A True Friend Listens

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Symbol: Chatty Friend

Lesson: True Friends Also Listen

Illustration: Have you ever had a friend that every time you two are together, they dominate the conversation, not giving you the opportunity to say much, if anything, at all? It can be exhausting and eventually you will begin to wonder if you friend isn't a bit self-centered. You may also wonder if they truly value you as a friend or if they are just using you.

The same can be said of our relationship with Jehovah. We may pray frequently, but do we allow him to talk to us through our reading of his word the Bible? This reading should not be a rare occasion like a friend that allows us to interject a thought every so often. Rather, we should view it as children eagerly gathered around the feet of an interesting story teller at the public library. These children want to listen. Likewise, on a daily basis we should sit at the feet of our heavenly Father and "listen" to him as we read the Bible.

Notes: N/A

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Resentment Is Exhausting

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Symbol: Holding rock at arm’s length

Lesson: Holding onto resentment becomes exhausting

Illustration: “Pick up a rock, perhaps one that weighs just a few pounds, and hold it at arm’s length. You would probably have little trouble holding the rick for a short time. But what if you tried to do so for an extended period of time? How long would you be able to hold it—some minutes? An hour? Or longer? No doubt, your arm would become very tired! The actual weight of the rock would not change. But the longer you held it, the heavier it would feel. The same is true of resentment. The longer we hold a grudge—even a rather small one—the more we hurt ourselves.

Notes: For our good, the scriptures rightly exhort us to be forgiving.

This illustration appeared in a "Return to Jehovah," a magazine released at the 2015 District Convention. (page 8)

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