True Love Is Practical - IN MIND, TOO

 By such an unforgiving,, irreconcilable spirit he tends to make his brother weak, to impede him spiritually.  Better is it to forgive and dispose of the contentions and quarreling and help the brother to be a like strong city, the way some modern translators prefer to render Proverbs 18:19: "A brother helped is like a strong city, but quarreling likethe bars of a castle." (RS) "A  brother helped by a brother is like a fortified city; he holds firm as he bar of a castle." (AT; Bover-Cantera) Our responsibility and privilege is to edify our brother by extending forgiveness, if necessary, and  thus help to make him strong and untabable by the enemy, able to hold out like bar of a castle against all assaults on the world.  That way a Christian benefits himself as well as his spiritual brother.  "The merciful man doeth good to his own soul; but he that is  cruel troubleth his own flesh." (Proverbs 11:17, AS) Remember that Jesus said: "Happy are the merciful, since they will be shown mercy. For if you if forgive men their trespasses, yor heavenly Father will also forgive you; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will not forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 5:7; 6:14, 15, NW) Is God's forgiveness not worth gaining?  It means our everlasting life in the new world. 

We spare ourselves much inward pain and trial by not being touchy, sensitive, easily offended.  Do not imagine yourself the one hinted at in remarks by others adn to be undeservedly criticized, and so take offense and feel injured. If in doubt as to who it is meant,  inquire  of the speaker.  Do not jump to conclusions ad hold something against the speaker and chill against him. If his remarks  fit you, they may have fitted others too, and the speaker may had someone else in miknd as an illustration. So meekly take te benefit of his remarks along with others.  How would you feel if the speaker came to you direct and said:  "You are the man"?  That would be something with unmistakable meaning for you to take, but, while hurting you, it would be something for you either to acknowledge as true or to defend yourself against as false.  A royal dignitary higher than you took it-King David. Without feeling any offense and punishing his bold accuser, the propohet Nathan, he admitted that he was the one that matched Nathan's illustration and he repented.  Doing this did him good and led to his reconcilliation with  Jehovah God.  (2 Samuel 11:1 to 12:15; Proverbs 28:13) So  humble yourself to accept deserved rebuke and correction and be thankful for it.  But do not impute evil to another and let your imaginatin run wild and  induce you feel offended and grow morbid.   It will unbalane you, wreck your peace and happiness, and spoil your easy, good relations with a brother not aware he hurt you.

Next time: True Love Is Practical - A PERFECT BOND OF AMIABLE UNION

From the jw.org publications 

.  "