You Will Make Good Decisions When You Think Before You Act

1-2. What it mean to ‘think before we act’, and how it can help us?

SOMEBODY na ever do something to you da make you feel da they not show you respect? You na ever feel da somebody judge you without hearing the whole story or somebody na wrong you before? Or you na go through any situation da make you to worry? Then you already know da it can’t be easy to say or do the right thing in this kindna situation dem. So wetin can help us when something like da happen to us? The Bible give us good advice da can help us.

² The Bible encourage us to think first before we act. This one mean da we mon first try to understand why something happen and wetin make somebody to do certain thing to us. When we do it, we can be able to make good decision. For example, we will be careful about what we say and we will know what time to “keep silent.” (Prov. 10:19; Ps. 4:4) It can help us to not be quick to get vex and to forgive other people. It can also help us to listen when other people give us advice or correct us. (Prov. 19:20) When we think before we act, we will say and do things da can make Jehovah happy. And it will also help other people and make our life better. And when somebody say or do something da make us feel bad, we will not get vex bad way and do the wrong thing. Now let look at three example dem in the Bible da show how thinking before we make decision, can help us to remain humble, be calm, and always trust in Jehovah.

BE HUMBLE, DON’T BE PROUD

3. Who wor Naaman?

³ For us to do the right thing, we need to be humble. (1 Pet. 5:5) When we think good-good before we do something, it can help us to not be proud. Why we say this one? Let look at Naaman example. He wor living in one country near Israel they call Syria. Naaman wor the big man for the Syrian army and he wor powerful. But certain time, one bad sickness they call leprosy catch him.—2 Ki. 5:1.

4. How Naaman show da he wor wise when the small girl tell him about the prophet?

⁴ Naaman wife wor having one Israelite girl who wor working for her. The Israelite girl tell her da one prophet in Israel can make her husband better. (2 Ki. 5:​2, 3) Maybe Naaman could say in his heart: ‘This girl da small girl to give me advice and her people da our enemy. She really able to tell me something da will help me?’ But Naaman not act proud or ignore what the Israelite girl say. Instead he wor humble and he listen to what she say. So he ask the king for Syria to allow him to go to Israel so he can find somebody to make him well.—2 Ki. 5:​4, 5.

5. Wetin happen to Naaman the time he go to Israel?

⁵ Naaman came to King Jehoram in Israel for him to be heal from his sickness. But King Jehoram wor thinking da the king for Syria wor just trying to pick fuss on him. When the prophet Elisha hear about it, he tell Jehoram to send Naaman to him. (2 Ki. 5:​6-9) But the way Naaman wor expecting things to happen, it not happen like da. Elisha not even move from his house to come see Naaman or to even talk with him. But he send somebody to Naaman to tell him what he mon do to get alright.—2 Ki. 5:10.

6. (a) Wetin make Naaman to not want follow the directions the messenger give him? (b) How Naaman servant dem show da they wise, and what wor the result? (2 Kings 5:​13, 14)

⁶ First, Naaman not follow the direction the messenger give him. The Bible say da he “became indignant” and “went away in a rage.” (2 Ki. 5:​11, 12) Why? Maybe he wor feeling da Elisha wor suppose to give him more respect because he wor big man in the Syrian army. Beside da one, maybe Naaman wor also feeling da Elisha wor not showing any respect for his country Syria. So Naaman decide to go back home without getting heal. But Naaman servant dem understand da Elisha really wanted to help him. So they beg Naaman to think about his decision again. Finally, Naaman humble hisself and follow the direction da Elisha give him. And because of da, he get well!—Read 2 Kings 5:​13, 14.

7. Wetin we can learn from Naamah example? (Proverbs 22:4) (Also see the pictures.)

⁷ Wetin we can learn from Naamah example? We learn da the way we can see or feel about things can’t always be correct. Da the reason why we mon think good-good before we do anything. And we mon not allow the way we feel to affect the decision dem we can make. We mon also try our best to be humble. Because when we humble, we will understand da we not know everything. Sometime we will need other people to help us to understand the situation good-good. And the main person da can help us da Jehovah. Even though Naaman wor not serving Jehovah yet, he wor humble and he listen to other people. For example, he listen to the Israelite girl, his own servant dem, and even Elisha who use to speak for Jehovah. Naaman wor not just thinking only about the way he wor feeling. All this one dem help Naaman to make good decision and he get well. So before we say or do anything, we mon stop and think good-good. For example, if somebody give us advice from the Bible da we not agree with, we mon think good-good about whether the way we will act will show da we proud or humble.—Read Proverbs 22:4.

DON’T BE QUICK TO GET VEX

8. Wetin can help us to remain calm when something make us vex?

⁸ Sometime, some thing dem can happen da can make us to get vex. But if we stop and think before we say or do anything, it will help us to remain calm. To talk the true, it can’t always be easy to do this one especially if somebody say or do something to us da really make us to feel bad. (Eph. 4:26) Let see how David and Abigail show da they wor wise when they wor in certain situation.

9. How Nabal treat David?

⁹ Think about what happen when David and his men dem wor running away from Saul and they wor living in the wilderness of Paran. (1 Sam. 25:1) When they wor in the wilderness, they help to protect Nabal sheep and the people da wor taking care of it. Nabal da wor rich man in da area. (1 Sam. 25:​15, 16) When Nabal men dem wor cutting the sheep dem hair, David send his men dem to Nabal to beg him for food. And they do it with respect. (1 Sam. 25:​6-8) But Nabal not show da he wor grateful for all the thing dem David and his men dem do for him. He even talk to them rude way and tell them all kindna bad-bad thing.—1 Sam. 25:​10, 11.

10. How David and Abigail show da they wor wise? (1 Samuel 25:​32, 33) (Also see the picture.)

¹⁰ If you wor in David shoe, how you wor coming feel? It easy to understand why David get vex bad way. In fact, he wor so vex da he even wanted to kill Nabal! (1 Sam. 25:​13, 21, 22) But Nabal wife Abigail wor wise, and she stop David and his men dem when they wor going to kill Nabal. Why Abigail do da one? Da because she understand the reason why David wor vex and she know da David wor good man. So she wanted to do some thing dem for David so da his heart can calm down. She bring him gift and give him good advice. (1 Sam. 25:​18, 23-31) David show da he wor wise because he listen to Abigail advice and he understand da what she say wor in line with Jehovah thinking. Because of da, David heart calm down and it help him to not make da big mistake.—Read 1 Samuel 25:​32, 33.

11. How we can show da we wise when something make us vex? (Proverbs 19:11)

¹¹ Wetin we can learn from David and Abigail example? Even if we get good reason to get vex about certain thing, we mon stop and think good-good about what we need to do so da our heart can calm down. Another thing da can help us da to think about the bad thing da will happen if we say or do something because we vex bad way. (Read Proverbs 19:11.) When Abigail advise David about how the thing he wor coming do wor coming make Jehovah to feel, it help David to calm down. If something make you vex, don’t allow it to make you do something da you will regret. (Jas. 1:19) Take time to pray to Jehovah and think good-good about how Jehovah will feel about the situation. This one will help you for your heart to calm down.

12. How other people can help us to be calm and make good decision?

¹² Jehovah use Abigail to help David to see the situation the way Jehovah see it. Today, Jehovah can also use our brother and sister dem to help us understand the way he can think. So if something make you vex, try to talk with somebody who can help you to see the situation the way Jehovah see it. (Prov. 12:15; 20:18) Also if you need to help your friend who vex about something, try to follow Abigail example. You can help your friend to see what Jehovah want him do in da situation. Be convince da Jehovah will help you to say the right thing to help other people to remain calm and make good decision.

TRUST IN JEHOVAH WHEN YOU SCARY

13. When we remember da Jehovah get power, how it can help us?

¹³ Sometime, we will find ourself in situation dem da will make us to feel scary. But if we remember da Jehovah get power more than anybody or anything, it can help us to trust in him even though we feeling scary. (Ps. 27:1) Jehovah can help us even when we feel da nobody able to help us solve our problem. Da just what happen to Jonah. He really use to love Jehovah, but certain time he get scary when Jehovah give him one assignment da wor hard to do.

14. Wetin make Jonah to be scary to do what Jehovah tell him to do?

¹⁴ Jehovah tell Jonah to do something da wor really hard. He send Jonah to go tell the people in Nineveh da Jehovah will destroy them. (Jonah 1:​1, 2) If you wor in Jonah shoe, how you wor coming feel? Jonah wor coming walk for one month to move from Israel to go to Nineveh. The Assyrians who wor living in Nineveh wor violent people and Jehovah send Jonah to go talk to them. They even use to call Nineveh “the city of bloodshed.” (Nah. 3:​1, 7) So instead of doing what Jehovah tell him to do, Jonah decide to run away.—Jonah 1:3.

15. Wetin help Jonah to get more trust in Jehovah? (Jonah 2:​6-9)

¹⁵ When Jonah wor running away, Jehovah perform miracle and save his life. This one remind Jonah da Jehovah get plenty power. (Jonah 1:​15, 17) Jonah learn da he not need to be scary to go to Nineveh because Jehovah will not allow any bad thing to happen to him. (Read Jonah 2:​6-9.) So when Jehovah give Jonah the second chance to go to Nineveh, Jonah obey and he not run away. He go to Nineveh and the people listen to him. And because of da, Jehovah not destroy them.—Jonah 3:5.

16. Wetin can help us when we feeling scary? (Proverbs 29:25) (Also see the pictures.)

¹⁶ Wetin we can learn from Jonah example? We mon not allow what people will do to us to make us to disobey Jehovah. (Read Proverbs 29:25.) Jonah think about all the thing da happen and he understand da he not suppose to be scary. He just suppose to remember da Jehovah will always help him. Da the same way when we think about how Jehovah na help us and protect us, it will make us to not be scary about what will happen to us. We can also think on how Jehovah na help our brother and sister dem to go through hard-hard situation dem because they trust in him with their whole heart. (Heb. 13:6) So we too can show da we wise when we trust in Jehovah with our whole heart and help other people to do the same thing.

CONTINUE LEARNING TO THINK LIKE JEHOVAH

17. How we can continue to make good decision?

¹⁷ We na learn da if something happen and we try to understand it good-good, it will help us to do the right thing. How we can continue to make good decision? Da Jehovah the best person who can help us. Da the reason why he na give us the Bible and his holy spirit. (Neh. 9:20; Ps. 32:8) He can give us advice da can help us to make good decision and do the right thing when somebody make us vex. (Ps. 119:​97-101) So we want think good-good about what the Bible say and pray to Jehovah to help us with his holy spirit. This one will help us to see things the way Jehovah can see it and do what Jehovah want us to do.—Prov. 21:​11, ftn.

18. Wetin you want try your best to do?

¹⁸ We want continue to ask Jehovah to give us his wisdom. (Ps. 14:2) When we do it, we will not do something da we will regret later on. (Prov. 21:16) But we mon always try our best to show da we wise no matter what kindna situation we find ourself in. And because of da we will make Jehovah happy.