Listen, Learn., and Show Compassion

GET TO KNOW YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS

Hagar, the maidservant of Sarai, acted foolishly after she was given as a wife to Abram.  Hagar became pregnant and then began to look down on Sarai, who had no children of her own.  The situation became so bad that Sarai chased Hagar away.  (Genesis 16:4-6)  From our imperfect viewpoint, Hagar might appear to be no more than a spiteful women who got what she deserved. But Jehovah saw more in Hagar,  He sent his angel to her.  When the angel found her, he helped her to adjust he attitude and blessed her. Hagar sensed that Jehovah had been watching her and knew all about her situation.  She was moved to call him "a God of sight, . . . the one who sees me. - Read GENESIS 16:7-13. 

What did Jehovah see in Hagar?  He was fully aware of her background and everything she had been through. (Proverbs 15:3)  Hagar was an Egyptian living in a Hebrew household.  Did she sometimes feel like an outsideer?  Did she miss her family and her homeland? She was not Abram's only wife.  For a time some fatihful men had more than one wife.  But that was not Jehovah's original purpose.  (Matthew 19:4-6)  It is no surprise, then, that such an arrangement caused jealously and resentment.  While Jehovah did not excuse Hagar's disrespect for Sarai, we can be sure that he took Hagar's  background  and her situation into account. 

We can imitate Jehoah by trying to understand one another. Get to know your brothers and sisters better.  Talk with them  before and after meetings, work with them in the ministry, and if possible, invite them for a meal  When you do, you may learn that a sister who  seems unfriendly is actually shy, a brother whom you thought  to be materialistic is hospitable, or a family that often comes  late to the meetings is enduring opposition.  (Job 6:29)  Of course, we should not become "meddlers in other people's affairs."  (1 Timothy 5:13)   However, it is good to know something about our brothers and sisters and the circumstances that have shaped their personality. 

Elders in particular need to know the background of our brothers and sisters under their care.  Consider the example of a brother named Arthur who was serving as a circuit overseer. He and another elder visited a sister who seemed shy and withdrawn.  "We learned that her husband died soon after they got married," Arthur says:  "Despite the challenges, she raised two spiritually strong daughters. Now, though, her eyesight was failing, and she suffered from depression. Even so, her love for Jehovah and her faith in him remained strong.  We realized that we had a lot to learn for this good sister's examle."(Philippians 2:3)   This circuit overseer was following Jehovah's example.  Jehovah knows his sheep and they pain they suffer.  (Exodus 3:7)  Elders who know the sheep well are in a better position to help them. 

When you get to know the background of a fellow Christian whom you find irritating, you are more likely to feel empathy for that one. Consider an example, "A sister in my congregation was very loud when she spoke,"  says Yip Yee, who lives in Asia.  "I felt that she lacked good manners, but when I worked with her  in the ministry, I learned that she used to help her parents  sell in the fish market. She had to speak loudly to attract customers."  Yip Yee adds:  "I learned that to understand  my  brothers and sisters better,   Still,  when you follow the Bible's counsel to open your heart wide, you imitate Jehovah, who loves "all sorts of people." - 1 TIMOTHY 2:3, 4; 2 CORINTHIANS 6:11-13. 

Next time:Listen, Learn, and Show Compassion - SHOW COMPASSION

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