will transfer, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:14-20) A person who has faith in Jehovah will be able to do things that may seem impossible. But if he trusts in his own abilities, he will fail, and then he may feel that he is not good enough to serve Jehovah.
15, 16. How can we help a Bible student who feels that he cannot serve Jehovah as well as others can?
15 If a Bible student feels that he cannot serve Jehovah as well as others, we can encourage him not to think of his own abilities but to have faith that Jehovah will help him. Peter wrote: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; while you throw all your anxiety upon him.” (1 Peter 5:6, 7) We need to help a student to love Jehovah and to have a desire to be guided by him. This means that he must love what he learns from the Bible and show “the fruitage of the spirit” in his life. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Prayer needs to be very important to him. (Philippians 4:6, 7) And he understands that it is God who will give him the courage and strength to do what He asks of him.—Read 2 Timothy 1:7, 8.
16 Some students may need help to improve their reading and speaking abilities. Others may feel that they are not good enough to serve Jehovah because of some bad things they did before they knew him. In both cases, we can help a student by showing him love and being patient with him. Jesus said: “Persons in health do not need a physician, but the ailing do.”—Matthew 9:12.
HELP MORE MEN TO LEARN ABOUT JEHOVAH
17, 18. (a) How can we talk to more men in our preaching work? (b) What will we study about in the next article?
17 Only the Bible has a message that can make people truly happy, and we want to help as many men as possible to accept it. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) How can we find more men in our preaching work? We can try to preach in the evenings, on weekend afternoons, or during holidays when more men may be at home. And if possible, we can ask to speak with the man in the family. When appropriate, we can witness to male workmates. Some sisters in the congregation are married to men who are not Witnesses, and we can try to help these men to have an interest in the truth.
18 We want to help as many people as possible to learn the truth. Those who are searching for the truth will listen to the message we preach. We need to be patient and continue helping all who want to know the truth. But what can help baptized men to have the desire to care for responsibilities in the congregation? The next article will answer this question.
[Footnote]
a See Yearbooks of Jehovah’s Witnesses as well as life stories published in The Watchtower and Awake!
SOME WORDS EXPLAINED
▪ To progress spiritually, or progress in the truth, means to believe the truth and live by what we learn
▪ To be anxious means to worry unnecessarily about something
WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?
▪ How can we help men to decide what is most important in life?
▪ How can we help Bible students not to be afraid of what people think about them?
▪ How can we help someone who feels that he cannot serve Jehovah as well as others can?
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If a man is anxious about money, help him to see that Jehovah is good
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If a man is afraid of what others might think, help him to see that Jehovah can be a place of refuge for him
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If a man feels that he is not as good as others, help him to have faith in Jehovah
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Do you make opportunities to reach men with the good news?
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How can you prepare a Bible student for opposition?