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Cultivate Self-ControlThe Watchtower (Study)—2017 | September
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You can no doubt recall several Bible characters who exercised appropriate restraint when tested. One is Jacob’s son Joseph. He showed restraint when he was serving in the house of Potiphar, the chief of Pharaoh’s guards. Potiphar’s wife set her eyes on Joseph, who was “well-built and handsome,” and she tried to seduce him. What prevented Joseph from succumbing to her repeated advances? No doubt, he took the time to consider what the consequences would be if he were to lower his guard. And when the situation became critical, he fled from her. He reasoned: “How could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?”—Gen. 39:6, 9; read Proverbs 1:10.
9. How can you prepare yourself to resist temptations?
9 What does Joseph’s example teach us? One thing is that we may need to flee from the temptation to break one of God’s laws. In the past, some who are now Witnesses struggled with overeating, heavy drinking, smoking, drug abuse, sexual immorality, and the like. Even after baptism, they may at times be tempted to return to their former practices. Still, if you are ever tempted to break one of Jehovah’s laws, strengthen yourself by taking time to ponder the disastrous spiritual consequences that you could face for failing to restrain sinful impulses. You can try to foresee situations in which temptations could likely present themselves and decide how you can avoid them. (Ps. 26:4, 5; Prov. 22:3) Should you ever face such a test, ask Jehovah to give you the wisdom and self-control to resist.
10, 11. (a) What reality do many adolescents have to face at school? (b) What can help young Christians to resist pressures to engage in wrong conduct?
10 Many young Christians face a trial like Joseph’s. Consider Kim. Most of her classmates were sexually active, and after a typical weekend, they boasted of their latest sexual encounters. Kim had no such stories to tell. She admits that being different at times made her feel “abandoned and alone” and that her peers considered her stupid because she did not date. Yet, Kim was wise enough to know that among many youths the temptation to engage in sex is great. (2 Tim. 2:22) Schoolmates often asked whether she was still a virgin. That gave her the opportunity to explain why she would not engage in sex. We are proud of young Christians who are determined to resist pressure to share in sexual immorality, and Jehovah is proud of them too!
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Cultivate Self-ControlThe Watchtower (Study)—2017 | September
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12. (a) How did Joseph restrain his emotions in dealing with his brothers? (b) In what situations must we restrain our emotions?
12 On another occasion, Joseph again set a fine example of self-control. To understand what was in his brothers’ hearts, Joseph concealed his identity when they appeared before him in Egypt to buy food. And when his feelings were particularly intense, he withdrew to a private place to hide his tears. (Gen. 43:30, 31; 45:1) If a fellow Christian or a loved one displays poor judgment, your showing restraint similar to that of Joseph might help you to avoid an impulsive reaction. (Prov. 16:32; 17:27) If you have disfellowshipped relatives, you may need to control your feelings in order to avoid unnecessary contact with them.
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