Living as Christians for the week of February 8-14, 2027

May nothing prevent you from serving Jehovah with a clean conscience

Although we should learn from the mistakes we have made, why is it important not to dwell on them too much?

Proverbs 4:25 — Your eyes should look straight ahead, Yes, fix your gaze straight ahead of you.

Comment 1: This counsel helps us look ahead. It does not mean forgetting what we have learned from a mistake, but rather avoiding allowing the past to occupy all our attention. After repenting and making the necessary changes, we need to focus on how to continue serving Jehovah.

Comment 2: Dwelling on a mistake is not the same as correcting it. What Jehovah asks us to do is repent, change, and ask him for forgiveness. If we have committed a serious sin, we should seek the help of the elders. Those steps really do help us regain a clean conscience. Repeatedly telling ourselves how badly we acted does not replace what we need to do.

Comment 3: I am struck by the fact that Cheri came to wonder whether she could be among Jehovah’s people and feel clean. Guilt made her think that this would not be possible. This shows that our feelings can lead us to a wrong conclusion. So instead of letting guilt determine how we view ourselves, we need to listen to what Jehovah tells us about his forgiveness.

Comment 4: One important reason is that guilt can cause us to isolate ourselves. Cheri explained that this is dangerous because we stop receiving the encouragement we need. If we shut ourselves away in our thoughts, it is difficult for us to move forward. On the other hand, spending time with the brothers can help us stop thinking so much about ourselves and receive the support we need to keep going.

Comment 5: The Workbook acknowledges that all of us would like to serve Jehovah without making mistakes, but we are still imperfect. Keeping this in mind helps us not demand of ourselves something we cannot attain at present. This does not mean justifying what is wrong. It means acknowledging our mistakes, correcting them, and being grateful that Jehovah provided the ransom so that we can receive his forgiveness and continue serving him.

Comment 6: Thinking too much about the past can take away our strength to do good things now. Preaching helped Cheri because it strengthened her faith and enabled her to help others. Her experience reminds us that, after taking the necessary steps to regain a clean conscience, there is much we can do for Jehovah and for others. Our mistake does not have to occupy all our thoughts.

How did personal study help Cheri Combs leave guilt behind?

Comment 1: Studying the ransom helped her understand that Jesus had also died for her. She knew that he had given his life for everyone, including those who do not serve him. But understanding that this gift was also for her changed the way she viewed herself.

Comment 2: When she had a bad day and felt very discouraged, Cheri read the Bible and remembered how Jehovah viewed her. The study gave her something more reliable than her own feelings to guide her. Even if guilt made her think that she could not feel clean, she returned to what she was learning in God’s Word. This helped her not to remain trapped in a negative view of herself.

Comment 3: Something I find very valuable is that Cheri did not limit herself to learning information about the ransom. She thought about what it meant for her personally. At times we may be able to explain that Jehovah forgives and yet feel that such forgiveness cannot reach us. Her experience shows the importance of meditating on what we study and accepting that we too can benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice.

1 Corinthians 6:11 — And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.

Comment 4: This passage helps us understand why studying the ransom can relieve guilt. Those Christians had received spiritual cleansing; their past did not prevent them from serving Jehovah. Cheri explained that understanding that Jesus had also died for her produced a change within her.

Comment 5: Cheri combined study with prayer. She begged Jehovah to help her, wrote down how she felt, and read the Bible. She did not try to face those feelings alone. I am encouraged to see that she could express her distress to Jehovah and at the same time look in his Word for reasons to trust him. Study and prayer were part of her effort to move forward.

Comment 6: The study provided her with help precisely on difficult days. Cheri says that when she felt very bad, she read and remembered the way Jehovah viewed her. She did not wait until she felt better before turning to the Bible. This can help us when painful memories return: instead of continuing to review the mistake, we can use that time to strengthen our trust in the ransom and in Jehovah’s forgiveness.

What did Cheri do to become happy again while serving Jehovah?

Comment 1: She made an effort to spend time with the brothers, although guilt prompted her to isolate herself. Their companionship did her much good because she received encouragement and stopped thinking so much about herself. She did not allow the desire to be alone to deprive her of that help.

Comment 2: She gradually began commenting at the meetings again. At first, her comments were very brief, perhaps only one word. Later she was able to make them longer and read a scripture. I find it encouraging that she did not wait until she could give a long comment before participating. Those first steps, even though they were small, helped her feel good as she regained her participation in the meetings.

Comment 3: Going out in the ministry helped her greatly. As she spoke about the wonderful hope that Jehovah offers for the future, her own faith was strengthened. Thus, she was not only sharing something good with other people; she herself benefited from remembering and explaining it. Instead of focusing only on what had happened, she spent time talking about what Jehovah will do in the future.

Comment 4: Cheri rediscovered the joy of helping others. She herself connected her happiness with what she did for others in the ministry. Guilt caused her to withdraw into her own feelings, but helping other people enabled her to direct her attention toward their needs. Her experience encourages us not to underestimate how much good participating in the ministry can do for us while we continue recovering spiritually.

Hebrews 10:22 — let us approach with sincere hearts and complete faith, having had our hearts sprinkled clean from a wicked conscience and our bodies bathed with clean water.

Comment 5: This scripture encourages us to approach Jehovah with confidence. Cheri made efforts to draw close to him: she prayed, studied, and participated in congregation activities. Her experience shows that receiving help and remaining spiritually active can contribute to our regaining the joy of serving him.

Comment 6: Looking back, Cheri was able to see Jehovah’s wisdom and understand why he disciplines us. She no longer spoke only about how guilty she had felt, but about how well she was doing now. It is beautiful to see that change. Accepting Jehovah’s help and continuing to participate in his service enabled her to see that she could feel good about herself again and be happy.

Jehovah has made it possible for us to serve him with a clean conscience. Why does that make you feel grateful? (2Co 9:15)

2 Corinthians 9:15 — Thanks be to God for his indescribable free gift.

Comment 1: It makes me feel grateful because the ransom is a gift that I personally need. Jehovah knows that I am imperfect and has made it possible for me to receive his forgiveness. Being able to approach him and continue serving him with a clean conscience is something I never want to take for granted.

Comment 2: I am grateful that Jehovah does not require us to be perfect in order to serve him now. He knows our limitations and has given us the ransom. This does not mean that our mistakes cease to matter, but it does give us a real hope when we repent and change. Knowing that I can ask him for forgiveness and move forward helps me serve him out of love and with joy, rather than always feeling condemned by my past.

Comment 3: For me, it is a relief that Jehovah tells us what to do when we have sinned. He does not leave us without knowing how to regain a clean conscience: he invites us to repent, change, and ask him for forgiveness. And when it involves a serious sin, he tells us to seek the help of the elders. I am grateful because, in addition to offering us forgiveness, he provides the help we need to recover.

Comment 4: I am moved by the thought that Jehovah wants us to draw close to him, not live far away because of guilt. Thanks to the ransom, we can pray to him with confidence when we repent and make the necessary changes. That possibility is immensely valuable. Even if a memory still hurts me, I can continue seeking his help and allow what he says in his Word to strengthen my trust in his forgiveness.

Comment 5: Cheri’s experience makes me grateful that we can regain our joy. She went from wondering whether she would ever feel clean to saying that she was very happy. This helps me appreciate everything Jehovah gives us: the ransom, his Word, and the encouragement of the brothers. We do not have to face feelings of guilt alone or think that we will no longer be able to enjoy serving him.

Comment 6: I want to show my gratitude by taking advantage of the help Jehovah provides. If he has done so much to enable us to serve him with a clean conscience, I do not want to stop seeking his forgiveness or reject the support I need. Cheri’s experience encourages me to keep praying, studying, attending the meetings, and engaging in the ministry. These are ways to draw close to Jehovah and express how much I value what he has done for me.

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