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How to Maintain a Positive Viewpoint “If a man should live many years, let him enjoy them all.” What blessings from Jehovah can help us to be happy? JEHOVAH wants us to be happy, and he pours out on us many blessings that should lead to happiness. For one thing, we are alive. Hence, we can use our life to praise God, since he has drawn us to true worship. 144:15; John 6:44) Jehovah assures us of his love and helps us to endure in our service to him. 4:16) We enjoy the spiritual paradise, where we find both abundant spiritual food and a loving brotherhood. Beyond that, we have a precious hope for the future. With what do some faithful servants of God struggle? 2 Despite having these reasons for happiness, some faithful servants of God struggle with negative thoughts about themselves. They may feel that neither they nor their service to Jehovah has much value to him. For those with persistent negative feelings, the idea of enjoying “many years” could seem to be a fantasy. Life might appear to be a series of dark days. What may trigger negative feelings? 3 For such brothers or sisters, negative feelings may be triggered by disappointments, illness, or some indication of the limitations of old age. 7:7) Moreover, every Christian must face the reality that the heart is treacherous and may condemn us even though God may be pleased with us. 17:9; 1 John 3:20) The Devil falsely accuses God’s servants. And those who have Satan’s thinking may try to infect us with the view that faithless Eliphaz expressed What will we consider in this article? 4 Jehovah makes it clear in the Scriptures that he will be with those who “walk in the valley of deep shadow.” 23:4) One way he is with us is by means of his Word. The Bible is “powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things,” including misconceptions and negative ideas. 10:4, 5) Let us, then, consider how we can use the Bible to help us cultivate and maintain a positive viewpoint. You may gain personal benefit from this, as well as find ways to encourage others. USE THE BIBLE TO CULTIVATE A POSITIVE VIEWPOINT What test can help us to have a positive viewpoint? 5 The apostle Paul described some things that may help us to cultivate a positive viewpoint. He urged the congregation in Corinth: “Keep testing whether you are in the faith.” 13:5) “The faith” is the body of Christian beliefs revealed in the Bible. If our words and actions match those beliefs, then we pass the test and show that we are “in the faith.” Of course, we must also compare our lives with the entire scope of Christian teaching. We cannot pick and choose which parts we will follow. Why should we test ourselves as to ‘whether we are in the faith’? (See opening image.) 6 You might hesitate to take that test, especially if you feel that you might fail. Yet, Jehovah’s view of us is more important than ours, and his thinking is much higher than ours. 55:8, 9) He examines his worshippers, not to condemn them, but to find their good qualities and to help them. When you use God’s Word to test yourself to see “whether you are in the faith,” you will be seeing yourself more as God sees you. This can help you to replace any idea that you are worthless to God with a Bible-based assurance: You are precious in Jehovah’s eyes. The result can be like opening the curtains to let the sunshine into a dark room. How can we benefit from Biblical examples of faithfulness? 7 An effective way to conduct this self-examination is to meditate on the example of faithful people referred to in the Bible. Compare their circumstances or feelings with yours, and see how you might have acted in their situation. Let us look at three examples that illustrate how you can use the Bible to verify that you are “in the faith” and thus to cultivate a positive view of yourself. THE NEEDY WIDOW (a) What were the circumstances of the needy widow? (b) What negative feelings might the widow have had? 8 At the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus watched a needy widow. Her example can help us to maintain a positive viewpoint despite our limitations. Consider the widow’s circumstances. She had to endure not only the grief of losing her husband but also a religious climate dominated by leaders who would rather “devour the houses of the widows” than help such vulnerable ones. (Luke 20:47) She was so poor that she could contribute to the temple only what a laborer might earn in a few minutes. 9 Try to imagine how the widow felt as she entered the temple courtyard carrying her two small coins. Would she be thinking about how little she was going to contribute compared with what she may have been able to give when her husband was alive? Would she be embarrassed at seeing the large donations made by those ahead of her, perhaps wondering whether her offering was really worthwhile? Even if she had such feelings, she still did what she could in behalf of true worship. How did Jesus show that the widow was valuable to God? 10 Jesus showed that both the widow and her contribution were valuable to Jehovah. He said that she “put in more than [the rich] all did.” Her donation would be mixed in with what others gave, yet Jesus singled her out for praise. The treasury workers who later came across those two small coins could hardly have known how precious the coins and their donor were to Jehovah. Still, God’s view was the one that really mattered, not what other people thought or even how the widow viewed herself. Can you use this account to test whether you are in the faith? What can you learn from the account of the widow? 11 Your circumstances may directly affect what you can offer to Jehovah. Because of age or infirmity, the amount of time that some are able to preach the good news is very limited. Would they be justified in questioning whether their activity is worth reporting? Even if you are not greatly restricted, you might feel that your efforts represent only a small part of all the hours that God’s people spend each year in worshipping him. Still, we learn from the account of the poor widow that Jehovah notices and treasures each act done for him, especially when done in the face of difficult circumstances. Think back on your worship of Jehovah during the past year. Did one of the hours you devoted to him require a special sacrifice on your part? If so, you can be sure that he values what you did for him during that hour. When, like the needy widow, you are doing all you can in Jehovah’s service, you have solid reason for believing that you are “in the faith.” “TAKE MY LIFE AWAY” (a) How did negative feelings affect Elijah? (b) Why might Elijah have felt as he did? 12 The prophet Elijah was loyal to Jehovah and had strong faith. Yet, at one point he felt so low that he asked Jehovah to put him to death, saying: “It is enough! Now, O Jehovah, take my life away.” (1 Ki. 19:4) Those who have not experienced such despair might be tempted to dismiss Elijah’s prayer as mere “wild talk.” (Job 6:3) However, his feelings were real. Note, though, that rather than chastise Elijah for wanting to die, Jehovah helped him. 13 How had Elijah come to feel as he did? Shortly before this, he had presided over a decisive test in Israel that proved that Jehovah is the true God, and this led to the execution of 450 prophets of Baal. (1 Ki. 18:37-40) Elijah likely hoped that God’s people would now return to pure worship, but that did not happen. Wicked Queen Jezebel sent a message to Elijah that she was arranging for him to be killed. Fearing for his life, Elijah fled south across neighboring Judah into the wilderness, a barren and wild place. 14 Alone with his thoughts, Elijah reflected on the seeming futility of his work as a prophet. He told Jehovah: “I am no better than my forefathers.” His point was that he felt as useless as the dust and bones of his dead ancestors. He had, in effect, tested himself by his own standards and had decided that he was a failure, of no value to Jehovah or anyone else. How did God assure Elijah that He still valued him? 15 But the Almighty saw Elijah differently. Elijah remained valuable in God’s eyes, and Jehovah took steps to assure him of that reality. God sent an angel to strengthen Elijah. Jehovah also provided food and drink that would sustain Elijah during his 40-day trip south to Mount Horeb. Moreover, God kindly corrected Elijah’s mistaken idea that no other Israelites had remained faithful to Jehovah. Significantly, God gave Elijah new assignments, which he accepted. Elijah benefited from Jehovah’s help, and he returned to his work as a prophet with renewed energy. What are some ways that God has likely sustained you? 16 Elijah’s experience can help you to verify that you are in the faith and can move you toward a positive viewpoint. First, think of the ways that Jehovah has sustained you. Might one of his servants, perhaps an elder or other mature Christian, have helped you at some point when you were in need? 6:2) Have you been nourished spiritually by the Bible, our Christian publications, and the congregation meetings? The next time you benefit in one of these ways, consider the true Source of your help and offer a prayer of thanks to Him. What does Jehovah value in his servants? 17 Second, recognize that a negative viewpoint can be deceptive. God’s evaluation of us is what counts. (Read Romans 14:4.) Jehovah values our devotion and faithfulness to him; he does not measure us by our accomplishments. And it could well be that, just as was true of Elijah, you have accomplished more for Jehovah than you realize. There likely are ones in the congregation whom you have affected for good, as well as those in the territory who have been exposed to the truth through your efforts. What does your assignment from Jehovah prove? 18 Finally, view each assignment from Jehovah as proof that he is with you. 20:11) Like Elijah, you might be discouraged because your service seems fruitless or because some spiritual goal seems unattainable. Yet, you still share the greatest privilege that any of us can now have THE “PRAYER OF THE OPPRESSED ONE” What situation did the writer of Psalm 102 face? 19 The writer of Psalm 102 was desperate. He was “oppressed,” suffering great physical or emotional distress, and he lacked the strength to deal with his problems. 102, superscription) We find in his words an indication that he was absorbed in his pain, loneliness, and personal feelings. 102:3, 4, 6, 11) He believed that Jehovah wanted to cast him aside. How can prayer help someone who battles negative thoughts? 20 Yet, the psalmist could still use his life to praise Jehovah. As we see from Psalm 102, even those who are in the faith can be in pain and be struggling to focus on anything else. The psalmist felt “like a solitary bird on a roof,” as if he had only his troubles for company. 102:7) If you ever feel that way, pour out your heart to Jehovah as the psalmist did. The prayers of the oppressed one How might one who is battling negative feelings gain a more positive viewpoint? 21 Psalm 102 also shows how you might gain a more positive viewpoint. The psalmist did so by shifting attention to his relationship with Jehovah. 102:12, 27) He found comfort in knowing that Jehovah would always be there to sustain His people through trials. So if negative feelings temporarily keep you from doing as much as you want to in God’s service, pray about it. Ask God to hear your prayer not only so that you may experience some relief from your distress but also “so that the name of Jehovah will be declared.” How can each of us please Jehovah? 22 Yes, we can use the Bible to prove to ourselves that we are in the faith and are valuable to Jehovah. To be sure, in the present system of things, we may not be able to eliminate all negative feelings or discouragement. Still, each of us can please Jehovah and gain salvation by faithfully enduring in his service.
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Kako naučiti pozitivno razmišljati Ako čovjek živi i mnogo godina, neka se u svima raduje (PROP. 11:8) Koje nam blagoslove Jehova daje kako bismo bili sretni? JEHOVA želi da budemo sretni i daje nam mnoge blagoslove zbog kojih bismo trebali biti sretni. Naprimjer, dao nam je život. Svoj život možemo koristiti kako bismo slavili Boga jer nas je on privukao pravoj religiji (Psal. 144:15; Ivan 6:44). Jehova nam jamči da nas ljubi i pomaže nam da mu ustrajno služimo (Jer. 31:3; 2. Živimo u duhovnom raju u kojem imamo obilje duhovne hrane i osjećamo ljubav braće i sestara. Osim toga, imamo nadu u predivnu budućnost. S čime se bore neki vjerni Božji sluge? 2 Iako imamo mnogo razloga za radost, neki vjerni Božji sluge imaju negativno mišljenje o sebi. Možda misle da ni oni ni njihova služba nisu naročito vrijedni u Jehovinim očima. Onima koje neprestano muče negativni osjećaji pomisao na to da radosno žive “mnogo godina” izgleda kao san. Život im se čini kao niz sumornih dana (Prop. 11:8). Zbog čega se kod nekih kršćana mogu pojaviti negativni osjećaji? 3 Negativni osjećaji mogu se pojaviti zbog razočaranja, bolesti ili nekih ograničenja koja donosi starost (Psal. 71:9; Izr. 13:12; Prop. 7:7). Osim toga, svaki kršćanin mora imati na umu da je srce varljivo i da nas može osuđivati čak i onda kad je Bog zadovoljan s nama (Jer. 17:9; 1. Đavo lažno optužuje Božje sluge. Isto tako, osobe koje razmišljaju poput Sotone mogu nas pokušati uvjeriti u ono što je tvrdio Elifaz, koji nije imao vjere, naime da smo bezvrijedni u Božjim očima. Ta je tvrdnja bila laž u Jobovo vrijeme, a tako je i danas (Job 4:18, 19). Što ćemo razmatrati u ovom članku? 4 Jehova u Bibliji jasno kaže da će biti s onima koji hodaju “dolinom guste tame” (Psal. 23:4). Naprimjer, on je s nama putem svoje Riječi. Biblija ima “veliku snagu od Boga za rušenje onoga što je snažno utvrđeno”, pa tako i pogrešnih razmišljanja i negativnih misli (2. Stoga razmotrimo kako nam ona pomaže da naučimo pozitivno razmišljati. To može koristiti tebi osobno, a može ti pomoći i da ohrabriš druge. BIBLIJA TI POMAŽE DA POZITIVNO RAZMIŠLJAŠ Što nam može pomoći da pozitivno razmišljamo? 5 Apostol Pavao naveo je što nam može pomoći da pozitivno razmišljamo. Kršćane u korintskoj skupštini potaknuo je: “Ispitujte jeste li u vjeri!” (2. Izraz “vjera” odnosi se na sva kršćanska vjerovanja o kojima govori Biblija. Ako su naše riječi i djela u skladu s tim vjerovanjima, može se reći da smo prošli ispit i da smo “u vjeri”. Naravno, važno je i da provjeravamo živimo li u skladu sa svim kršćanskim učenjima. Ne možemo birati kojih ćemo se učenja držati, a kojih nećemo (Jak. 2:10, 11). Zašto trebamo ispitivati jesmo li “u vjeri”? (Vidi ilustraciju na početku članka.) 6 Možda oklijevaš ispitati jesi li “u vjeri”, naročito ako misliš da nećeš proći taj ispit. No Jehovino gledište o nama važnije je od našeg jer on više zna o nama nego mi sami (Iza. 55:8, 9). On ne ispituje svoje sluge da bi ih osuđivao, već da bi otkrio njihove dobre osobine i da bi im pomogao. Budeš li pomoću Božje Riječi ispitivao jesi li “u vjeri”, na sebe ćeš početi gledati onako kako na tebe gleda Bog. To će ti pomoći da prestaneš misliti da te Bog smatra bezvrijednim. Umjesto toga, uvjerit ćeš se da je Biblija u pravu kad ti jamči da si dragocjen u Jehovinim očima. Kako će to djelovati na tebe? Osjećat ćeš se kao da si razmaknuo zastor i pustio da sunce obasja mračnu sobu. Zašto je korisno razmišljati o vjernim osobama o kojima govori Biblija? 7 Dobar način da se preispitaš svakako je i razmišljanje o vjernim osobama o kojima govori Biblija. Usporedi njihove životne okolnosti ili osjećaje sa svojima i razmisli kako bi ti postupio na njihovom mjestu. U nastavku ćemo navesti tri primjera koja pokazuju kako pomoću Biblije možeš utvrditi jesi li “u vjeri” i tako steći pozitivno mišljenje o sebi. SIROMAŠNA UDOVICA (a) Kakve su bile životne okolnosti siromašne udovice? (b) S kojim se osjećajima udovica možda borila? 8 Kad je jednom prilikom bio u jeruzalemskom hramu, Isus je zapazio siromašnu udovicu. Njen primjer može nam pomoći da imamo pozitivno mišljenje o sebi unatoč svojim ograničenjima. (Pročitaj Luku 21:1-4.) Razmisli o životnim okolnostima te udovice. Pored toga što se morala nositi s tugom zbog gubitka muža, živjela je u sredini u kojoj su vjerski vođe otimali “imovinu udovicama” umjesto da su pomagali tim bespomoćnim ženama (Luka 20:47). Bila je toliko siromašna da je u hramu priložila novac koji bi radnik zaradio za samo nekoliko minuta. 9 Pokušaj zamisliti kako se udovica osjećala kad je ušla u hramsko dvorište s dva novčića. Je li razmišljala o tome koliko će malo novca priložiti u usporedbi s onim što je davala dok joj je muž bio živ? Je li joj bilo neugodno kad je vidjela da drugi daju velike priloge? Je li se pitala ima li njen prilog ikakvu vrijednost? Čak i ako su je mučili takvi osjećaji, ona je ipak učinila ono što je mogla kako bi poduprla obožavanje pravog Boga. Kako je Isus pokazao da je udovica bila dragocjena u Božjim očima? Isus je objasnio da su i udovica i njen prilog bili dragocjeni Jehovi. Rekao je da je ona “ubacila više” od svih bogataša. Njeni su se novčići pomiješali s ostalim prilozima, ali Isus je izdvojio baš tu udovicu i pohvalio je. Hramski službenici koji su kasnije brojali novac nisu ni slutili koliko su Jehovi dragocjena ta dva novčića i onaj tko ih je priložio. No nije bilo važno što su o toj udovici mislili drugi, pa čak ni što je ona sama mislila o sebi. Najvažnije je bilo kako je Bog gledao na nju. Ovaj ti izvještaj doista može pomoći da ispitaš jesi li “u vjeri”. Što možeš naučiti iz izvještaja o udovici? Tvoje okolnosti sigurno znatno utječu na to što možeš dati Jehovi. Neka braća zbog starosti ili bolesti mogu vrlo malo vremena posvetiti propovijedanju dobre vijesti. Možda se pitaju ima li uopće smisla izvijestiti to vrijeme. Čak i ako te tvoje životne okolnosti ne ograničavaju previše, možda misliš da je tvoj udio u službi malen u usporedbi sa silnim brojem sati koje Božji narod svake godine provede u propovijedanju. No iz izvještaja o siromašnoj udovici učimo da Jehova zapaža i cijeni sve što činimo za njega, posebno ako se nalazimo u teškim okolnostima. Razmisli o svojoj službi Jehovi tijekom prošle godine. Jesi li se ponekad morao naročito žrtvovati za Jehovu? Ako jesi, budi uvjeren da on cijeni sve što si tada učinio za njega. Sve dok poput siromašne udovice daješ sve od sebe u službi Jehovi, budi siguran da si “u vjeri”. “UZMI SADA DUŠU MOJU!” (a) Kako su negativni osjećaji utjecali na Iliju? (b) Zašto je Ilija bio potišten? Prorok Ilija bio je odan Jehovi i imao je jaku vjeru. Ipak, u jednom trenutku svog života bio je toliko potišten da je molio Jehovu da umre. Rekao je: “Dosta mi je! Jehova, uzmi sada dušu moju!” (1. Oni koji se nikad nisu osjećali tako beznadno mogli bi zaključiti da je Ilija govorio nepromišljeno (Job 6:3). No on se zaista tako osjećao. Zapazi da ga Jehova nije prekorio zato što je želio umrijeti, nego mu je pomogao. Zašto se Ilija tako osjećao? Kratko prije toga okupio je izraelski narod kako bi dokazao da je Jehova pravi Bog. Tom je prilikom bilo pogubljeno 450 Baalovih proroka (1. Ilija se vjerojatno nadao da će se nakon toga Božji narod vratiti pravome Bogu, ali to se nije dogodilo. Zla kraljica Izebela poručila je Iliji da ga namjerava ubiti. On se uplašio za svoj život, pa je preko susjedne Jude pobjegao na jug i otišao u pustinju, u nenaseljen i surov kraj (1. Zaokupljen svojim mislima Ilija je zaključio da je njegova proročka služba uzaludna. Jehovi je rekao: “Nisam ništa bolji od praotaca svojih!” Time je želio reći da se osjeća beskorisnim poput praha i kostiju svojih umrlih predaka. Ilija se ustvari preispitivao prema vlastitim mjerilima te je zaključio da je promašen slučaj i da ništa ne vrijedi ni u Jehovinim očima ni u očima ljudi. Kako je Bog uvjerio Iliju u to da ga još uvijek smatra dragocjenim? No Svemogući Bog drugačije je gledao na Iliju. Jehova ga je smatrao dragocjenim i poduzeo je konkretne korake kako bi ga u to uvjerio. Poslao je anđela da ga ojača. Pobrinuo se i da dobije hranu i vodu kako bi se okrijepio da može 40 dana hodati prema jugu do gore Horeba. Osim toga, Jehova je Iliji obzirno dao do znanja da nije bio u pravu kad je rekao da je on jedini Izraelac koji mu vjerno služi. Zanimljivo je da je Bog dao Iliji nove zadatke, a on ih je prihvatio. Zahvaljujući Jehovinoj pomoći Ilija je dobio novu snagu i nastavio proročku službu (1. Navedi neke načine na koje ti Bog pomaže. Ilijino iskustvo može ti pomoći da ispitaš jesi li “u vjeri” i može te potaknuti da pozitivno gledaš na sebe. Kao prvo, razmisli o tome na koje te sve načine Jehova podupire. Je li ti neki njegov sluga, možda neki starješina ili drugi zreli kršćanin, pomogao kad ti je to bilo potrebno? Je li te okrijepila duhovna pouka koju dobivamo putem Biblije, kršćanskih publikacija i skupštinskih sastanaka? Kad sljedeći put dobiješ takvu pomoć, razmisli o tome od koga ona zapravo dolazi i zahvali se Jehovi u molitvi (Psal. 121:1, 2). Što Jehova cijeni kod svojih slugu? Kao drugo, imaj na umu da te negativno razmišljanje može navesti na pogrešne zaključke. Najvažnije je kako Bog gleda na nas. (Pročitaj Rimljanima 14:4.) Jehova cijeni to što smo mu odani i vjerni. On nas ne prosuđuje po tome koliko postižemo u njegovoj službi. Lako je moguće da si i ti poput Ilije učinio za Jehovu i više nego što misliš. U skupštini sigurno ima osoba na koje si pozitivno utjecao, a na području nesumnjivo ima ljudi koji su čuli dobru vijest zato što si im ti svjedočio. Što dokazuje svaki zadatak koji dobiješ od Jehove? Kao treće, svaki zadatak koji dobiješ od Jehove smatraj dokazom njegove podrške (Jer. 20:11). Možda si i ti poput Ilije obeshrabren jer ti se čini da nemaš uspjeha u službi ili da su ti neki duhovni ciljevi nedostižni. No time što propovijedaš dobru vijest i nosiš Božje ime ukazana ti je najveća čast koju čovjek može imati. Stoga ostani vjeran Jehovi. Tada će se i na tebe u određenom smislu moći primijeniti riječi iz jedne Isusove usporedbe: “Raduj se s gospodarom svojim!” (Mat. 25:23). “MOLITVA NEVOLJNIKA” Kako se osjećao pisac 102. psalma? Pisac 102. psalma bio je očajan. Bio je u nevolji i trpio je veliku fizičku i emocionalnu bol. Potpuno je klonuo i nije imao snage boriti se s problemima (Psal. 102, naslov). Njegove riječi otkrivaju da ga je svladala bol, usamljenost i negativni osjećaji (Psal. 102:3, 4, 6, 11). Mislio je da ga je Jehova odbacio (Psal. 102:10). Kako molitva može pomoći osobi koja se bori s negativnim mislima? Psalmist je usprkos tome mogao posvetiti svoj život hvaljenju Jehove. (Pročitaj Psalam 102:19-21.) Kao što pokazuje 102. psalam, čak i onima koji su “u vjeri” može se dogoditi da pate i da se moraju jako truditi da ih njihove nevolje ne zaokupe toliko da ne misle ni na što drugo. Psalmist se osjećao “kao samotna ptica na krovu”, kao da su mu nevolje jedini životni suputnik (Psal. 102:7). Ako se i ti tako osjećaš, reci Jehovi sve što ti je na srcu, kao što je i psalmist učinio. Molitve koje upućuješ Jehovi dok si u nevolji mogu ti pomoći da se boriš s negativnim mislima. Jehova obećava da će se obazreti “na molitvu onih koji su bez ičega ostali i neće prezreti molitvu njihovu” (Psal. 102:17). Vjeruj tom obećanju! Kako osoba koja se bori s negativnim osjećajima može naučiti pozitivnije gledati na sebe? Psalam 102. pokazuje i kako možeš naučiti pozitivnije gledati na sebe. Psalmist je u tome uspio jer je prestao razmišljati o svojim osjećajima i usredotočio se na svoj odnos s Jehovom (Psal. 102:12, 27). Utješila ga je spoznaja da će Jehova uvijek pomagati svom narodu da podnese kušnje. Dakle, ako zbog negativnih osjećaja trenutno ne možeš služiti Bogu onoliko koliko bi želio, moli se u vezi s tim. Moli se Bogu da te usliši ne samo zato da bi se lakše nosio sa svojim problemom nego i zato da bi se objavilo njegovo ime (Psal. 102:20, 21). Kako svatko od nas može ugoditi Jehovi? Biblija nam doista može pomoći da se uvjerimo da smo “u vjeri” i da smo dragocjeni Jehovi. Istina, u ovom svijetu ne možemo se osloboditi svih negativnih osjećaja ni obeshrabrenja. Pa ipak, svatko od nas može ugoditi Jehovi i biti spašen ako mu bude ustrajno služio do kraja (Mat. 24:13).