Articles
Helping Yourself
“Let me sing for my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved had a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: and he digged it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? (Isa. 5:1-4).
If you have ever had children, or was a child yourself, you have most likely been involved in some form of organized means of instruction: academics, sports, personal growth, or religion.
In any area of expertise an individual may look for someone to mentor them. The mentors make themselves available, have a plan, and ready to begin the growth process.
There are two basic approaches to any pursuit: 1) To be in love with the idea of the pursuit or 2) To have a love for the pursuit. If it is a matter of having a love for the idea of the pursuit, then about anything will hinder the progress. If an individual has a love for the purpose and intend of the pursuit, then nothing will stand in their way of the goal they have set.
The apostle Paul made some observations in this area: To the Philippian brethren, Paul said, “Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before. I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded” (Phil. 3:13-15). To the Corinthian brethren, Paul said, “Wherefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto him. For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:9-10). To Agrippa, he said, “And now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!” (Acts 26:6-7). The key words: goal, aim, hope.
Why is salvation out of reach or many? “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:10-12).
Is this not what Jehovah said unto the men of Judah, by Isaiah, saying “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? (Isa. 5:1-4).”
Do you have a love for the truth, or a love for the idea?
- Helping_Yourself.pdf (51.36 kB)
