Let us examine the scriptures every day 2025
Saturday February 15, 2025
Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God (Rom. 14:12).
Modesty will help you recognize that age, health, and certain circumstances may limit what you do now. Be like Barzillai and be willing to reject responsibilities if your health does not allow you to assume them (2 Sam. 19:35, 36). That is, like Moses, accept help and delegate when appropriate (Ex. 18:21, 22). If you are modest, you won't have unrealistic expectations that leave you feeling weak. Nor should we feel responsible for the bad decisions of others. We cannot decide for others nor can we always protect them from the consequences of their bad choices. A child may decide to leave Jehovah, and this can cause parents unspeakable pain. However, parents who blame themselves for their child's poor decision place a heavy burden on themselves, a burden that Jehovah does not expect them to bear. w23.08 29 paras. 11, 12.
Are we responsible for the bad decisions that others make?
Feeling responsible for the bad decisions of others. We cannot decide for others nor can we always protect them from the consequences of their bad choices. A child may decide to leave Jehovah, and this can cause parents unspeakable pain. However, parents who blame themselves for their child's poor decision place a heavy burden on themselves, a burden that Jehovah does not expect them to bear.—Rom. 14:12.
What can a parent do if their child makes a bad decision?
What will help you lift that heavy burden? Remember that Jehovah has given us all freedom of choice and allows each of us to make our own decisions, including whether or not to serve him. Furthermore, Jehovah knows that you are not perfect. He just wants him to try hard to be a good father. If your child leaves the truth, it is his responsibility, not yours (Prov. 20:11). Despite everything, he may not stop dwelling on the mistakes he made as a father. Tell Jehovah how you feel and ask for forgiveness. He knows there is no way for you to go back and change it. On the other hand, Jehovah does not expect him to free his son from reaping what he sowed, that is, from the consequences of his actions. But remember that if your child strives to return to Jehovah, he will welcome him with open arms (Luke 15:18-20).
Why should we remove the burden of excess guilt?
The excess of guilt. When we sin, it is normal to feel guilty. But feeling too much guilt is a burden that Jehovah does not want us to carry, it is a weight that we must lift off our shoulders. How do we know if our feelings of guilt are excessive? If we already confess the sin, repent, and are trying not to commit it again, we can be sure that Jehovah has forgiven us (Acts 3:19). Once we have taken those steps, Jehovah wants us to free ourselves from guilt because he knows that feeling this way for a long time can cause us great harm (Ps. 31:10). If we let sadness weigh us down, we may give up and abandon the race for life (2 Cor. 2:7).
What will help you if you feel excessive guilt? (1 John 3:19, 20; see also photos).
What will help you lift that heavy burden? If you are tormented by excess guilt, focus on “the true forgiveness” that God gives (Ps. 130:4). When someone repents from the heart, Jehovah fulfills this promise: “I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:34). This means that when Jehovah forgives him, he does not blame him for what he did. Sure, sin has consequences, but that does not mean that Jehovah has not forgiven him. And, if you cannot now have certain responsibilities in the congregation, do not be mortified. Jehovah has already left his sins in the past...why don't you do the same? (Read 1 John 3:19, 20).
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