7. What must we acknowledge about ourselves in order to reflect God’s glory?

⁷ To be in the proper position to reflect God’s glory, we must honestly recognize our sinful nature. (2 Chron. 6:36) We need to acknowledge our sinful inclinations and work to control them so that we can progress to the point of truly glorifying God. For example, if we have fallen into the dishonoring sin of viewing pornography, we must face the fact that we need spiritual help​—and take action to get it. (Jas. 5:14, 15) This would be the first step to take in working toward a life that fully honors God. As worshippers of Jehovah, we must continually make a self-examination to determine whether we are measuring up to his righteous standards. (Prov. 28:18; 1 Cor. 10:12) Whatever the nature of our sinful tendencies, we must keep on curbing them so that we can reflect God’s glory.

17. Why do we benefit from acknowledging that we fall short of God’s glory?

¹⁷ The world in general is not conscious of the seriousness of sin, but we are. This makes us aware of the need to fight against our sinful inclinations. Acknowledging our sinful nature allows us to train our conscience so that it will move us to act properly when an urge to sin begins to develop in our mind and heart. (Rom. 7:22, 23) True, we may be weak, but God can strengthen us to do what is right in any situation.​—2 Cor. 12:10.