The Talk What I Wrote...

...and should have delivered on Thursday night, is the subject of this blog.  I was working on using illustrations of practical value from everyday situations.  This was how I typed it out for myself:

I will start by asking my student to read to read paras 3 and 4 (from Chapter 4 of "Keep Yourselves in God's Love", published by The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), and I will read the question:   How did sin and imperfection begin, and why does our sinful nature make it a challenge for us to respect authority?

My student will then read:

3 Let us briefly consider two reasons why it can be such a challenge for us to show respect for those in authority. First, imperfection afflicts us; second, it afflicts those humans in authority over us. Human sin and imperfection got their start a long time ago, back in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s authority. So sin began with rebellion. To this day, we have an inborn tendency to rebel.​—Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12.

4 Because of our sinful nature, pride and haughtiness arise easily in most of us, whereas humility is a rare quality that we need to work hard to cultivate and maintain. Even after years of faithful service to God, we may give in to stubbornness and pride. For example, consider Korah, who faithfully stuck with Jehovah’s people through many hardships. Still, he craved more authority and brazenly led a rebellion against Moses, the meekest man alive at that time. (Numbers 12:3; 16:1-3) Think, too, of King Uzziah, whose pride led him to enter Jehovah’s temple and carry out a sacred duty reserved for the priests. (2 Chronicles 26:16-21) Such men paid dearly for their rebellion. Yet, their negative examples are useful reminders for all of us. We need to combat the pride that makes it difficult for us to respect authority.

I repeat the question:  How did sin and imperfection begin and will read some parts of Genesis 3:1-7..   My student then answers the first part of the question briefly by saying that sin and imperfection began when Satan incited our first parents to rebel against their Creator, Jehovah.   But when I ask  the second question,  my student will understand the problem about pride, but is worried what if we are ordered to do the wrong thing? Surely rebellion is necessary sometimes?    I say that is an important question and note that the para acknowledges the imperfections of human rulership - and the obedience we owe to Jehovah, which must always come first.  But  I ask have you noticed how Satan's world promotes disobedience, makes it seem glamorous..And yet respect for authority IS a Godly quality. I am now going to produce MY ILLUSTRATION.    For example, when we were driving here tonight, weren't we talking about how busy the roads are now? 

My student will  agree and say she had never seen so much traffic

So I ask can you imagine what it would be like if there were no traffic laws, or more to the point, if we simply decided not to obey them?   Suppose for example we all decided we were no longer going to stop for red traffic lights!  Can you imagine the chaos?   We need law and we need to respect authority.  They are good and positive things, but our own imperfect nature and Satan's world can hide that from us.   Yet above all it is important we obey our Creator - and, as the para points out, we have a powerful warning in the example of Korah, quoted in the para that I will ask my student to read before we move on to the next.   (We will end there, without actually reading it)

  I am still in the throes of this cold - still coughing - feel steamrollered. Its been a dismal day so far. Everything in our flat is reaching its sell-by date - not unlike me I worry.  The latest appliance to go is the Fridge Freezer.  The guy was here all morning but was not able to fix it. So we have to have a new one.  He did replace all the hinges on the kitchen cupboards and reseal the worktops.