Transcripts: Enjoy Life Forever!

Transcript: Maintain a Good Conscious
[Emma turns a key in a blue mailbox, opens and collects the mail from inside]
Emma: Every day we make choices that can affect our relationship with Jehovah. When there’s a clear Scriptural command, the right choice may seem easy.
[She sits in her kitchen]
But what if there’s not? How can we be sure we’re making a wise decision?
[She smiles as she opens a brown envelope]
An invitation to our niece’s wedding arrived.
[Thomas peers over her shoulder at the invitation]
Thomas was excited about it.
[Together they examine the invitation and smile]
I was excited too.
[Thomas turns away, Emma gazes at the invitation]
But the ceremony was being held at a local church.
[Her wide smile began to fall]
I wondered if it would still be OK for me to attend. Even though Thomas wasn’t yet willing to accept a Bible study, he gradually softened over the years since I came into the truth. I knew he understood why I would never enter a church for worship, but what about attending a wedding? Jehovah approves of weddings.
[At Amy’s, Emma sits at the kitchen counter. Her head propped on her hands]
That afternoon, I went to help Amy plan a menu for the pioneer school lunch coming up. She noticed I was a bit distracted, so I told her my concerns about the wedding.
Amy: But you’re not thinking of going, are you?
Emma: Amy sure had a strong opinion on the matter, but I didn’t feel she really understood my situation.
[Emma ponders while Amy chats on the phone]
Although I appreciated her concern, I felt like she was judging me.
[Emma sighs with a pensive gaze]
The next day, I decided to visit Charlotte and Allan and ask their advice.
[Emma strides toward their home, greeted with a hug]
Like me, Charlotte had come into the truth many years before Allan, so they really understood my situation.
[They chat outside at a table]
Is Amy right? Would it be wrong to attend the wedding? What would you do if you were me? Charlotte explained that in situations where there’s no specific Bible command, it becomes a matter of conscience. And what one person’s conscience allows may be different from another.
[She imagines opening a wooden church door]
Charlotte: The important thing is that we make decisions that leave us with a good conscience.
[Inside, Emma hazes upward toward large, expensive stained-glass windows with crosses. Fresh flowers and incense adorn the pews. Now back with Charlotte and Alan]
Emma: But how do I do that?
Allan: Dear Emma, it’s really a matter of training.
Emma: Allan showed me the scripture at Hebrews 5:14, where the apostle Paul wrote: Solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their powers of discernment trained to distinguish both right and wrong.
[Imagining Paul armed chained to a desk]
But Paul didn’t just write those words; he lived them.
[Paul examines the scrolls]
He carefully studied the principles in God’s Word. And as a result, he was able to make decisions that left him with a good conscience. So even when there’s no stated law on a matter, we can always find a Bible principle that can give us insight into God’s thinking. So, I made it a matter of prayer, and then I got to work.
[Emma at home sits at her laptop, Bible in hand, thumbs through pages]
I researched articles in the Watch Tower Publications Index and the Research Guide. I found a really good thought in chapter 2 of the ‘God’s Love’ book. I also read about others who faced similar situations and what Bible principles they found helpful. Then I meditated on all these.
[Amy and Emma serve lunch to the pioneers at the Kingdom Hall They take a picture together, their arms wrapped around each other]
As I kept studying, I was able to bring my conscience in harmony with Jehovah’s spirit, not just with my heart.
[Back at home, Emma places her bags in the kitchen, she stops and turns, gazes at the invitation on the refrigerator]
I realized that having a Bible-trained conscience doesn’t mean everyone will always think exactly alike, and that’s OK. But if we train our conscience by applying Bible principles, it will guide us along in life, so that each of us can remain in God’s love.
[With a contented sigh, she takes the invitation off the refrigerator, sets it on the table, and responds to it]
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2018 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania)