23. What is one way we can recommend ourselves as God’s ministers?

²³ Since servants of Jehovah God in ancient times successfully fought indifference, we can too. But we have to be willing to make a determined effort to fight it. We need to be aware of the bad effect it can have on us and how it can eat away at a person until his faith collapses. We need to maintain appreciation for Jehovah’s promises, for the dependability of his Word, for our need for his organization and how these have changed our lives for the better. We also need to recall how God’s Word and organization have aided us in solving personal problems and in making important decisions. We need to think of the fine examples of endurance that can be found in the Bible so they can be a source of encouragement to us. By successfully fighting indifference with endurance, as the prophet Jeremiah did, and continuing faithful in the Christian ministry, we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers.

Do You Get the Point?

GIVING counsel and correction to others is an art. Receiving counsel is also an art. An expert counselor is empathic; he is kind; he chooses his words with tact and makes an effort to avoid unduly hurting the feelings of his listener. But his main purpose is to make sure that the person who needs help understands the point of the counsel. Much will depend on whether the one being corrected has cultivated the art of being a good listener.

To receive the full benefit of counsel it is essential to have the proper frame of mind. Today, people have a marked tendency to “blow up” as soon as someone begins to call some fault to their attention. They do not really hear, much less reason on what is being said to them. They would do well to heed the advice of one of Jesus’ disciples who said, “Every man must be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath.” (Jas. 1:19) If you are being corrected, make an effort to get into this frame of mind quickly.

It is not difficult to know when some counsel is forthcoming. In the first place, you may be aware of something that has taken place in your life that might require some correction. Then, too, it is not every day that an overseer invites you to sit down for a “little chat.” A good counselor will usually preface his words of correction with some merited praise or commendation. So if this happens to you, while you should not become immediately suspicious and think the praise is insincere, keep in mind that a few valuable suggestions may follow. Prepare to accept them humbly.

NEED FOR DISCERNMENT

But having the proper frame of mind is not all that is necessary to get the point of counsel. You will also need discernment.