Wednesday, June 4 Whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap.​—Gal. 6:7.

[Áine]

Wednesday, June 4

Whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap.—Gal. 6:7.

 

Knowing that we are accountable for our decisions can prompt us to confess our sins, correct our errors, and avoid repeating our mistakes. Taking such actions can help us to stay in the race for life. If you cannot undo a poor decision, accept your current situation. Do not waste your emotional and mental energy justifying yourself or blaming yourself or others. Instead, acknowledge your mistakes and work to make the best of your present circumstances. If you feel guilty about a wrong you committed, humbly turn to Jehovah in prayer, admit your error, and ask him to forgive you. (Ps. 25:11;51:3, 4) Apologize to those you may have wronged, and if necessary, seek the help of the elders. (Jas. 5:14, 15) Learn from your mistakes, and try to avoid repeating them. As you do, you can be certain that Jehovah will show you mercy and provide you with the support you need.—Ps. 103:8-13. w23.08 28-29 ¶8-9

[dljbsp]

Free will is a gift—but not a shield.

Guilt has a purpose.

Forward motion is a form of faith.

Apologizing is strength, not weakness.

Jehovah doesn’t just forgive—he supports.

[Tortuga]

It's interesting that we were created with the capacity to feel guilt. It makes you wonder why a perfect person would need to feel guilt. 

As David said, it has a purpose. Guilt is an indication that we have made a mistake.

 

It's interesting that we were created with the capacity to be humble. It makes you wonder why a perfect person would even need that quality if a perfect person never makes a mistake. However, being created with the ability to develop humility shows there is a potential for a perfect person to be prideful. 

 

Our text today is a good reminder of the gifts Jehovah has given us and the accountability we have now and forever.

[computerwiz]

3 hours ago, Tortuga said:

It's interesting that we were created with the capacity to feel guilt. It makes you wonder why a perfect person would need to feel guilt. 

As David said, it has a purpose. Guilt is an indication that we have made a mistake.

 

Many times we think about perfection in the absolute sense.  That is incorrect.  We will be perfect in that we won't sin against Jehovah.

 

However, what will prevent us from doing so?  All these mechanisms that He built into us.  We may imagine the consequences of actions and then start feeling guilty about even thinking about such things.  That guilt can stop us.  Until we do something wrong, we have not sinned.  But we may think about it.

 

And again, if we apply this to kids....well they may do something that upsets their parents (but their parents didn't tell them not to do a particular thing) and then when they receive that correction, they feel guilty about it.  And this guilt motivates them not to repeat it.  But because they didn't receive a command on that particular thing, they didn't "sin" per se.  So there was nothing for them to disobey, but since they know better now, they may feel guilt.

 

 

3 hours ago, Tortuga said:

It's interesting that we were created with the capacity to be humble. It makes you wonder why a perfect person would even need that quality if a perfect person never makes a mistake.

 

Going back to Adam & Eve, the only possible "mistake" they could have made was eat from the tree.  However, as some have suggested in other topics, as time went on, Jehovah may have added new rules & restrictions.  How would they respond?  Well without the quality of humility, they may push back.  They may feel restricted.  Humility allows them to gracefully change, and thereby remain perfect.

 

As we know, being perfect doesn't mean we can't make mistakes.  We choose not to.  What qualities help us to make that choice?  Humility.  Guilt.  Etc.  And as we've seen with Satan, his demons, and our first human parents, perfection is not absolute.  It can be lost.

 

[Tortuga]

22 minutes ago, computerwiz said:

As we know, being perfect doesn't mean we can't make mistakes.  We choose not to.  What qualities help us to make that choice?  Humility.  Guilt.  Etc. 

Exactly. Nice summary of what I was trying to say. 👍🏼