God wills, the sanctifying of you, that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you should know how to get possession of his own vessel in sanctification and honor [that takes self-control], not in covetous sexual appetite such as also those nations have which do not know God; that no one go to the point of harming and encroach upon the rights of his brother in this matter, because Jehovah is one who exacts punishment for all these things.” Love for our brothers will keep us from erring in such matters by a lack of self-control, even as it will enable us to obey the counsel: “Keep making straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather that it may be healed.” Paul set us a fine example in this: “If food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat flesh at all, that I may not make my brother stumble.”—1 Thess. 4:3-8; Heb. 12:13; 1 Cor. 8:13.

BENEFITS AND REWARDS OF SELF-CONTROL

19. What benefits accrue to body and mind from self-control?

¹⁹ The benefits and rewards for exercising self-control are truly great. This is as it should be, since Jehovah the righteous God is the universal Sovereign. Even as failure to exercise self-control results in harm all out of proportion to the immediate advantages or pleasures experienced, so it might be said that exercising self-control results in benefits all out of proportion to the efforts involved. For one thing, self-control makes for health of body and mind. Thus one of America’s leading nutritionists stated that “health is the reward of temperance” or self-control, and that “to be lean with a settled temper means long life,” and recent research has shown that psychiatric patients are far more numerous among college girls who are promiscuous than among those who hold on to their virtue.

20. Exercising self-control gives what spiritual benefits?

²⁰ Even more important, self-control helps us to have self-respect. We all know what God requires of us individually and, to the extent that we earnestly and honestly try to measure up to that standard, we will enjoy a clear conscience and have self-respect. (1 Pet. 3:16) It will also keep us from following “after the crowd for evil ends.” (Ex. 23:2) Moreover, exercising self-control will greatly aid us in cultivating the other fruits of the spirit. We cannot have joy unless we discipline our minds, hearts and bodies, for Christian joy is not mere feeling but is based on principle. The same is true of peace. How can we have peace if we keep getting into trouble because of a failure to exercise self-control? And as has already been noted, long-suffering goes hand in hand with self-control. Likewise, to be kind and mild when it really counts, as under trying situations, requires great self-control, even as it does to hold on to goodness in the face of temptations to yield to selfishness.—Gal. 5:22, 23.

21. How does our exercising self-control benefit others?

²¹ Self-control results in blessings, not only to ourselves, but also to others. For one thing, it will keep us from stumbling others. (Phil. 1:9, 10) It will help us to become good examples to them. It makes for good relations within our own families, where so often the need to exercise self-control is overlooked, even as it makes for good relations in the Christian congregation, at one’s place of employment, and at school. To the extent that we have responsible positions or aspire to such, to that extent we must strive even harder to exercise self-control, for such positions demand more of it. Thus a key question by which symphony orchestra musicians judge conductors is: “Does he maintain self-control under pressure?” Yes, the Christian overseer must be “moderate in habits, . . . orderly, . . . reasonable,” all of which means that he must be “self-controlled.”—1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9.

22. Above all else, in what does our exercising self-control result?

²² But above all, self-control makes for good relations with Jehovah God and contributes to the vindication of his name. Only by exercising self-control can we prove ourselves wise and make his heart glad, so that he can answer the one taunting him. Truly the need for self-control can hardly be overemphasized!—Prov. 27:11.

Stimulating Our Brothers by Our Own Zeal

What are some fine examples of godly zeal?

The greatest example of godly zeal is that given by Jehovah God himself. His zeal makes it certain that all that he has promised he will also perform.—Isa. 9:7.

Jesus Christ manifested godly zeal for his Father’s house, as when driving those out of it who had made it a cave of robbers. (John 2:13-17) His apostles after Pentecost displayed such fiery zeal that they were charged with overturning the inhabited earth. (Acts 17:6) And to the Corinthian Christians Paul was able to write: “Your zeal has stirred up the majority of them.”—2 Cor. 9:2.a

To stimulate our brothers we must have what kind of zeal?

Zeal is variously defined as a passionate ardor for a cause or person; as an intense eagerness in promoting some end. It is also referred to as earnestness, enthusiasm, devotion and fervor. To stimulate our Christian brothers to be zealous for Jehovah, we should have such kind of zeal. This is a genuine zeal, which is a sincere, warm concern for the glory of God and the spiritual welfare of mankind. Without such zeal there can be no triumph, nor perfected Christian personalities, no lasting rewards or deeds of Christian faith. It is to zealous activity in connection with the Lord that Christians have been called. This kind of zeal imbues Christians with the desire to transform their minds and personalities to those of Christ. Having such kind of zeal, we will stimulate our brothers to zealous service.

Helpful also in our stimulating our brothers to zeal is our being careful to see spiritual values as they really are without confusing them with specious substitutes. We need to recognize what is genuinely important and not confuse it with what is plausible but of secondary importance. Not to be overlooked, either, is the fine example of full-time service, as a general or special pioneer, as a missionary or member of the Bethel family, as an aid to stimulating our brothers to zealous service.—Matt. 6:33; Mark 10:28-30.

What will help us to sustain our Christian zeal?

Genuine zeal requires much energy. This vital energy or force is sustained by taking in the truth from God’s Word, for it is alive and exerts power. (Heb. 4:12) The need therefore is to study God’s Word daily and meditate on it so that, even as with Jeremiah, it will become “like a burning fire shut up in [our] bones.”—Jer. 20:9; Rom. 15:4.

To sustain our Christian zeal we must also be careful not to associate with those whose bad habits can dampen our zeal and rob it of its fire. Associating with doubters not only may cause our zeal to flicker but may even extinguish it. Fair-weather Christians can easily discourage us from zealous service because of hot, cold or wet days.—1 Cor. 15:33.

Keep on cultivating good spiritual insight, the perception that is always able to distinguish between truth and error, between right and wrong. To sustain our zeal we must also keep in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah. Yes, the awareness of Armageddon’s nearness will also serve us as a warning and help us sustain our burning Christian zeal, as we stimulate our brothers.