i was 10
Notreadytorun
JoinedPosts by Notreadytorun
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31
JW World Record - Youngest Baptism
by soiledumpling inplease let me know the age of the youngest child getting baptised.. i knew of a girl of 11 years.. .
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Guilt Trips From Family
by EmptyInside inmy mother is the top queen when it comes to guilt trips.
she recently mentioned to me,seemingly casually,"now,your brother has a talk this sunday.
it would be so nice if you went with me to hear it.
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Notreadytorun
zeb, i am a mother too, and i hope never to feel the pain that you must feel. They werent my words, they were WTs, and i am sorry to upset you with them. just needed help picking the crap apart.
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Guilt Trips From Family
by EmptyInside inmy mother is the top queen when it comes to guilt trips.
she recently mentioned to me,seemingly casually,"now,your brother has a talk this sunday.
it would be so nice if you went with me to hear it.
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Notreadytorun
im back, thanks for the advise... ive been really sick, need to do more research but head is pounding - sorry for posting so much and crashing your thread "empty" I have a lovely big brother who never got baptised and left at 15 and Im afraid there were times back when i was a teenager that i was very self righteous, unkind and condescending to him. So im very very sorry to hear what youve gone through and are going through with yours
everyone else, Ill start a new thread when im 100% well again. excuse me i have to...
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42
REAL life of a JW!
by Silent_Scream inborn into jw family.
5 years old - you are told celebrations and gifts on those days are from satan.
therefore, in school, your an weird outcast.
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Notreadytorun
sounds like me! Im waking up from what i thought was a lovely dream and slowly realising it wasnt real, and i really want to fall back to sleep again. because of the reasons you mentioned (family, friends) its so much harder to leave than it it is to just ignore what i know and stay "in"
was feeling so lonely today (husband has gone from being so supportive to being self righteous hypocrite!) but now not so much.
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Guilt Trips From Family
by EmptyInside inmy mother is the top queen when it comes to guilt trips.
she recently mentioned to me,seemingly casually,"now,your brother has a talk this sunday.
it would be so nice if you went with me to hear it.
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Notreadytorun
Any suggestions on what question I could ask her black sheep? Thank for replying. Is that a kiw or Aussie flag? I'm a kiwi :) living in aus.
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100
CRAZINESS!!! I'M BEING 'MARKED' FOR GOING TO COLLEGE!!!
by MsGrowingGirl20 inohmygosh!!!
one of my friends who is a ms told me today that the elders have 'marked' me because i'm a reg.pioneer and i've decided to go to college next semester???!
he said he can't tell me anymore but to be careful---what the hell does 'mark' mean?
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Notreadytorun
OMG that sucks
funny what they decide about you without telling you
but good on you for starting college!! how exciting!! what are you going to study??
congrats anyway xx
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25
Guilt Trips From Family
by EmptyInside inmy mother is the top queen when it comes to guilt trips.
she recently mentioned to me,seemingly casually,"now,your brother has a talk this sunday.
it would be so nice if you went with me to hear it.
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Notreadytorun
ps "empty inside"... if youre mum is the queen of guilt trips, then we must be cousins!
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25
Guilt Trips From Family
by EmptyInside inmy mother is the top queen when it comes to guilt trips.
she recently mentioned to me,seemingly casually,"now,your brother has a talk this sunday.
it would be so nice if you went with me to hear it.
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Notreadytorun
sorry all, theres a lot of stuff to make you in the 3 posts above, but if you're in the mood to help me answer my mums arguments, please take the time to read when you can. hopefullly im not too off topic... i am being led on a bit of a guilt trip. mum and dad are being as reasonable as my husband at the moment, but theyre going to keep at me with the "encouragement" eventually i have to give them a reason to stop.
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25
Guilt Trips From Family
by EmptyInside inmy mother is the top queen when it comes to guilt trips.
she recently mentioned to me,seemingly casually,"now,your brother has a talk this sunday.
it would be so nice if you went with me to hear it.
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Notreadytorun
‘Do NotBeQuicklyShakenFromYourReason’
“We request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be excited either through an inspired expression or through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us.”—2 THESSALONIANS 2:1, 2.
PLEASANT memories invariably come to mind when we as Christians reflect on the time when we first learned the truth from God’s Word. It was beautiful, reasonable, satisfying. How our hearts swelled with appreciation when we learned about Jehovah and his lofty qualities, including his great love and his mercy! We rejoiced when we came into association with fellow believers who showed genuine Christian love and lived by Bible principles.
2 How thankful we were to learn that Jehovah will soon remove pain, sorrow, and even death. (Revelation 21:3, 4) Imagine, living forever on a paradise earth, with perfect health and complete happiness! It was almost too good to be true. But it was true. It was backed by God’s Word. It was thrilling! Undoubtedly, we felt just like Jesus’ disciples when he appeared to them after his resurrection. They said to one another: “Were not our hearts burning as he was speaking to us on the road, as he was fully opening up the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32) Yes, on learning the truth and dedicating our lives to Jehovah, we foun\] ourselves in a spiritual paradise. What a blessing!
3 But being in Jehovah’s spiritual paradise is not something we can take for granted. We came into this paradise voluntarily; we can walk right out (or be put out) if we go into unbelief or willfully violate Jehovah’s righteous laws. Of course, this will not happen if we keep strong the ‘love we had at first,’ if we continue to appreciate all of Jehovah’s provisions to keep us spiritually strong. (Revelation 2:4) But the Devil and other opposers of true worship are skilled in deception. We should never forget that they stand ever ready to break our integrity if they can. Their propaganda is designed to weaken our faith, to cool our love for God, to sow doubts in our minds—yes, to make the spiritual paradise appear to be no paradise at all.
4 To borrow from a proverbial saying, we could come to the point where we would find it difficult, perhaps even impossible, to see the forest of the spiritual paradise because of looking so closely at the imperfect human trees now in it. The thrill we had in learning the truth of God’s Word, the grand hope we came to have, the love we developed for God and our spiritual brothers, and the zeal we had for Jehovah’s service can fade. If drastic steps are not taken to reverse any such spiritual deterioration, soon God’s loving requirements seem to be oppressive. The wholesome spiritual food from “the faithful and discreet slave” may seem to be something contemptible, and the brotherhood of loving servants of Jehovah may appear to be a household of enemies. Then the only satisfaction, of a perverted kind, may come in beginning to beat one’s fellow slaves with slander and half-truths.—Matthew 24:45-51.
5 Yes, we could not only lose the blessings of the spiritual paradise now but, more seriously, also lose the hope of living eternally in the earthly Paradise. And we could lose out for the same reason that Adam and Eve lost the Paradise of Eden. They had everything they needed to be perfectly happy and could have lived forever. But independence—actually a different teaching—was more important to them than were obedience to Jehovah and the blessings of Eden. Eve was deceived. While Adam was not deceived, he let the force of circumstances, including the strong influence of his wife, cause him to sin also. Therefore, they were put out of Paradise, to live a miserable life until their death. They lost the prospect of everlasting life for themselves and brought an inheritance of sin and death upon their offspring. (Genesis 3:1-7, 14-19, 24; 1 Timothy 2:14; Romans 5:12) What a terrible price to pay for their so-called independence!
6 The apostle Paul expressed this concern: “I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that are due the Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3) Paul found it necessary to write regarding some erroneous teachings that were circulating in his day. In his second letter to the congregation at Thessalonica, he wrote: “We request of you nottobequicklyshakenfromyourreason nor to be excited either through an inspired expression or through a verbal message or through a letter as though from us, to the effect that the day of Jehovah is here. Let no one seduce you in any manner.”—2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.
Have NoDealingsWithApostates
7 Now, what will you do if you are confronted with apostate teaching—subtle reasonings—claiming that what you believe as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is not the truth? For example, what will you do if you receive a letter or some literature, open it, and see right away that it is from an apostate? Will curiosity cause you to read it, just to see what he has to say? You may even reason: ‘It won’t affect me; I’m too strong in the truth. And, besides, if we have the truth, we have nothing to fear. The truth will stand the test.’ In thinking this way, some have fed their minds upon apostate reasoning and have fallen prey to serious questioning and doubt. (Compare James 1:5-8.) So remember the warning at 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.”
8 With loving help from caring brothers, some having doubts sown by apostates have recovered after a period of spiritual turmoil and trauma. But this pain could have been avoided. At Proverbs 11:9 we are told: “By his mouth the one who is an apostate brings his fellowman to ruin, but by knowledge are the righteous rescued.” Jude told fellow Christians to “continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; save them by snatching them out of the fire.” (Jude 22, 23) Paul advised the overseer Timothy to instruct “with mildness those not favorably disposed; as perhaps God may give them repentance leading to an accurate knowledge of truth, and they may come back to their proper senses out from the snare of the Devil, seeing that they have been caught alive by him for the will of that one.”—2 Timothy 2:25, 26.
9 Tragically, others have gone into complete darkness, even going back to Christendom’s erroneous teachings. The apostle Peter wrote about the tragic outcome for some who first walked in the truth but then turned aside. He said: “Certainly if, after having escaped from the defilements of the world by an accurate knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they get involved again with these very things and are overcome, the final conditions have become worse for them than the first.” Peter said they are like the dog that returns to its vomit and the bathed sow that turns back to wallowing in the mire.—2 Peter 2:20-22.
10 When a fellow human tells us, ‘Do not read this’ or, ‘Do not listen to that,’ we may be tempted to ignore his advice. But remember, in this case Jehovah is the One who tells us in his Word what to do. And what does he say about apostates? “Avoid them” (Romans 16:17, 18); “quit mixing in company with” them (1 Corinthians 5:11); and “never receive [them] into your homes or say a greeting to [them]” (2 John 9, 10). These are emphatic words, clear directions. If, out of curiosity, we were to read the literature of a known apostate, would that not be the same as inviting this enemy of true worship right into our home to sit down with us and relate his apostate ideas?
11 Let us illustrate matters in this way: Suppose your teenage son received some pornographic material in the mail. What would you do? If he was inclined to read it out of curiosity, would you say: ‘Yes, son, go ahead and read it. It won’t hurt you. From infancy we’ve taught you that immorality is bad. Besides, you need to know what’s going on in the world in order to see that it’s truly bad’? Would you reason that way? Absolutely not! Rather, you would surely point out the dangers of reading pornographic literature and would require that it be destroyed. Why? Because no matter how strong a person may be in the truth, if he feeds his mind on the perverted ideas found in such literature, his mind and heart will be affected. A lingering wrong desire planted in the recesses of the heart can eventually create a perverted sexual appetite. The result? James says that when wrong desire becomes fertile, it gives birth to sin, and sin leads to death. (James 1:15) So why start the chain reaction?
12 Well, if we would act so decisively to protect our children from exposure to pornography, should we not expect that our loving heavenly Father would similarly warn us and protect us from spiritual fornication, including apostasy? He says, Keepawayfromit!
13 But suppose we are preaching the good news and people raise questions or objections similar to those raised by opposers? Of course, if a person is not sincere and merely wishes to argue, usually it is best to excuse ourselves and go to the next door. But if someone sincerely asks about certain claims of apostates, what can be done? First, we can ask what, exactly, has caused the concern. It may be only one or two points. Then we can stick to these and answer from the Scriptures, from the Society’s publications, and from what we truthfully know about the subject. We need not conclude that we have to read a book or a pamphlet that is filled with slander and half-truths in order to refute the false claims and teachings of opposers.
Confidence inJehovah
14 As we go forward, building faith and keeping busy in Kingdom service, we can confidently put our trust in Jehovah, knowing that, as our loving heavenly Father, he wants the very best for us. God teaches us; he warns us. He does this through his Word and by means of clear direction provided by his visible organization. If we were to ask a loving parent for bread and fish, he would not give us a stone or a serpent. Neither will God fool us or deceive us. (Matthew 7:7-11) Yet, God will not completely shield us from temptations or even deceptive lies and devilish propaganda. He says of himself: “I, Jehovah, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One causing you to tread in the way in which you should walk.” (Isaiah 48:17) Yes, Jehovah ‘teaches us to benefit ourselves.’ He tells us to keep separate from apostates and their teaching, and this for our own protection. It means our life.
15 The apostle Paul warned fellow Christian elders: “From among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.” (Acts 20:30) If we keep listening to subtle arguments and specious reasoning, “twisted things” can sound as though they were straight. The longer Eve looked at the forbidden fruit and listened to the twisted reasoning of the Devil, the more she was convinced that he was right. Paul warned: “Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) The apostle also indicated that “by smooth talk and complimentary speech [apostates] seduce the hearts of guileless ones.” (Romans 16:17, 18; compare 2 Corinthians 11:13-15.) Of course, the fact that a few are drawn away by that kind of propaganda does not mean that we have to follow them. Nevertheless, we need to be continually alert.
16 The Devil’s tactics have not changed since Eden. He uses subtle questioning and an appeal to self-interest. Peter wrote: “There will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects . . . Also, with covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words.” (2 Peter 2:1-3) Something counterfeit is designed to look or sound genuine. At 2 Timothy 2:14-19, Paul stressed the importance of using Jehovah’s Word to set matters straight but warned of the need to avoid apostates, whose ‘empty speeches violate what is holy,’ for, said he, “their word will spread like gangrene.”
17 A fitting analogy indeed! Like gangrene, apostate reasoning is nothing but quick-spreading spiritual death. And since the members of the congregation are like one body, there is a danger that others may be infected. If the one spreading apostate teachings cannot be restored to spiritual health by loving but firm application of the balm of God’s Word, amputation of this member (disfellowshipping) may be the only alternative for the protection of other members of the body. (Compare Titus 1:10, 11.) Do not be infected by deadly gangrene of a spiritual kind! Keep in good spiritual health by avoiding the contamination of apostate thinking. Heed the sound advice at 2 Peter 3:17, 18: “You, therefore, beloved ones, having this advance knowledge, be on your guard that you may not be led away with them by the error of the law-defying people and fall from your own steadfastness. No, but go on growing in the undeserved kindness and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
18 But how can we protect ourselves from apostasy? How can we keep our hearts from being receptive to apostate reasoning? These questions will be considered in the next article.
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Guilt Trips From Family
by EmptyInside inmy mother is the top queen when it comes to guilt trips.
she recently mentioned to me,seemingly casually,"now,your brother has a talk this sunday.
it would be so nice if you went with me to hear it.
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Notreadytorun
article number 2
FirmlyUpholdGodlyTeaching
“Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.”—PROVERBS 3:5, 6.
PRESENTLY, there are about 9,000 daily newspapers in circulation worldwide. Every year some 200,000 new books are published in the United States alone. According to one estimate, by March of 1998, there were about 275 million Web pages on the Internet. This figure is said to be growing at a rate of 20 million pages per month. As never before, people have access to information on just about any subject. While this situation has its positive aspects, such a superabundance of information has caused problems.
2 Some individuals have become information addicts, always feeding an insatiable desire to be up-to-date while neglecting more important things. Others acquire partial information about complex fields of knowledge and then view themselves as experts. Based on only a limited understanding, they may make crucial decisions that can cause harm to themselves or to others. And always present is the danger of exposure to false or inaccurate information. There is often no reliable way to verify that the flood of information is accurate and balanced.
3 Curiosity has long been a human trait. The dangers of wasting too much time in the pursuit of useless or even harmful information were recognized back in the days of King Solomon. He said: “Take a warning: To the making of many books there is no end, and much devotion to them is wearisome to the flesh.” (Ecclesiastes 12:12) Centuries later the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “Guard what is laid up in trust with you, turning away from the empty speeches that violate what is holy and from the contradictions of the falsely called ‘knowledge.’ For making a show of such knowledge some have deviated from the faith.” (1 Timothy 6:20, 21) Yes, Christians today need to avoid unnecessary exposure to harmful ideas.
4 Jehovah’s people also do well to heed the words of Proverbs 3:5, 6: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.” Trusting in Jehovah includes rejecting any idea that conflicts with God’s Word, whether it stems from our own reasoning or from that of our fellowman. To protect our spirituality, it is vital that we train our perceptive powers so that we can identify harmful information and shun it. (Hebrews 5:14) Let us discuss some sources of such information.
AWorldOverpoweredbySatan
5 The secular world is a prolific source of harmful ideas. (1 Corinthians 3:19) Jesus Christ prayed to God regarding his disciples: “I request you, not to take them out of the world, but to watch over them because of the wicked one.” (John 17:15) Jesus’ request that his disciples be protected from “the wicked one” acknowledged the influence that Satan has in the world. Our being Christians does not automatically shield us from the bad influences of this world. John wrote: “We know we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) Especially during this final part of the last days, it is to be expected that Satan and his demons will saturate the world with harmful information.
6 It is also to be expected that some of this harmful information may appear harmless. (2 Corinthians 11:14) Consider, for example, the world of entertainment, with its TV shows, movies, music, and printed page. Many agree that in more and more cases, certain forms of entertainment promote degrading practices, such as immorality, violence, and drug abuse. On first exposure to a form of entertainment that sinks to a new low, audiences may be shocked. But repeated exposure can desensitize one. Never should we view as acceptable or harmless entertainment that promotes harmful ideas.—Psalm 119:37.
7 Consider another source of potentially damaging information—the flood of ideas published by some scientists and scholars who challenge the Bible’s authenticity. (Compare James 3:15.) Such material appears frequently in mainstream magazines and popular books, and it can erode confidence in the Bible. Some individuals take pride in weakening the authority of the Word of God with endless speculations. A similar danger existed in the days of the apostles, as is clear from the apostle Paul’s words: “Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ.”—Colossians 2:8.
EnemiesoftheTruth
8 Apostates can present yet another threat to our spirituality. The apostle Paul foretold that apostasy would arise among professed Christians. (Acts 20:29, 30; 2 Thessalonians 2:3) In fulfillment of his words, after the death of the apostles, a great apostasy led to the development of Christendom. Today, there is no great apostasy taking place among God’s people. Still, a few individuals have left our ranks, and some among them are bent on defaming Jehovah’s Witnesses by spreading lies and misinformation. A few work with other groups in organized resistance to pure worship. In doing so, they side with the very first apostate, Satan.
9 Some apostates are increasingly using various forms of mass communication, including the Internet, to spread false information about Jehovah’s Witnesses. As a result, when sincere individuals do research on our beliefs, they may stumble across apostate propaganda. Even some Witnesses have unwittingly exposed themselves to this harmful material. In addition, apostates occasionally take part in television or radio programs. What is the wise course to follow in view of this?
10 The apostle John directed Christians not to accept apostates into their homes. He wrote: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.” (2 John 10, 11) Avoiding all contact with these opponents will protect us from their corrupt thinking. Exposing ourselves to apostate teachings through the various means of modern communication is just as harmful as receiving the apostate himself into our homes. Never should we allow curiosity to lure us into such a calamitous course!—Proverbs 22:3.
WithintheCongregation
11 Consider yet another possible source of harmful ideas. While not intending to teach falsehoods, a dedicated Christian can develop the habit of speaking thoughtlessly. (Proverbs 12:18) Because of our imperfect nature, all of us will at times transgress with our tongue. (Proverbs 10:19; James 3:8) Evidently, in the apostle Paul’s day, there were some in the congregation who failed to control their tongue and got involved in quibbling debates about words. (1 Timothy 2:8) There were others who thought too much of their own opinions and even went so far as to challenge the authority of Paul. (2 Corinthians 10:10-12) Such a spirit resulted in needless conflicts.
12 Sometimes these disagreements escalated into “violent disputes about trifles,” disrupting the peace of the congregation. (1 Timothy 6:5; Galatians 5:15) Of those who caused these arguments, Paul wrote: “If any man teaches other doctrine and does not assent to healthful words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor to the teaching that accords with godly devotion, he is puffed up with pride, not understanding anything, but being mentally diseased over questionings and debates about words. From these things spring envy, strife, abusive speeches, wicked suspicions.”—1 Timothy 6:3, 4.
13 Happily, in apostolic times the majority of Christians were faithful and remained focused on the work of declaring the good news of God’s Kingdom. They were busy looking after “orphans and widows in their tribulation” and kept themselves “without spot from the world,” not wasting their time on futile debates about words. (James 1:27) They avoided “bad associations” even within the Christian congregation in order to safeguard their spirituality.—1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Timothy 2:20, 21.
14 Similarly, the situations described in paragraph 11 are not typical of the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses today. Still, we do well to acknowledge the potential for such futile debates. Of course, it is normal to discuss Bible accounts or wonder about aspects of the promised new world that have not as yet been revealed. And there is nothing wrong with exchanging ideas on personal matters, such as dress and grooming or choice of entertainment. However, if we become dogmatic about our ideas and take offense when others do not agree with us, the congregation may end up becoming divided over minor issues. What begins as harmless small talk may become harmful indeed.
GuardingOurTrust
15 The apostle Paul warns: “The inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1) Yes, harmful ideas pose a real threat. Understandably, Paul entreated his dear friend Timothy: “O Timothy, guard what is laid up in trust with you, turning away from the empty speeches that violate what is holy and from the contradictions of the falsely called ‘knowledge.’ For making a show of such knowledge some have deviated from the faith.”—1 Timothy 6:20, 21.
16 How can we today benefit from this loving warning? Timothy was given a trust—something valuable to care for and protect. What was it? Paul explains: “Keep holding the pattern of healthful words that you heard from me with the faith and love that are in connection with Christ Jesus. This fine trust guard through the holy spirit which is dwelling in us.” (2 Timothy 1:13, 14) Yes, Timothy’s trust included the “healthful words,” “the teaching that accords with godly devotion.” (1 Timothy 6:3) In harmony with these words, Christians today are determined to protect their faith and the body of truth with which they have been entrusted.
17 Guarding that trust includes cultivating such things as good Bible-study habits and perseverance in prayer, while working “what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.” (Galatians 6:10; Romans 12:11-17) Paul further admonishes: “Pursue righteousness, godly devotion, faith, love, endurance, mildness of temper. Fight the fine fight of the faith, get a firm hold on the everlasting life for which you were called and you offered the fine public declaration in front of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:11, 12) Paul’s use of such phrases as “fight the fine fight” and “get a firm hold” makes it clear that we must actively and determinedly resist spiritually harmful influences.
TheNeedforDiscernment
18 Of course, in fighting the fine fight of the faith, discernment is needed. (Proverbs 2:11; Philippians 1:9) For instance, it would be unreasonable to distrust all secular information. (Philippians 4:5; James 3:17) Not all human ideas conflict with God’s Word. Jesus alluded to the need for sick people to consult a qualified physician—a secular profession. (Luke 5:31) Despite the relatively primitive nature of medical treatment in Jesus’ day, he acknowledged that there was some benefit to be derived from a physician’s help. Christians today display balance in the matter of secular information, but they resist exposure to any that might be harmful to them spiritually.
19 Discernment is also vital on the part of elders when called upon to assist those who speak unwisely. (2 Timothy 2:7) At times, congregation members may get caught up in disputes about trifles and speculative arguments. To protect the unity of the congregation, elders should be quick to address such problems. At the same time, they avoid imputing wrong motives to their brothers and are not overhasty to view them as apostates.
20 Paul described the spirit in which assistance is to be given. He said: “Brothers, even though a man takes some false step before he is aware of it, you who have spiritual qualifications try to readjust such a man in a spirit of mildness.” (Galatians 6:1) Speaking specifically about Christians who struggle with doubts, Jude wrote: “Continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; save them by snatching them out of the fire.” (Jude 22, 23) Of course, if after repeated admonitions someone insists on promoting false teachings, elders need to take decisive action in order to protect the congregation.—1 Timothy 1:20; Titus 3:10, 11.
FillingOurMindsWithPraiseworthyThings
21 The Christian congregation shuns harmful words that “spread like gangrene.” (2 Timothy 2:16, 17; Titus 3:9) This is true whether such words reflect misleading secular “wisdom,” the propaganda of apostates, or thoughtless talk within the congregation. While a healthy desire to learn new things can be beneficial, unbridled curiosity could expose us to harmful ideas. We are not ignorant of Satan’s designs. (2 Corinthians 2:11) We know that he is making great efforts to distract us so as to slow us down in our service to God.
22 As fine ministers, let us firmly uphold godly teaching. (1 Timothy 4:6) May we make wise use of our time by being selective about the information we choose to take in. Then we will not be easily shaken by Satan-inspired propaganda. Yes, let us keep considering “whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is.” If we fill our minds and hearts with such things, the God of peace will be with us.—Philippians 4:8, 9.