bringing them up in the discipline and authoritative advice of Jehovah.”—Eph. 4:32; 5:25, 28; 6:4.

19. For wisdom, on what must the husband rely?

¹⁹ The loving lead and direction of the head are needed, and very often the deciding voice must speak. However, in doing so reliance upon worldly wisdom is unwise. Ancient and Christian Scriptures demonstrate this. “And Manoah began to entreat Jehovah and say: ‘Excuse me, Jehovah. The man of the true God that you just sent, let him, please, come again to us and instruct us as to what we ought to do to the child that will be born.’” “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.”—Judg. 13:8; 1 Cor. 3:19.

USING THE FAMILY BIBLE STUDY FULLY

20. What matters may be handled through the family Bible study?

²⁰ A husband can use the Scriptures in dealing with matters that come up in the home and in the congregation. There are things to be done; problems come up; family matters must be handled; congregation responsibilities and obligations are to be cared for. How can the husband use the Bible in dealing with these matters, solving problems, answering questions, discharging his responsibilities and helping the other members of his family to care for theirs? Briefly, some concrete examples of this:

21. In what do Abraham and Jehovah God himself serve as fine examples?

²¹ The sacrifice of Bible principle in dealing with a child is not really an expression of love. It would be a mistake to sacrifice principle in order to gain or hold the affection of the child. We have this demonstrated in the Scriptures. Read Genesis 22:1-10 and note how Abraham did not sacrifice principle in an effort to gain or hold the affection of Isaac. But, rather, Abraham “put out his hand and took the slaughtering knife to kill his son,” and then Jehovah’s angel intervened. (Heb. 11:17-19) Consider Jehovah God himself, who did not spare his own Son. His Son Christ Jesus responded, not with childish affection but with unbreakable love.

22. Wrong desires present what danger and also what opportunity for use of the family Bible study?

²² The Christian head must avoid wrong desires on the part of himself and his family. Wrong desires constantly need attention because they recur and they must always be dealt with. They are basic in respect to conduct. Explaining the matter, Jesus said: “The things proceeding out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those things defile a man. For example, out of the heart come wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thieveries, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are the things defiling a man.” (Matt. 15:18-20) The husband must detect wrong desires on the part of himself and his family and apply the Scriptures, to show how these wrong desires must be put aside. “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.” (Jas. 1:14, 15) So these scriptures and related ones can be used by the family head in the family Bible study to straighten the family out in the matter of wrong desires. All the family can help each individual in this respect and each individual can help all the family as all rely upon the Bible.

23, 24. Show how wrong attitudes can be handled through the family Bible study.

²³ Not only wrong desires but wrong attitudes must be given attention by the Christian head, so that these will be eliminated from himself, his wife and his children. Do you detect anywhere in the family the attitude of anxiety? Why not study together the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-34 and Mark 4:19, along with 1 Peter 5:7, which states: “Throw all your anxiety upon [God], because he cares for you.” It could be that the attitude of disrespect is seen in some members of the family. This may be expressed toward the marriage mate, toward the parents, toward the congregation or its servants, even toward the Bible and the ministry. Now the family head needs to take action. The husband should, together with the family, turn to the scriptures that deal especially with the problem at hand so that the wrong attitude can be viewed in its proper light and be eliminated. In the case of disrespect you have the scriptures at 3 John 9, 10; Psalm 74:10; Jude 8-10; Proverbs 11:2; 13:10; 16:5, 18; 21:4, 24; James 4:16: 1 Samuel 15:23, and others.

²⁴ If you as a family head would take action whenever you see the wrong attitude of belligerence, contentiousness, cowardice, egotism, envy, covetousness, fear of men, greediness, hardheartedness, hatred, hypocrisy, jealousy, laziness, love of money, love of material things, malicious bitterness, uncontrolled anger, unreasonableness or wicked suspicions or other wrong attitudes in your own heart and in your wife or your children, then study the Scriptures on these things. If you wish assistance in finding the scriptures, take “Make Sure of All Things; Hold Fast to What Is Fine” and turn to page 99, from which page on you will find the Scripture references and citations. Use them while studying whatever attitude is under consideration for all your family so that your family’s attitude will be that of the Bible.

25, 26. (a) Who are in danger of carrying on wrong practices? (b) What action is to be taken by the family head?

²⁵ Wrong attitudes are not the only matters that may come up in the home and in the congregation that must be dealt with by the family head, but also wrong practices on the part of himself, his wife and his children must be eliminated Scripturally. What are some wrong practices? How about complaining? It shows a bad attitude and perhaps the wrong desire and lack of love. Complaining is a practice to be avoided. So when it exists, eliminate it. How? Go into the matter with your family members, all of them, using the scriptures and context of Jude 16; 1 Corinthians 10:10; Numbers 11:1 and Colossians 3:13, the latter of which states: “Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another.” Complaining kills joy, cooperation, appreciation and leads to other wrong conduct and possibly thereby the loss of life. So, again, the Christian family head needs to turn to God’s Word with his family so all will know the Bible reasons for taking the proper course of action and what course should be taken to make the necessary changes.

²⁶ The same procedure can be followed in order to prevent or to remove the wrong practices of bragging, drunkenness, gluttony, obscene speech, immodest dress, immoral tendencies, quarreling, stealing, screaming and such things. Here again husbands can get help from “Make Sure of All Things; Hold Fast to What Is Fine,” particularly page 102 on, including the scriptures concerning godly fruitage to be cultivated.

27. The entire family needs what?

²⁷ If a family will study together to obtain the Bible’s solution to any problem they have, they will be benefited. The entire family needs constant application to the study of these matters so that wrong thinking, desires, attitudes and wrong conduct will be avoided. In this way there will not be the more difficult problem of eliminating something that has already developed. “Cease becoming unreasonable, but go on perceiving what the will of Jehovah is.” This is the good advice of Ephesians 5:17.

28. Comment on the benefits (a) to the wife, (b) to the children.

²⁸ By assuming the headship responsibilities that the Scriptures place on him the Christian husband benefits all concerned. His wife has security and she has self-respect. The children have security, which they so very much need, and self-respect, which they also need, both of which are sought for in so many ways by young persons of the world and which search is in vain and leads them into all manner of excess. The loving father can protect his children in this regard if he will use the Word of God.

29. What advantages come from the standpoint of fulfilling one’s dedication?

²⁹ The proper assuming of husbandly headship likewise upholds the dedication of the husband and assists those of his family in respect to their faithful, dedicated course. The ministry is advanced and the family is guided in setting their hearts and affections upon the ministry, planning ahead for it, thereby avoiding being turned aside to materialism and the devotion of a life to just material pursuits, instead of to the ministry.

30. What may be said regarding (a) the preservation of the family, and (b) improvement of our worship?

³⁰ Certainly, when family heads find in their own hearts or in the hearts and attitudes of their wives and their children love for money they need to take steps to correct this. The ministry needs to be advanced and ministers need to advance. Also, by discharging headship responsibilities the husband can preserve the family, because without such the family may disintegrate. By his discharging headship it should improve the family’s worshiping of Jehovah. It certainly will reflect itself as far as the family and the individuals in the family are concerned. This is good and is the desirable objective. The fact that all these things are attainable should be a great encouragement to husbands and a great strengthening to them in assuming their responsibilities of headship. Such will bring them great joy for the present, assurance for the future, and, for themselves and their families, a certain hope of everlasting life in Jehovah’s righteous new system of things.

Working What Is Good Toward Those in the Faith

“Really, then, as long as we have time favorable for it, let us work what is good toward all, but especially toward those related to us in the faith.”—Gal. 6:10.

1. Is the doing of good restricted to the family circle?

THE preceding article deals especially with husbands, their headship responsibilities and the great good that they can bring to their wives, their children and also to themselves through following the guide of the Word of God in the affairs of their families. Only things that are good are suitable and appropriate to a Christian. Persons who profess to be followers of Christ Jesus, the Head and Founder of Christianity, can extend their doing of good beyond the bounds of the family circle. There are many things extending beyond the immediate family that must be considered by Jehovah’s witnesses