Thursday, December 14 What have I done compared with you?​—Judg. 8:2.

[Poly Ester]

Thursday, December 14

What have I done compared with you?—Judg. 8:2.

 

With Jehovah’s backing, Gideon and his 300 men had a remarkable victory for which they could have taken great pride. The men of Ephraim met Gideon, not to commend him, but to quarrel with him because they had not been asked to join the fight. (Judg. 8:1) Gideon gave them a specific example of how Jehovah had blessed them. As a result, the men “calmed down.” (Judg. 8:3) Gideon willingly set pride aside in order to maintain peace among God’s people. From the example of the Ephraimites, we learn that we should not become more focused on protecting our own honor than on honoring Jehovah. As family heads and elders, we can learn a lesson from Gideon. If someone is upset by something we did, we should try to see things from his perspective. We can also commend the person for what he has done well. That will require humility on our part. But peace is worth much more than our personal pride. w21.07 16-17 ¶10-12