What qualities has your recent Circuit Overseer Visit encouraged you to work on?

[Ahuvah]

**SPOILER** If you haven't yet had your most recent CO's visit - you may want to visit this thread a bit later.

 

Good Morning from NZ ... (I know it's probably not morning most other places).

 

I was talking to a brother about our most recent CO Visit and it was encouraging to both of us how we are getting the same information in such wonderful encouraging talks no matter where we lived. I  mean we all know that, but when you really think about it - it is something so very valuable isn't it?

 

What impressed me was the first service talk ... how we have to live through three near future developments. For me, it made me really sit down and see the qualities we need to survive what is coming up ... so I've broken down to the three stages the CIrcuit Overseer discussed and the qualities I think are in the forefront for each stage ... interestingly qualities that have been dealt with in recent conventions. I think Loving intensely being the most recent, is the most binding, but for this thread I want to look at some others. Please share the qualities you want to work on and some positive ways of doing that. This is going to be so fun and so worth considering.

 

NB: This thread is for focusing on qualities not events - plenty of threads for those already exist. Thanks.

 

The three events are obviously ONE:  the Peace and Security event  TWO: The demise of BBTG and THREE: The Hailstone Message.

Now, the quality I perceive needed primarily for each event are as follows: 

 

ONE: Neutrality - for a while now the society has focused on this quality - esp with the use of the video about the young sister and the rainbow wristband ... neutrality is really difficult I find, so what I'm working on here is being neutral in my thoughts and passions ... I'm so scared of failing this test because I hate injustices, and it's so easy to be passionate about something that can end up being a test - so working on this is my goal and a matter of prayer because I know Jehovah is beside me and he knows what I'm thinking inside and sometimes my thoughts scare even me - so working on being positive and humble so I accept Jehovah's view on matters when it comes to neutrality.

 

TWO: Loyalty I think will be needed here ... especially if we have family members who are members of other religions - when bbtg is crushed ... we are going to see ones we care about in pain ... and may even have to face the fact we won't be going forward with some we love ... for me what has helped here is the Sergey Video - dealing with the scripture in Romans 8:38,39 - FOR I AM CONVINCED - I've had to ask myself what am I convinced about? My answer: I am convinced if we love Jehovah first ... then he has us in his arms - no matter what pain we go through - he remains right beside us.

 

THREE: Courage - Courage is an interesting quality - King Hezekiah has helped me here ... in fact, I hope to be able to tell him or write to him to thank him for his courage one day. As the words in the song GIVE ME COURAGE - is having fear is human, in fact, courage is prevalent in the face of fear, I remember Hezekiah's hand shaking as he presented Sennacherib's challenge to Jehovah on his altar, he was courageous but still fearful. How can I practice that now? Is as those short videos from the Give Me Courage convention shows - showing courage in seemingly little things will help us in the near future. Even the courage not to worry about what is happening in the world right now. 

 

What other qualities are you working on to help us in the near future? And how are you doing this? An interchange of encouragement is what we all need - I am so looking forward to your own thoughts on this.  

Edited July 1, 2020 by Stormswift

[carlos]

Thanks, Mandi, for this beautiful post.

 

We have our CO visit this week, and he mentioned those same ideas and key qualities, although it seems he used somewhat different videos to highlight the key points. The main idea in the talk was "Prepare now to face future events with courage".

 

- Peace and security: Neutrality.

If we resist now the pressure to get involved in world social and political conflicts (even if some for causes we agree with) we will be prepared when the nations announce they have solved world's problems.

Video: A brother is pressured to sign a declaration against certain laws, or he may lose his job. I liked how his boss insisted that the brother didn't need to vote, or get involved in politics or participate in the protests, all they ask is a signature.

 

- Destruction of false religion: Loyalty.

If we practice loyalty today by upholding Jehovah's moral principles, we won't be taken off-guard when people turn against religion and call us intolerants.

Video: Customers at a shop pressure a sister to buy a wristband in support of a lesbian event. When she refuses, they call her intolerant. Quite funny, since she's not attacking anyone, rather the "tolerant" ones are those trying to force her to do something.

 

- Hailstone message: Courage.

Going in the ministry with courage now will prepare us for the hailstone message.

Video: A sister is terrified of going in service due to a bad experience from years ago. I loved the point the elder made: Courage is not lack of fear. Courage is doing the right thing despite being afraid. With Jehovah's help we can all overcome our fears and join in the preaching work.

 

What other practical ways have you found to cultivate those qualities now?

[M.J.]

Under the topic of:

THREE: Courage

This sentence really stood out for me:

 

"Are we in the habit of standing up for Jehovah's standards?"

 

Are there circumstances that cause us to be fearful?
Are we Courageous? Bold?

 

Around that time, they passed the law about LGBT not being discriminated at work. I thought that since this was fresh on people's minds, I would post a link from JW.org about homosexuality on my WhatsApp status. But I hesitated. And as soon as I did I remembered that sentence. If I can't stand up and proclaim Jehovah's standards now,  how will I do it in the GT?

Link was posted

Edited July 3, 2020 by M.J.

[Judit]

On 7/2/2020 at 2:12 AM, Stormswift said:

I'm so scared of failing this test because I hate injustices, and it's so easy to be passionate about something that can end up being a test - so working on this is my goal and a matter of prayer because I know Jehovah is beside me and he knows what I'm thinking inside and sometimes my thoughts scare even me - so working on being positive and humble so I accept Jehovah's view on matters when it comes to neutrality.

I have the same feelings.You really encouraged me.Thanks😊

 

[carlos]

Another quality that strengthens courage is love. Love makes you stand up when your family or loved ones are in danger.

 

Our CO mentioned an idea today that show the link between love and courage: In Acts 14 we find Paul and Barnabas fleeing from Iconium to Lystra because a multitude wanted to "treat them insolently and stone them" (v5, 6). In Lystra their preaching has some success until some Jews arrive from "Antioch and I·coʹni·um and persuaded the crowds, and they stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, imagining that he was dead" (v19). The next day they leave for Derbe and spend some time preaching there.

 

Then they did something apparently reckless: "They returned to Lysʹtra, I·coʹni·um, and Antioch"! (v21). Why did they return to the very cities where people had almost succeeded to kill them? Because they thought of their brothers in those cities. How were they doing in the middle of so much violent opposition? So they went there and "strengthened the disciples, encouraging them to remain in the faith and saying: “We must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations” (v25).

 

Paul and Barnabas didn't give priority to their own safety, but they focused on comforting their brothers and sisters who were in danger. Their love made them courageous.

[Mzbarb]

joy

 

 

 

[carlos]

Another interesting point from our CO today:

 

The whole chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians is about not giving up. In fact Paul repeats the words "we do not give up" several times. Of course we meet with many obstacles in our sacred service. Paul mentions two of them:

 

- Opposition and persecution

(2 Corinthians 4:9, 10) . . .we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed. 10 Always we endure in our body the death-dealing treatment that Jesus suffered, that the life of Jesus may also be made manifest in our body. . .

 

- Health issues, old age, tiredness

(2 Corinthians 4:16) . . .Therefore, we do not give up, but even if the man we are outside is wasting away, certainly the man we are inside is being renewed from day to day.

 

He also mentions two things that helped him to endure:

 

- Holy spirit

(2 Corinthians 4:7) . . .However, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not from us.

 

- Focus on the prize

(2 Corinthians 4:18) . . .while we keep our eyes, not on the things seen, but on the things unseen. For the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are everlasting.