Are You Making Jehovah's Thoughts Your Own?

"Be transformed by making your mind over." - ROMANS  12:2.


* How are Bible study and meditation related to making Jehovah's thoughts our own? 

* Jehovah's thinking should have what effect on our actions?

* How can meditating on God's thoughts help us with future decisions?

A SMALL child receives a gift. His parents tell him, "Say thank you."  The child obeys, though somewhat mechanically. As he grows older, his appreciation for his parent's thinking and for the kindness of others increases.  Now he expresses thanks more readily, from the heart. Why? Because gratitude has become part of  his own thinking.

 Similarly, when we first came to a knowledge of the truth, we learned the importance of obedience to Jehovah's basic requirements.  But as we continue to grow spiritually, we lean more about Jehovah's thinking-his likes, his dislikes, and his way of viewing various matters.  By learning to reason similarly and by allowing such thinking to influence our actions and personal choices, we show that we are making Jehovah's thoughts our own.

While learning to think like Jehovah is a delight, it can also be a challenge.  At times, our imperfect reasoning might get in the way. For example, we might have difficulty understanding Jehovah's view of moral cleanness, materialism, the preaching work, the misuse of blood, or something else. What can we do?  How can we continue to make progress in making God's thoughts our own?  And how should doing so affect the presents and future actions?

Next time: Are You Making God's Thoughts Your Own? - ADOPTING GOD'S THOUGHTS AS OUR OWN

From the jw.org publications