1. a) Why might someone advise us?
We could request advice for something specific. Perhaps someone notices that we may have problems and gives us advice to avoid it. Or perhaps we receive advice from the elders after we have committed a serious sin or mistake.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, it could be because a brother is worried about us because he sees that we are going down the wrong path and that perhaps we are going to make a mistake or perhaps someone has seen how we have made a mistake and then advises us.
Or it could also be that we are the ones asking for advice from someone we respect.
b) Why is it important to listen to advice?
They are for our good and could even save our lives as Proverbs 6:23 says.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Proverb 6:23 says that the corrections of discipline are the path that leads to life, so the advice can save our lives.
Just as the soundtracks of the highway alert the distracted or drowsy driver that his vehicle is deviating from the trajectory, these tips are sometimes gold because they can help us, as proverbs say, to stay on that path that leads us to life.
2. According to Proverbs 12:15, why should we listen to advice?
They are for our good and can save our lives. No one knows everything in this life. There will always be someone who has more knowledge or experience than us. By listening to advice we show that we are humble and that we need help to achieve our goals.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, the text is very clear if we don't do it we will be fools because we will be thinking that we know everything and that we don't need anyone to advise us but if we accept the advice we will be showing that we are wise.
And the proof that we do not know everything is that even Jehovah himself inspired King Solomon with the wisdom he had in proverb 15:22, he said that good results are achieved with many advisers, so if a king as wise as King Solomon I need advisers to have a successful reign and to be wise is because Jehovah is aware that obviously we do not know everything.
And to be wise, as the Bible says, we also have to be humble, show that we are humble, and be clear that we have these limitations, that we are imperfect, and thus with this we can achieve the objectives or goals that we have thanks to the help of others.
And sometimes our limitation is not intellectual because we know what Jehovah likes and what he does not like, but when we are experiencing a situation in the first person, our feelings or emotions may cloud our judgment a bit, so how much we appreciate that someone who is not directly involved and can see things cold, advise us and make us see what principle applies at that time.
ILLUSTRATION:
Images of a brother meditating on the different ways in which he can receive advice. An open Bible above him points to ways he can receive indirect advice or direct advice. 1. Indirect advice: the brother listens in a congregation meeting; read the Bible; watch a JW Broadcasting show; study a post. 2. Direct advice: the brother listens to another brother talking to him while showing him something on his tablet; two brothers pay him a shepherding visit.
Which of these two types of advice is more difficult for you to accept? (See paragraphs 3 and 4).
Well, we can see in the image the two types of advice, both emanating from the Bible, the source in the Bible, but one can come indirectly, such as when we are listening in meetings or when we are reading or studying the Bible, watching the broadcasting, but we also have the another branch of direct advice when a brother directly approaches us and gives us advice thinking exclusively of us.
And it is interesting that at the bottom of this photograph it says which of these two types of advice is more difficult for you to accept, of course if we are sincere, the indirect advice that we have on the left as we ourselves are the ones who realize the error can be very easy accept them and apply them in our lives, but perhaps when the advice comes from the elders of another brother, it costs us a little more, it may be that we are even a little embarrassed, but it is something that should not be like that.
3. In what ways can advice come to us?
In 2 ways, it hints at what it is when we read the Bible or some publication based on it. Also through a meeting or from the jw.org site. And directly when a mature Christian advises us or when we receive a visit from the elders.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, one way is the indirect way when we read the Bible to a publication or listen to a speech, something may come to us that makes us think.
The direct way that is when an elder or any other brother sees something in which we must improve and gives us advice and remember that when that happens it is a sign that he loves us.
And it is true that giving advice is not easy either the way we do it, but we can show our gratitude to that person who, as mentioned before, loves us very much by listening and above all by taking seriously the advice he has given us.
4. According to Ecclesiastes 7:9, what reaction should we avoid when receiving advice?
We do not want to be offended when they advise us. Nor did we say make an excuse for what we have done or said. Nor do we want to criticize the one who advises us in order to avoid hearing their recommendations.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
We must avoid getting angry or upset when receiving advice since we all know that we are imperfect and that we do not do everything well, but when someone talks to us and points out something specific that we are not doing correctly, it can be difficult to accept the advice.
It is very interesting what the note of Ecclesiastes 7:9 also indicates when talking about not getting angry easily, the note indicates do not rush in your spirit to offend yourself and that is that sometimes the defense mechanism against advice works very quickly, we justify ourselves we are experts in looking for excuses we think that the other person may have been a little short-sighted because they do not really know us that is why experience indicates that we are not always good at choosing or deciding which advice is best for us we are good at choosing the ones that suit us They like them, but people tend to see us much better than we see ourselves, so it is better to be receptive to advice.
Well, it strikes me that you say getting angry is in the heart of fools and it is that the heart is the center of our emotions, our feelings and then that is what we have to work on before an occasion like this arises, then it has made me wonder how I see others coldly if I am humble to consider what I can learn from them and then when a disagreement arises or something that may offend me if I have already worked on it before it will be easier for me to react calmly.
5. What will we see in this article?
We will analyze biblical characters who rejected advice and others who were willing to accept it. We will also review tips and benefits if we accept the tips and practice them.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Biblical examples of people who rejected advice but also of some who accepted it, we will also see that it will help us to accept advice and why it is useful to us.
REJECTED ADVICE
6. What does Rehoboam's example teach us?
He did not accept the advice of people with more experience, rather he went to young people who, by advising him, got him into more trouble. This teaches us that we should not look for advice that pleases us, but rather that which is most effective in improving our relationship with Jehovah.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In principle, Rehoboam acted well because when a situation arose in which the people asked him to lighten the burdens that were imposed on him, he did not make a hasty decision but instead asked for three days and on those days what he did was ask for advice, but the first advice he did not like what he received so he went to look for another piece of advice that he liked and that was when he was wrong.
That is why when we ask for advice it would be good for us to think why we are asking if we really want it to help us know what Jehovah wants us to do or we want to continue doing what we want but with a clear conscience for that reason a solution would be to deeply desire to act as Jehovah wants us to do things and so any advice that comes from the Bible we will accept with gratitude.
And something that happened to him that could have given success to a good decision would have been that he had prayed to Jehovah asking for advice to see which of those two pieces of advice was the most accurate, but he did not do it, so he preferred to let himself be carried away by his foolish heart and listen what I wanted to hear.
7. What do we learn from what happened to Uzziah?
Uzziah dared to do something that was not authorized and when he was advised to stop doing it, he became furious. No matter what authority we have within the congregation, we want to recognize our limitations and accept advice when it is given.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Uzziah's example highlights a trap we could fall into if we receive a privilege of service and are not humble we can begin to think that certain advice does not apply to us.
And that is what happened to Uzziah. He thought that he was above the advice that was being given to him, so he did not listen to the priests and in the end he lost Jehovah's approval and we do not want the same thing to happen to us.
And then we could also learn that Uzziah lost God's favor from one day to the next, that is, as he mentions at the end of everything, we can lose Jehovah's approval no matter who we are, he was king but from one day to the next he lost Jehovah's approval.
So let us also learn that it does not matter how many years we have been serving Jehovah, what privileges we have, if we receive advice and reject it because we do not like it or for another reason, then we would be making a mistake, we would be ceasing to be humble, pride would be born in us and that is when we would lose Jehovah's approval.
We also learn that, as we saw in previous paragraphs, the heart is the root of how we react, so Uzziah is a clear example that he had pride in his heart and when the time came to receive advice, his bad reaction came out, so it is Before receiving advice, analyze ourselves and see what we really have in our hearts, because when the time comes for advice to be given, we will react depending on what we have in it.
THE ADVICE WAS ACCEPTED
8. How did Job react when advised?
Being under pressure he said things that were not right, and when he received advice from a young man named Elihu and from Jehovah himself, he recognized his mistake, accepted the advice and Jehovah blessed him for being humble.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
When Job was under pressure he said things that were not right and needed advice and when advice came I humbly accept it and we have Job's sentiments in Job 43:6 when he said that's why I take back what I said and repent in dust and ashes.
And Jehovah also blesses our humility in fact in Job 42 from 12-17 we see how Jehovah blessed the end of Job's life more than the beginning and everything he came to have so without a doubt being humble and accepting advice also benefits us.
9. How did Moses react when Jehovah corrected him, and why is he a good example for us?
By letting himself be carried away by anger, he lost the opportunity to enter the promised land. By asking for a second chance he was corrected and Moses accepted that decision and that allowed him to continue being used as leader of the nation of Israel.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, he was not bitter about the privilege he had lost but accepted Jehovah's decision he continued to serve him faithfully Even as we see in Deuteronomy 4:1 after receiving this harsh correction from Jehovah he continued to encourage the people to continue listening to the Jehovah's judicial decisions obeying Jehovah and thus conquer the promised land that he would no longer participate in its conquest.
A good choice of the example of Moses is that we should not think that when we receive advice we are being judged as people, we are being told that your service is bad, it is simply a correction in an area of our service, but if we do as Moses he does not know, I am not angry it was not revealed but he continued to do what Jehovah allowed him if we do that then we will continue to be useful to Jehovah.
Sometimes we can lose a privilege but we have to react how Moses reacted, what he lost was not silly, it was something that had cost him a lot of work, surely he had had to endure many situations leading the people, but even so, he accepted that correction and saw that the important thing it was to continue serving Jehovah faithfully and continuing to collaborate with him.
10. a) According to Proverbs 4:10-13, how does accepting advice benefit us?
We would become wise people and therefore we would not make so many mistakes and we would be looking for an opportunity to live forever.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, in verse 10 it says that the result will be many years of your life and why, why how does it explain, it is Jehovah himself who guides us, that is why the path cannot be wrong, it has to be a path that leads to success, so it says that we will not stumble will always be the one that guides us and the result will be life.
Also according to verse 12 accepting advice marks the speed or rhythm of our progress says that there are times when we can walk but there are also times when we can even run and if we do it accepting advice we will not stumble of course what it has to do with our relationship with Jehovah we don't just want to run we want to fly if progress means getting closer and being better friends with Jehovah.
And here in proverbs verbs are indicated as listen, accept, hold on, protect her, so they are action verbs, we want to be active in following the advice and following the discipline.
It has made me think that the last verb protect it protects the discipline has made me think that in this area of our life the advice we receive is something that we have to protect, that we offer, we have to always be willing to pay attention to the advice so that it goes well for us.
b) What good attitude have some brothers shown?
A pioneer from Canada named Megan confesses, "The advice I've received hasn't always been what I wanted to hear, but it has always been what I needed to hear." And a brother from Croatia named Marko says, “I lost a privilege of service, but I recognize that the advice they gave me helped me regain my balance spiritually.”
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, I really like Megan's comment because she recognizes that the advice she has received has not always been what she would like to hear but rather what she needed to hear, so it shows that she is a humble person and that she recognizes that the advice is a sign of love for her
Marco from Croatia draws my attention because he, like Moses, also lost a privilege of service and surely he valued it very much and it hurt him, but more valuable than that is our relationship with Jehovah, so we have to put on the scale and when we give some advice to think that we are actually protecting the most valuable thing we have.
The words that brother Manuel says made me think of the advice because when they went to give him advice he took it as something positive, although sometimes it can be difficult to accept when they give us direct advice, but as he says, they were mature brothers and then he says they came to help me so he saw that affection with which the brothers went to give him that advice and makes us think that when they give us advice it is because those people love us very much.
11. What did Brother Karl Klein realize?
He received very clear advice from Brother Rutherford and he did not like it. Brother Rutherford told him that the Devil could trap him because of his attitude. That shook him and made him change. He realized that holding a grudge can create enmity and expose us to the Devil's traps.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
That he wasn't reacting very well to some advice that Brother Rutherford gave him because when he saw him again he says that he greeted him a little under his breath and that they were friends thank goodness that Brother Rutherford realized that he wasn't acting well and He told him to be careful because the devil wants to trap you and as he himself admits he was very right with those words because if we hold a grudge against a brother for advising us when he not only has the right but also the responsibility to do so, then this is a trap of the devil.
It does seem that Brother Klein took advice twice, first the advice they gave him and then the advice for not accepting the advice well, but he showed that he was a spiritual person because neither of these two pieces of advice prevented him from continuing his good relationship with the brothers. Rutherford.
WHAT WILL HELP US ACCEPT ADVICE?
12. How does humility help us to accept advice? (Psalm 141:5).
Humility makes us see advice as a demonstration of love. Job was humble and for that he was blessed by Jehovah. An old man from Canada says: “We don't see ourselves as others see us. So how are we going to progress if no one advises us?
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, it helps us remember that we are imperfect and what makes us sometimes behave foolishly, so humility helps us accept the advice we have read and see it as something beneficial that we cannot reject.
And as we have read, yes, I hit someone just, this just person who advises us could be someone younger or less experienced than us, but we should still see it as a sign of loyal love towards us.
And the comment that appears at the end of this old man from Canada also makes us see that if they give us advice it is an opportunity to progress as he mentions at the beginning, we do not see ourselves as others see us, so how are we going to progress if no one advises us?
He mentions the paragraph that sometimes advice can come at times when we think we don't need it, perhaps we are thinking that we are working well that everything is working well, but of course a humble person will never be in that comfortable place where he thinks that A humble person is going to need advice. A humble person will always recognize the many faults, the imperfections, the limitations that they have. That is why a humble person will never be surprised when they receive advice.
13. How should we view the advice we receive?
As a demonstration of love towards us from Jehovah and he shows it by giving us advice through his word, a biblical publication or a mature brother.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The advice of Proverbs 4:20 we read this expression my son so we must see the advice as words of a loving father.
A father who disciplines and advises his son does not do it to annoy him precisely because he loves him and the same thing happens with the advice that another brother in the congregation can give us, he does it because he loves us and it is very difficult sometimes to give advice because we know that it may not be well received but love is what motivates that brother to talk to us.
When we accept Jehovah's advice it is as if we were putting ourselves in his hand to allow him to continue molding us to help us continue cultivating qualities to be more like him, that's why in Hebrews 12:10 he ends by saying that his goal is for our benefit so that we may be holy like him.
And this is the same as when perhaps we have a stain or we have something between our teeth and someone comes and tells us, indicates it to us, that person does not do it so that we get upset, but because he loves us and wants us to be well and with Jehovah what happens Even when he advises us, he always does it for our benefit because he loves us.
14. What should we focus on when giving us advice?
In the message we receive in the form of advice and not in the way they give us the advice. We must ask ourselves: Is he somehow right, can I overlook his shortcomings and benefit from what he told me?
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, in the advice precisely in that message to see what it is that we have to change because looking for faults in how the advice has been given to us or any other type of excuse is actually, as we have seen before, a lack of humility and it is not going to changing the situation the faults of the one who has given us the advice do not make us in a better position, we still need to change what is wrong.
Yes here also in the paragraph we have help for when we have to give advice if that time comes we must strive to do it in a gentle way as Galatians 6:1 says in a loving way that is not hurtful or humiliating to the person who receives it but rather we want to give it easily and simply so that the other person accepts it.
Yes here also in the paragraph we have help for when we have to give advice if that time comes we must strive to do it in a gentle way as Galatians 6:1 says in a loving way that is not hurtful or humiliating to the person who receives it but rather we want to give it easily and simply so that the other person accepts it.
And I liked the expression used at the end of the paragraph that says that it would be good if we found a way to take advantage of any advice, that is, by putting ourselves in the worst of situations, it may be that whoever gives us the advice is not the best example He has given it to us in the best way or even perhaps the advice is not the most appropriate either, it may be that some detail is missing but we should still look for something in that advice that we have received in order to take advantage of it and apply it.
And although it is very difficult to do this because we are human, but how much Jehovah values that we strive to achieve it in proverbs 15:31 says that he who listens to advice corrects his home is among the wise so Jehovah will consider us wise people for making an effort by doing this.
ASKING FOR ADVICE BRINGS BENEFITS
15. Why is it good for us to ask for advice?
According to proverbs 13:10 it says that if we ask for advice we will become wise and our spiritual progress will be noticed.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Because it will help us to progress as proverbs 13:10 says, wisdom accompanies those who ask for advice and it has been shown that those who ask for it progress more, in addition to the fact that it will be easier for others if we have asked for it.
And that will save us later problems if we don't ask for advice in advance because we will probably make a mistake and then we will have to receive unsolicited advice.
Personally, sometimes they ask me for advice, perhaps because I think I already have enough experience or I don't ask for advice, just in case they tell me something I don't like, but of course all these reactions are not typical of a spiritual person, so ignoring that first reaction It will help you have a better spirituality.
Thinking that the longer we have been in the truth or the more responsibilities we have assumed in Jehovah's organization, the more important it is to ask for advice because it is very likely that others, due to the respect they feel towards us, may refrain a little more from saying things to us than to maybe they see or maybe everyone sees but out of respect they feel intimidated because they don't dare, so we have to make it easy for them we have to ask for it and that way our spiritual progress won't stagnate maybe we've been here for many years the truth but we can continue progressing because we will continue to receive advice.
ILLUSTRATION:
Series of images: 1. A young sister shopping online. She is noticing a revealing blouse and tight pants. 2. The young sister shows a mature sister what she would like to buy.
Why does this young sister ask a mature sister for advice? (See paragraph 16).
Well, there is a bit of a danger that we run of following the fashions of the world that especially put pressure on young people because this young woman is asking for advice from someone with more experience who will help her to be prudent, she is a sister but it could just as well be a young man, we know that the fashions also affect men So it is something that we all want to take into account and ask for advice.
And if this young sister one day wears pants that are too sensual and the older sister observes it, it is possible that she will give her advice, but what the young woman has done in this case in the photograph is to ask for it before clicking add to cart, that shows wisdom because it saves the embarrassment of the advice later and money too.
16. In what situations could we ask for advice?
Seek the help of a good teacher who accompanies us to give a class and who gives us advice to improve our teaching. An unmarried sister who wants to buy clothes can ask a mature sister for her opinion. If you are having her first public speech ask an experienced speaker for help.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
For example, a sister asks an experienced publisher to go with her to a Bible study and then asks for advice on how to improve her teaching.
Or maybe we are going to buy a piece of clothing and more so now that we have to do it from a distance many times, so ask the advice of a mature sister who can guide us to give us her honest opinion of whether it is a good purchase.
17. What must we do to benefit from advice?
Be humble and accept the advice, pay attention to the message they give us and put it into practice. If we want to be wise we must listen to the advice they give us.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, we must be humble, focus on what they tell us, not how they tell us, and put it into practice.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What do we learn from biblical characters who rejected advice?
We don't just want to hear what we like, but heed the advice and apply it. Nor do we want to abuse our authority and believe ourselves superior to anyone to the point that we avoid useful advice.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
In the case of Rehoboam, we have learned that when we receive 2 different pieces of advice, the first thing we have to ask ourselves is which one is based on the Bible and which one is not. If we have doubts, we have to ask Jehovah and not always follow the advice that we like best or the one that we want to hear because perhaps it is not the best but it is based on the Bible and on publications and if we do not do it as we also saw in the example, the consequences will be disastrous.
King Uzziah we have also learned that no matter how much responsibility we have we are never above the council, we will always need it and we should never act beyond our scope of what belongs to us.
What do we learn from the biblical characters who accepted the advice?
Humility is important to recognize our mistakes and accept advice even if it comes from people younger than us. And if we are advised not to be a hindrance to continue serving Jehovah faithfully.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Well, the importance of humility they received advice and benefited from it. Job did very well because he continued to be a very spiritual man and Moses continued with assignment until he died.
Neither Job nor Moses excused or justified seeing that they reacted in this way to a situation in which Job had been put both by the bad advisers he had had around him and Moses by the people who had also put him in a situation of tension but they did not do that, they did not justify themselves but they looked at themselves and saw what they had done wrong in order to continue having a good relationship with Jehovah.
And thanks to the fact that they demonstrated that reaction, both one and the other had good benefits, Jehovah continued to bless them, they continued to have a good relationship with him and being used to serve him, so this is also a good example for us so that we can see the benefits that it has listen to advice.
In the case of Job in particular, he did not focus on the counselor because he was Elihu, he was a much younger man than him, that could have been the perfect excuse to think that Elihu did not know what he was saying, if not Job was humble and focused and benefited from the advice.
What will help us accept advice?
Humility is important, let's not look at the advisor but at the advice and accept the suggestions to continue being wise.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
The first thing is to be humble and remember that we are imperfect and always need advice to progress.
We also want to focus on the message that is being told to us, not how it is being told or who told it to us.
And also see the advice as a sign of Jehovah's love, we saw that there was direct and indirect advice, but in all the ways that we receive it, it is out of love.
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