Thursday, October 4 Keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.​—Eph. 5:17.

[GrumpysWife]

Thursday, October 4

Keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.—Eph. 5:17.

 

There are numerous situations for which the Bible provides no specific command. For example, the Scriptures do not contain detailed rules regarding what kind of clothing is appropriate attire for Christians. How does this reflect Jehovah’s wisdom? Styles and customs vary not only in different parts of the world but also from one decade to the next. If the Bible had provided a list of acceptable styles of dress and grooming, it would now be out-of-date in that regard. For similar reasons, God’s inspired Word does not provide a lot of rules designed to govern a Christian’s choice of employment, health care, and entertainment. What should we do in situations that do not involve a direct Bible command? Under such circumstances, it is our personal responsibility to examine the details and make a choice that is guided, not by mere personal preference, but by what Jehovah will approve of and bless.—Ps. 37:5. w16.05 3:2, 6

[hatcheckgirl]

11 hours ago, GrumpysWife said:

Under such circumstances, it is our personal responsibility to examine the details and make a choice that is guided, not by mere personal preference, but by what Jehovah will approve of and bless.

How do we perceive what the will of Jehovah is?  "In the absence of a direct Bible law", we pray to him and accept his guidance by holy spirit.  This guidance may come through our own Bible reading, someone's comments at a meeting, a talk, counsel from mature ones, researching Bible publications etc.

 

There are many matters that "could be decided one way or another, and Jehovah would still be pleased."  As Gal 6:5 says, "each one will carry his own load of responsibility".  So, it is not for us to rigidly insist on our preferences for another person.  Even if your advice is based on Bible principles, and you have the best of intentions, "Christians must train and exercise their powers of discernment (Heb 5;14)".  We each of us have to learn to trust Jehovah, and figure out how to gain his approval by the choices we make.