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Be Filled with Spiritual DiscernmentThe Watchtower—1959 | August 1
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22. While we are remaining humble, what extremes must be avoided? How?
22 Yet, while we are remaining humble, there is need to guard against the opposite extreme of having an inferiority complex, being apologetic, feeling dissatisfied with oneself to the point of discouragement. Recognizing the power of Jehovah’s spirit, one discerns with a sound mind that, with Jehovah’s help, he is able to do what is God’s will for him and so he tackles any assignment of service with faith. As we read at Romans 12:3: “For through the undeserved kindness given to me I tell everyone there among you not to think more of himself than it is necessary to think; but to think so as to have a sound mind, each one as God has distributed to him a measure of faith.”
23. How does spiritual discernment contribute to unity among the brothers?
23 This humble yet realistic viewpoint toward himself enables the Christian to have an honest, frank and realistic attitude toward his brothers, which makes for refreshing companionship and godly harmony. Spiritual discernment enables us to work together in unity, appreciating the needs of one another, enabling us to give practical expression to the quality of love. So, be filled with spiritual discernment, make right decisions, “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.”
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Spiritual Discernment—an Evidence of Christian MaturityThe Watchtower—1959 | August 1
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Spiritual Discernment—an Evidence of Christian Maturity
1, 2. (a) What is necessary for a young child as it faces new situations, yet what will the wise parent work for? (b) What is the most important kind of maturity?
A YOUNG child needs help and guidance. The parents who are concerned with the welfare of the child are always ready to give the needed help and advice as the growing child faces new situations. At first the parents have to make decisions on behalf of the child: what is good or what is bad; what to eat or what not to eat; when to sleep or when to play; where the child can go in safety and what places to avoid as dangerous; what literature is within the child’s scope and beneficial for its upbringing and what would tend to confuse or would be bad for spiritual and moral growth. But as the child progresses in years the wise parent trains his child to think for himself, to discern what is good and bad, wise and foolish. Then as adulthood in years is reached so also is mental maturity.
2 It is important for parents to appreciate the need for mental and spiritual growth in their children, particularly the latter growth. The term “maturity” can be applied to many features of growth, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, but it is the last-named kind, spiritual maturity, that is the most important, and yet as far as this world is concerned, it is the one most neglected.
3. (a) How should the wise instructor train those with whom he studies? (b) What is the evidence of Christian maturity?
3 Our illustration of the child well applies to the growth to Christian maturity of a person newly coming to a knowledge of the truth. At first he needs help in how to study God’s Word, the personal help and guidance of a mature Christian. He needs to be fed. But the wise instructor will train his student to think and reason things out for himself so that he can soon begin to feed himself and grow in powers of discernment. Just as the evidence of true adulthood is in demonstrating adult understanding and appreciation, so Christian maturity is demonstrated by one’s powers of spiritual discernment, the ability to arrive at right decisions, keenly discerning right from wrong on the basis of Bible principles. Paul well expressed this: “For everyone that partakes of milk is unacquainted with the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their perceptive powers trained to distinguish both right and wrong. For this reason, now that we have left the elementary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity.”—Heb. 5:13 to 6:1.
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