Do You Have the Facts? - HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF?

Obtaining reliable facts is only one challenge to reaching good conclusions.  Our humans imperfection poses another major challenge.  What if we have been serving Jehovah faithfully for decades?  We may have developed fine thinking ability and discernment.  We may be highly respected for our sound judgment. Nonetheless, can this also be a snare?

Yes, leaning too heavily on our own understanding can become a snare.   Our emotions and personal ideas could begin to govern our thinking. We may begin to feel that we can look at any situation and understand it even though we do not have the facts.  How dangerous!  The Bible clearly warns us not to lean on our own understanding. -Proverbs 3:5, 6; 28:26. 

Consider this imaginary scenario. While in a restaurant one evening, an experienced elder named Tom was shocked to see a fellow elder, John, sitting at  another table with a woman who was not his wife.  Tom observed the couple  laughing, thoroughly enjoying each other's association, and sharing an affectionate embrace.  Tom became more and more disturbed.  Would this lead to divorce?  What would happen to John's wife?  What about John's children?  Tom had seen such heartbreaking situations before. How would you have felt if you had witnessed this scene?

But wait.  Although Tom quickly concluded that John had been unfaithful to his wife, did he really have the fact?  Later that evening, Tom telephoned John.  Can you imagine how relieved tom felt when he learned that the woman was John's fleshly sister, who was visiting out of town.  The two had not seen each other for many years. Because she was passing through for a few hours, John was only able  to meet her for a meal in a restaurant.  His wife was unable  to join them.  Thankfully, Tom had not spread his wrong conclusions to others.  The lesson for us?  No matter how much experience we  may have in Kingdom living,  experience alone is never a substitute for the facts.

Another challenge to evaluating matters accurately may be faced when we have a personality conflict with a brother in the congregation.  If we constantly dwell on  our differences, we may begin to look at our brother with a measure of suspicion.  Thus, if we hear a negative report about this brother, we may be eager to believe  it.  What is the lesson?  Harboring ill feelings toward our brothers can lead to  distorted judgments that are not based on facts.  ( 1 Timothy 6:4, 5)  We can prevent our judgment from becoming clouded by refusing to allow envy and jealously to take root in  our hearts.  Instead of giving in to such bad feelings, we may recognize our obligation to love our brothers and freely forgive them from the heart. -Read Colossians 3:12-14. 

Next time: Do You Have the Facts? - BIBLE PRINCIPLES WILL SAFEGUARD US

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