October 8

Would You Like a Life Free from Problems?

DO YOU at times feel that the problems of daily living are almost too much for you? Would you like to be free from these problems so that you could really enjoy life?

Think what it would be like if your life were like this: You wake up in the morning and know that you are going to have a totally delightful day ahead of you. You have no money problems, no taxes, mortgages or rent. Instead, you have complete economic security.

And when you get to your mirror to wash, you see that your face has a clear complexion, no blemishes, no wrinkles of old age, no bags under the eyes. Your face radiates perfect health, and is topped by a beautiful head of hair.

Just think how it would be also if you knew that you would not need health insurance anymore, because you and your family would never get sick again. And that there would be no more news reports of cancer, heart disease, or any other illness, because all of them had been conquered​—forever. How grand that would be!

Then, too, think what it would mean if you were able to walk out the door and know that you could take the lock off, because all crime had been eliminated. Yes, to know that there were no jails, no police forces, no armies, no weapons of destruction anywhere in the world because they were not needed!

Suppose that you also could look forward to the day because you were deeply satisfied with the kind of work you were doing, finding real joy in it. And you very much enjoyed all your neighbors, as they were very pleasant, kind, helpful and completely without prejudice. And best of all, you truly enjoyed your family life because it was so harmonious, with all members showing deep love and respect for one another.

Would you like a day like that? “Well,” you might be saying, “of course I would! Who wouldn’t? But all that is just wishful thinking, a dream world. Nobody could have a trouble-free life like that.”

Well, then, what are we talking about? Have we described some kind of life in heaven? No, nor do we mean life on another planet somewhere else in the universe. Neither are we engaging in some kind of mental exercise, daydreaming. We are talking about the time that is coming when every day of life, right here on earth, will be a genuine delight; when distressing problems will disappear instead of robbing us of our joy; when life’s challenges will be stimulating, interesting, producing the deep contentment that comes with doing things that are really worth while.

Can such a thing happen? Yes, it can! Indeed, all decent people want it to happen, because we were made to desire such a fine life. But will it happen? Yes, it will! Such a delightful condition, free from today’s agonizing troubles, will come to pass for a certainty. Nothing in heaven or on earth can stop it.

Are the Problems Being Solved?

A LIFE free from all of today’s agonizing problems? How can this be? When we look out at the world, we see problems growing.

For instance, in nearly every country on earth there are very serious and persistent economic problems. Millions have trouble finding suitable work. Debts are at an all-time high. Fathers worry about supporting their families. Mothers see prices going up all the time and are frustrated when trying to make ends meet. Half of the old folks in many so-called prosperous nations live in poverty. Hunger and illiteracy increase in poorer lands.

Yet, the world’s wisest economists cannot invent an economic system that assures lasting prosperity for all. They can only try to patch up this tottering system for a while, but then it breaks down again.

Family Life Breaking Down

Family life, too, is breaking down all over the world, not improving. Country after country sees a new peak in divorces.

In a marital situation that has become quite common, one woman wrote: “I’m very unhappy. My husband gets upset over practically nothing. We have one married son, but he comes home only for short visits and hardly tolerates me. We have few friends. Now, with the years passing, I find myself more and more isolated. I feel all alone in the world. What can I do to make life worth living?” Ever so many people feel just that way.

Parents today have added worries. Their children face problems no other generation of young people ever had. These young people see the ‘jungle’ that the world has become, and many are disgusted with it and afraid. As one student leader said in his graduation speech: “Today as we leave school a sense of frustration and despair overwhelms us.”

Where can parents turn for dependable help? Listen to this editorial in the New York Times. It said: ‘For a century or more parents have been bombarded with advice about family life. Doctors, nurses, teachers and theologians have given their advice, and in recent decades they have been joined by psychologists and psychoanalysts. But were we to collect all this good advice and inspect it, what would we find? Little more, I’m afraid, than a jumbled, noisy mass of contradiction. Pity, therefore, the poor parent. The more conscientious he or she is in seeking advice, the more confused he is likely to become.’

Problems with Science

At one time it was thought that science would help to lead the way to that better world and solve many of mankind’s distressing problems. But now scientists themselves admit that science often causes as many problems as it solves, if not more.

An example of the disappointment in science can be noted when we read the July 1899 issue of Scientific American. Away back then, this scientific publication predicted that the automobile ‘would have a fine influence on city life.’ It spoke of ‘light rubber-tired vehicles moving swiftly and noiselessly over clean, dustless and odorless streets, eliminating much of the nervousness, distraction and strain of modern city life.’

In the light of actual experience, that prediction is laughable today, is it not? Just the exact opposite has come to pass. In addition, around the world tens of thousands of people are killed and millions are injured every year by automobiles.

Even the inventors of machines have expressed dismay at the dashing of their dreams for a better world. In 1942, during World War II, Orville Wright, who with his brother Wilbur developed the airplane, wrote this to Henry Ford, Senior, developer of the mass-produced automobile: ‘Wilbur and I thought the airplane would hasten world peace. It seems to have done the opposite. I suspect that when you introduced mass-production​—one of the great inventions of the ages—​you little thought it would be used in building tanks for world destruction. It seems that no beneficial thing can be introduced without someone finding a vicious use for it.’

This same frustration is being felt in the medical field. At one time there were high hopes that modern medicine would conquer sickness and help to lead to a better world. But sickness has not been conquered. In fact, some of the worst ailments such as cancer and heart disease are making the biggest increases. Even some of the efforts at cures are backfiring. In the United States, about 30,000 people a year are said to die as the direct result of drugs prescribed by their doctors, with ten times as many suffering bad reactions.

No Peace

What about a world of total peace, with no locks, jails, police forces, armies or weapons of destruction? Why, the world is farther away from that than ever. Crime skyrockets; the nations now spend about 300 billion dollars a year on weapons; there is one war after another. Human leaders certainly are not bringing permanent world peace.

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, most leaders were predicting a grand new era of peace and prosperity. An encyclopedia comments: “Before 1914, even the theologians believed, as did all the cultivated and educated people, that the world was on its way toward a better future. To the best ones of the old generation, 1914 meant a shock they never got over.” In 1914 the world was engulfed in the most horrible war to that time, contrary to all the ‘rosy’ predictions. And World War II was even worse, taking an estimated 55 million lives!

Also, in recent years especially, people have seen corruption both in government and in business. As a result, polls show that confidence in human institutions is at an all-time low.

What is frustrating is that so many of these problems that affect people are beyond their control. Because of this, emotional instability grows. Why, in the United States alone last year about 57 million prescriptions​—involving billions of pills—​were filled for just one type of drug​—a tranquilizer.

So, after all this time, we can be sure of one thing: humans, on their own, can never bring about the kind of life we want, the kind of life we described at the outset. It is little wonder, therefore, that we read this in the Bible, at Psalm 146, verse 3: “Do not put your trust in nobles, nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.”

Can We Trust God to Help?

YET, if we cannot trust humans, even world leaders, to bring about the kind of life we want, then whom can we trust? God? Do you believe he can help us with our problems now, and bring the human family into the kind of life we want?

Really, the question is this: who knows better how to help man out of his problems? The choice is between imperfect man and his all-powerful, all-wise Maker. So, which one knows best how man’s mind, emotions and body work? Surely, the Creator, who made us, knows far better than we do how to help us out of all these staggering problems.

God’s Promises

That’s why the Bible, at Psalm 37, verses 3, 4, says: “Trust in Jehovah . . . and he will give you the requests of your heart.” God promises us not only help with our problems now, but something even more wonderful. He promises a solution in the future to all mankind’s nagging problems. He promises that the time is coming when people will live forever​—in complete happiness.

The very name that the Creator has taken to himself helps us to have added confidence in his promises. That name is Jehovah. It means ‘He causes to become.’ That is, he’s the fulfiller of promises. He causes his purposes to come to realization, right on time, without fail.

Notice the assurance Jehovah’s Word gives us as to his purpose for our earth. For example, Psalm 37, verses 9 to 11, says: “For evildoers themselves will be cut off, but those hoping in Jehovah are the ones that will possess the earth. And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.”

For how long? Ps 37 Verse 29 answers: “The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.” Jesus Christ showed that this psalm will have a future fulfillment, quoting from it, and saying: “Happy are the mild-tempered ones, since they will inherit the earth.”​—Matt. 5:5.

When was the last time you found “exquisite delight” in anything for a period of time? A rare occasion, is it not? But to those who serve him, Jehovah promises the kind of life where every day will be a delight, forever, without today’s depressing problems.

Why So Much Misery?

Yet, since this is God’s purpose, why has he not done it already? Why has the history of the human family been filled with such misery?

Because, in the first place, when God created the parents of the human family, Adam and Eve, he told them that their continued life and happiness depended on their serving Him. But they thought that they could do better by serving themselves. They decided to judge for themselves what was right and what was wrong. And since God created them with the capacity for free choice, he let them have what they wanted​—but only for a certain period of time.

What has happened since then has proved once and for all that God was right, that man cannot be independent of his Maker and be truly happy. What Psalm 127:1 says has proved to be the truth: “Unless Jehovah himself builds the house, it is to no avail that its builders have worked hard on it.”

But now God’s time for permitting man’s foolishness has drawn near its end. All the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy shows that soon God will put a stop to this experiment in man-rule. Indeed, we are very deep into the foretold “last days” mentioned at Second Timothy chapter 3, and at Matthew chapter 24, where Jesus himself foretold the ‘time of the end’ that we are in right now.

So without a doubt, man’s past record proves conclusively that he was not created with the ability, or right, to design on his own a better world, one free from hurtful problems. Only God can do that. And his Word clearly shows that he will do this, not by reforming the present system of things, but by taking it out of the way. He will annihilate it. Why? Because it is beyond reform. Instead, Jehovah has purposed to create an entirely new society made up of righteous humans.

Demonstrating the Reality

Furthermore, to give us added confidence in these promises, God is already demonstrating the reality of that better way of life to come. Where? In the lives of millions of people all over the world.

Who are these people? The Bible identifies them at Isaiah 43:10-12 as God’s dedicated servants, Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are getting the very best counsel on handling today’s problems, because that counsel comes from the very best source​—from the mind of man’s Creator, Jehovah God. And it touches every aspect of daily living. It deals with the best way to handle marriage problems, the best way to bring up children, the best way to get along with friends, neighbors, relatives, employers, employees, and, even more important, the best way to come into harmony with Jehovah himself.

Where can this superior counsel of God be found? In the Bible, for Second Timothy 3:16 and 17 says: “All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent.”

Yes, God’s powerful force, his holy spirit, inspired the Bible. After all, since God created the awesome universe, could he not be the author of a book? He is. By means of his active force or spirit he directed his servants to write the Bible as a guide for us. And that same spirit helps his true servants to understand it correctly. In this way we learn how best to cope with our problems today, and how we can survive these problem-filled “last days” into God’s new order.

So right now Jehovah is instructing his servants, preparing them for life in his new order. Isaiah chapter 2, verses 2 to 4, foretold this, saying: “And it must occur in the final part of the days”​—(that is, right now, in these “last days,”)—​“And it must occur in the final part of the days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah will become firmly established above the top of the mountains.”

God is here saying that in our time his pure worship would be lifted up like a signal so that sincere persons could turn to it. The prophecy continues: “And many peoples will certainly go and say: ‘Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah. . . . And he will instruct us about his ways.’”

But, do God’s ways really work to solve big problems as well as little ones, especially in this modern age? Can they solve your problems?

Do God’s Ways Really Work?

DO GOD’S ways really work? Can they provide practical solutions to everyday problems now, as well as in the future? Well, let us put them to the test. Let us examine a few areas of life and see if they really work where other methods fail.

For example, let us take one of the big problems of life, a global one, and see if Jehovah’s way works best. It is noted at Isaiah chapter 2, verse 4, in prophetic words as regards our time: “And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.”

Fulfillment Now

Is this really being fulfilled right now? The evidence shows that it certainly is. No, not among the members of the United Nations; that’s obvious. They have been warring among themselves since the very start of that organization.

That prophecy is not being fulfilled upon the religions of this world, either. They have also warred among themselves, for centuries. Regarding this, note what a New York Times editorial writer said earlier this year, in an article he entitled “Death in the Name of God.” He observed: ‘It is a dismal truth that probably half or more of the wars now being fought around the world are either openly religious conflicts or involved with religious disputes. And, since virtually all religions believe in one God, this means that at this very instant men are killing each other in the name of God.’

Well, then, upon whom is Isaiah’s prophecy being fulfilled? Upon God’s servants​—his Witnesses. God’s purpose to unite people into a peaceful, loving human society world wide is moving ahead irresistibly right now. He is already collecting sincere people out of all nations, bringing them together into one global family, teaching them the ways of total, permanent peace.

Yes, right now, in the midst of an era that has been ripped apart by the most horrible wars in history, Jehovah’s servants in over 200 lands are living proof that there can be​—and is now—​a peaceable society of people. In this regard, Jehovah’s servants are accomplishing what the most powerful politicians, the strongest nations and leagues of nations, and worldly religions, have never accomplished: and that is to end war permanently among people of all races and nationalities. As a result, these servants of Jehovah do not participate in any of the wars of the nations.

How Possible?

How has this been possible for God’s servants? Is it because they are so intelligent?

No, they are just ordinary people, imperfect, limited, like anybody else. But it is possible because Jehovah’s Witnesses have agreed to serve God, to do what he says. So when God says, at Acts 17:26, that all men are brothers, they believe it. When he says, at Acts 10:34, that he is not partial, then they cannot be, either.

Also, when he tells them through his Son, at John 13:35, that “by this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves,” then they work to cultivate that love. When he tells them to lay down their war weapons, they do that, too.

When God’s servants do things his way, he favors them with success in their efforts to be at peace with one another, even as Psalm 29:11 says: “Jehovah himself will bless his people with peace.” And, as Isaiah 2:4 foretold: “Neither will they learn war anymore.” So God’s servants today do not war among themselves, or with anyone else. They never have, and never will! Thus, they have already been prepared by God to step into his new order and start off that new human society with a totally peaceful order of things​—from the very first day!

Other people notice this peace, harmony and love. An observer who attended an assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses for the first time last summer remarked: “I have never seen anything like this before in all my life. I have never seen so much love between peoples of all nations and races together at one time.”

Yet, it is true that there are still awful wars among those who are not God’s true servants. And this certainly does affect our happiness. But that part of the problem God himself will solve by crushing the warring nations out of existence soon, as well as their fiendish weapons of destruction. Psalm 46, verses 8 and 9, says: “Come, you people, behold the activities of Jehovah, how he has set astonishing events on the earth. He is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth. The bow he breaks apart and does cut the spear in pieces; the [war] wagons he burns in the fire.”

Ending Crime

Another evidence that serving God can solve big problems has to do with the staggering increase of crime nearly everywhere. This is a problem that the authorities are unable to solve.

But God can. And he is doing it! Where? Again, among those who serve him and learn his ways. It has been observed that among Jehovah’s Witnesses crime is practically nonexistent. Why? Because serving God means obeying his laws and principles. These laws forbid such things as stealing, dishonesty, murder, violence, sexual crimes and others.

On those rare occasions that one of God’s servants does commit a serious offense, the judicial arrangement among the 39,600 congregations world wide takes care of the matter by applying the proper Scriptural sanctions. That is why it has been truthfully said that Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the world enjoy the most crime-free society of people anywhere. And again, they do not take credit for this, because it comes from doing things Jehovah’s way.

At a recent assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Montana, a motel manager said: “If all people were like Jehovah’s Witnesses we wouldn’t need policemen!” A police officer at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium declared: “We wish that all of the assemblies here were like yours. We haven’t had any problems with unruliness.”

Still, the skyrocketing crime elsewhere does affect even those who serve God. But here too, as with war, only God himself can and will solve this problem entirely. This he will do when he brings the present wicked system of things to its end. Proverbs chapter 2, verses 21 and 22, says: “For the upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.”

At the same time, however, Bible principles help protect us better from crime, even now. For instance, the evidence reveals that most murders are committed among people who know each other​—family members, friends, neighbors. Often it is the lack of self-control on the part of the victim that leads to provoking the killer. But Christians trained in Bible principles know that they should not pay back evil for evil; they know that a mild answer often turns away someone else’s anger; and they know that to be a servant of God they have to work to develop a mild temper. So a person who lives by such Bible principles is far less likely to provoke someone into doing him bodily harm.

Stamping Out V.D.

Another problem, a big one, that serving God helps his people to avoid has to do with the epidemic of venereal disease that is spreading like wildfire in nearly every country. Medical authorities admit that they are powerless to stop it.

Why? Because the world ignores God’s laws forbidding adultery, fornication and homosexuality; and that is how venereal disease is spread. But these laws are enforced among God’s servants; so his people are kept clean. They learn to limit their sexual relations to where they belong, and God tells us that this is only in the marriage arrangement.

Think of the problems​—the awful diseases, unwanted pregnancies, arguments, broken homes, heartaches—​that God’s servants avoid completely by doing things His way in this matter!

Another huge problem has to do with family life. Can serving God really help here?

Improving Family Life

BIBLE prophecy shows that these “last days” would be characterized by a breakdown in family ties.​—Rom. 1:29-31; 2 Tim. 3:1-4.

But God created the family as the basic unit of human society, and that has not changed. So he shows his servants how to strengthen families although the world is experiencing family breakdowns. He shows us how to become better husbands and fathers, better wives and mothers, better sons and daughters, better brothers and sisters. Not perfect​—but better.

Practical Counsel for Husbands

Among the many fine Bible principles that help us with the problems of married life, perhaps we could comment on just a few. One is found at Ephesians 5:28. There God counsels the family head: “Husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies.”

Now, combine that with another principle at First Peter, chapter 3, verse 7, which shows that a husband who serves God must consider his wife’s physical and emotional makeup, and, as it says, must ‘assign her honor’ yes, “honor,” ‘as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one.’

If you really love your wife as your own body, and honor her, that is, really show her respect, how will you deal with her? Surely you will try to please her wherever possible. You will be unselfish, even giving her first choice most of the time. Certainly you will not shout at her if you highly honor her, nor will you belittle her.

Well, the Bible shows that this is the kind of love and consideration that has to be cultivated by a husband who is a servant of God. Cultivated? Yes, it takes work, practice, because these are not qualities that come naturally to imperfect people, but they need to be developed.

When one woman was asked what quality she appreciated most in her husband, she replied: “His tenderness toward me.” Contrary to what many men of this world may think, decent women do not appreciate men who boss them around, who dominate them, or treat them unkindly.

Also, when a husband cultivates and exercises godly qualities in dealing with his wife, he finds that God has so constructed the wife mentally and emotionally that she, in turn, usually responds to such considerate treatment. She will likely become a better wife.

No, the husband is not to abdicate his position as family head. He still has the God-given responsibility to take the lead, to make final decisions. But there are things in the marriage relationship where he must take into consideration his wife’s viewpoints, attitudes, desires and makeup, because that is what God tells his servants to do.

This way of dealing with a wife does produce a happy marriage. Countless husbands who are God’s servants can testify to this. As an example is a man whose first marriage failed and ended in divorce. Then he began studying Bible principles and accepted God’s ways for marriage. Later he wrote this: “In the past, I lacked respect for women. By the way I lived, I brought much unhappiness to myself and others, especially to my first wife. After starting to live by the Bible, I could see that applying its principles was the best way to live. By treating my second wife in a Christian way, loving her as I do myself, I have found real happiness in marriage. Our marriage of ten years has been comparatively without problems. When consulted by others about marriage problems, I direct them to what the Bible says. I know from personal experience that applying its counsel really works. On the other hand, those who disregard it, knowingly or unknowingly, experience much unhappiness and heartache.”

Practical Counsel for Wives

The Bible also has fine, practical counsel for wives. Titus 2:4, 5 counsels them to “love their husbands, to love their children, to be sound in mind, chaste, workers at home, good, subjecting themselves to their own husbands.”

True, many women today resent the idea of subjecting themselves to their husbands. Of course, where a husband does not practice Bible principles and treats his wife badly, then subjection is very unpleasant.

But subjection to a husband who is a servant of God and who does apply Bible principles is no burden to a wife. Instead, it works for family harmony and good organization. And where the wife does her part, showing her husband love as well as what Ephesians 5:33 says, “deep respect,’’ then she finds that she usually draws the best out of him. He treats her even better, because God made him to respond to the love and respect of a wife.

However, even when a husband is not a servant of God, wifely submission can pay good dividends, as the apostle Peter counseled when he wrote: “You wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, in order that, if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep respect.”​—1 Pet. 3:1, 2.

Now, are we saying that applying God’s ways will produce perfect marriages at this time? No, not now, since we are still imperfect. But it will produce much, much better marriages. So if you were to take 100 marriages and apply God’s ways to them, far more of them would be successful than 100 marriages where neither partner respected Bible principles.

Training Children

A large part of family problems has to do with children. Among young people there are great pressures toward immorality, drinking to excess, drug use, and rebellious attitudes toward parents. Many schools have become ‘jungles.’ What is the best way to counteract these bad influences?

The best way is to learn what Jehovah says, and then work hard at doing it. At Second Timothy 3:15 the apostle Paul said to Timothy: “From infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation.”

Of course, any time is a good time to start teaching young ones what God says in his Word. But especially is this effective when begun in infancy. As Proverbs 22:6 states: “Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.”

Parents who are God’s servants know the value of Bible education. So from babyhood they take their children to Christian meetings, such as circuit and district assemblies and at the Kingdom Halls. These young ones are thus exposed to a wholesome spiritual environment year after year. They gradually learn about God, and hear the upbuilding expressions of mature Christians. They also learn community discipline.

These parents appreciate, however, that the home is the key place for child instruction. So, very early they begin reading with the children the Bible and publications that highlight godly principles. Not only do the children learn God’s ways at a very tender age, but they also learn how to read, even before starting school. And good reading ability is often the key to learning many other things.

A group of educators said: ‘The best way to prepare the very young child for reading is to read aloud to him stories he likes​—over and over. The printed page, the security, the reassuring voice, the fascination of the story​—all combine in the child’s mind to identify books as something which hold great pleasure.’

Another report states this: ‘Parents who conduct individual tutoring with their young play a role in producing children of above-normal intelligence. Most of these children who do better are raised by parents who carry on this one-to-one tutoring situation during the years before the child begins school.’

This type of education in God’s laws and principles really works. You can see the proof at the Kingdom Hall meetings and other assemblies of Jehovah’s Witnesses, in the large numbers of children, teenagers and young adults who are learning how to be servants of God.

Others recognize that it works too. A psychologist who dealt with young people became very disturbed at his agency’s inability to cope with youth problems. All their methods failed. But then he handled a case that really made him think. It involved a family with three children, all of whom were in trouble with the law. He considered the ease hopeless. But there was a break of many months in his handling of the case, after which he went back to the family. However, now he noted a remarkable change. The home that had been dirty and disorderly was neat and clean. The children were dressed presentably, and were much more secure. Why the amazing change? The psychologist relates that it was because the mother had been studying the Bible, had started instructing her children in it, and had been taking them to the Kingdom Hall meetings. She then applied to her everyday family life the Bible principles she was learning. The psychologist was so impressed that he himself began the same kind of study with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

However, does such child training guarantee that every child will turn out to be & highly principled servant of God when he grows up? No, because, here again, we have to remember that we are all imperfect, and that there are tremendous pressures working against children today. But, as with marriage, if you were to take 100 children and train them this way, far, far more of them would turn out to be decent, God-fearing adults than would 100 children not educated this way.

Yes, God’s ways do work to improve family life. They are a real help in marriage and with regard to training children. But there are other problems that require solutions too.

Helping with Other Problems

WE CAN all use the practical guidance that comes from God in dealing with a number of other major problem areas of life. One of these, for example, has to do with mental depression.

Mental depression is a serious and growing problem today. Ever so many people are profoundly depressed because of their own problems, and also because of what they see going on in their neighborhoods and in the world in general. They look to the future with dread.

Building an Optimistic Hope

But God’s servants know that all these bad things are part of the “last days,” and that they will shortly disappear when God brings this wicked system of things to an end and ushers in his righteous new order.

That knowledge certainly builds hope. It gives us an optimistic, confident outlook for the future. It helps to calm our spirit and improve our attitude, because we are not constantly upset by all the terrible things happening in the world. As Proverbs 14:30 says: “A calm heart is the life of the fleshly organism.” And Proverbs 17:22 adds: “A heart that is joyful does good as a curer, but a spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry.”

An example of how the accurate knowledge of God’s purpose overcomes such depression is the case of an elderly person whose wife died just before their 50th wedding anniversary. He wrote: “This left me very gloomy, and I could get no satisfaction from my church. I was so miserable that I finally decided to join my wife by committing suicide. I planned to pick poison weeds that grew in my neighborhood, make a brew of them and drink it. As I was actually starting to do this, two young people walked up the path to call on me. We talked for an hour or more about the Bible and God’s purpose for mankind. I didn’t finish making my brew that evening, as they promised to call back next week. They never missed a week’s call after that.”

This elderly man learned about God’s new order. He learned about the grand resurrection hope for his wife. He also learned who and what was responsible for sickness, sorrow and death, and that none of these things will exist in God’s new order. Since then, this man has become a dedicated servant of God, telling others about the good news of the new order.

A Help with Economic Problems

Can serving God help us with our economic problems? Yes, in several ways. One who sincerely serves God is assured of His backing. Jesus said: “Keep on, then, seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things [that is, material needs] will be added to you.”​—Matt. 6:32, 33.

Also, the Bible helps us to see what the really important things are in life, so that we avoid the snare of materialism. This saves us a tremendous amount of money by our not wasting it on nonessentials that we cannot afford. We avoid being trapped like so many people who ‘spend money they don’t have, to buy things they don’t need, to impress people they don’t even know or like.’

In addition, by avoiding various bad habits, such as excessive drinking, and also by not smoking, a person safeguards his health and saves money to spend on necessities. Since smoking is responsible for about 90 percent of lung-cancer deaths, and other ailments, think of how many problems can be avoided by conquering just that one unclean habit, as a servant of God knows he must do.

Too, the Bible teaches us to be honest, to work hard, to give a good day’s work to our employer. Often this results in God’s servants being highly valued as employees. One garage owner asked his Witness worker to cheat his customers. But the Witness told him: “If I could cheat your customers, I could cheat you too. Now, you wouldn’t want that, would you?” His employer saw the point and valued his services even more after that.

But, of course, economic problems will persist as long as this present system lasts. Only the new order under God’s heavenly kingdom will eliminate all economic injustices such as extremes of wealth and poverty, unemployment for millions, undesirable work, and hunger for hundreds of millions of persons.

In that new order, as Psalm 72:16 says, “There will come to be plenty of grain on the earth; on the top of the mountains there will be an overflow.” The God who created the earth and its fruitful fields knows how to place mankind’s economic system on a proper basis so that all will be truly prosperous and content in his new order.

The Best Solutions to Our Problems

THERE are many other areas in life where being a servant of God helps us to deal with problems. It helps us to learn how to get along best with all kinds of people, how to handle personality differences, how to improve relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and how to handle mistakes​—ours and those of other people too. But the few examples already noted illustrate that serving God is the most practical way to keep our problems manageable. And those problems that are beyond our control, God himself will solve for us in due time.

This twofold assistance that God’s servants get (that is, the best counsel in handling our problems today, and the grand hope of having all problems completely solved in his new order) gives his servants a peace of mind and joy that are missing in the lives of those who do not serve God. This contrast is interestingly described for us at Isaiah chapter 65, verses 13 and 14. It says:

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah has said: ‘Look! My own servants will eat, but you yourselves will go hungry. Look! My own servants will drink, but you yourselves will go thirsty. Look! My own servants will rejoice, but you yourselves will suffer shame. Look! My own servants will cry out joyfully became of the good condition of the heart, but you yourselves will make outcries because of the pain of heart and you will howl because of sheer breakdown of spirit.’”

Yes, serving God certainly makes sense, because, as First Timothy 4:8 says, it holds ‘promise, not only of a better life now, but of a far, far better life to come’ in God’s new order.

And what a wonderful life that will be in the new order! Think of living on a beautiful earth, free of pollution, crime, war, poverty, sickness and even death!

Imagine the thrill, each day of life, of enjoying the many things God has created for his people​—the majestic mountains, refreshing forests, flower-decked gardens, the fascinating animal life, the sparkling streams and lakes, delicious foods, as well as the joy of having loving families and friends. Such things will make up the permanent way of life that God is now preparing his servants for.

Really, all things considered, there can be no doubt that serving God can help you with your problems. The question that remains is whether you want to serve him or not. You should want to, since Jehovah is a kind, generous, loving God that gives his people so many benefits. Also, he does not put such heavy burdens on you that you cannot bear them. So serving him is a pleasure.

Indeed, the investment of your time and energy in learning how to serve God is like investing a penny and getting countless wealth in return. Why? Because Jehovah will back you up and will certainly bless your efforts to serve him. He will help you with your problems now, and let you live forever in his problem-free new order, where, as Psalm 145:16 promises, Jehovah will ‘open his hand and will satisfy the desire of every living thing.’

Making Color Work for You

WHY do you enjoy looking at a cloudless sky? What makes you gaze at a display of pretty flowers? When a rainbow forms nearby, what motivates you to stare at it?

In each case, is it not the lovely colors? Color has a powerful effect upon humans. Skillfully used, color can cheer a depressed soul, stimulate productivity at work, calm jangled nerves and serve other useful purposes.

But, really, what is color? How can you make color work for you?

Colors​—From Where?

Perhaps you have a fruit dish nearby containing bright-red apples. Do you realize that in themselves the apples are not red? Nor is the grass that carpets your front yard green. Objects in themselves do not possess color. What appears as color comes from a source different from the objects visualized. How so?

Color comes from light. Where there is no light, as in the blackness of night, an object has no color whatsoever. How does light interact with things to produce color?

The sun emits a vast amount of “electromagnetic energy,” or “radiation.” Included is a narrow band of wavelengths that are visible. The longest of these measures only about 32 millionths of an inch (.0008 millimeter) from crest to crest, which we see as red light. As light waves get progressively shorter, they appear as orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo (a deep violet-blue) and violet. The wavelengths that produce violet light measure only some 16 millionths of an inch (.0004 millimeter) from crest to crest.

What about white light? This occurs when all the wavelengths are mixed together, as in the case of sunlight. Only when these wavelengths are separated do we see the individual colors making up the sunlight.

This can be demonstrated by using a triangular-shaped piece of glass called a prism. If a person directs a thin beam of white light toward a white screen and places a prism in the light’s path, what appears on the screen will be, not white light, but the full color spectrum of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Why does this happen? Because the prism bends each wavelength to a different degree, thus separating them. Probably you have viewed a similar effect after rainstorms, when droplets of water in the air act as prisms, separating sunlight into its basic colors​—producing the multicolored rainbow.

Things in Color​—Why?

But why do we see objects as red, yellow, blue and other colors? Because various substances called pigments absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others. What is reflected back to the eye appears as the color of the object. Grass looks green, for example, because the pigments in it absorb all the wavelengths of sunlight except green, which is reflected back to us. When all wavelengths of light are absorbed, an object looks black. This would happen, for instance, if you were to shine only yellow or red light on a blue towel. Since the towers pigment reflects only blue and there is no blue in yellow or red light, the towel would absorb all the yellow or red light and appear black. Rather than a color, therefore, black is the absence of color.

Scientists speak of certain “primary colors.” These are ones from which the greatest possible number of combinations can be made. The primary colors in light are red, blue and green. When red and blue light are combined, the result is a bluish-red called magenta. Mixing blue and green light produces a bluish-green called cyan. Red and green light go together to make yellow. All three combined give white light.

You will not get the same results, however, from mixing paints. This is because, in this instance, you are mixing pigments that reflect light rather than mixing lights of different colors. The primary colors for light are, therefore, not the same as those for paint. The three colors that result in the widest variety of combinations for paint are red, yellow and blue. Mixing two primary paint colors produces a “secondary color,” halfway between the two primaries used. Red and yellow give orange; yellow and blue make green; blue and red produce violet, or purple as some prefer to call it. Midway between the primary and secondary colors are “intermediate colors.” These are yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green and yellow-green.

Would you enjoy learning how to use colors? If so, the “color wheel” and “color triangle” can help you. What are these?

The “Color Wheel” and “Color Triangle”

The primary, secondary and intermediate colors mentioned above amount to twelve. Many have found it practical to arrange these into a color wheel patterned after the face of a clock. First, place the primary colors at an equal distance from one another. If you put yellow at 12 o’clock, then red could appear at 4 o’clock and blue at 8 o’clock. Inserting the secondary colors between the primaries would result in orange at 2 o’clock, violet at 6 o’clock and green at 10 o’clock. Filling the remaining six spaces with the intermediate colors results in a color wheel such as that shown on the previous page.

But where do the many browns and beiges find accommodation in this color system? They fall inside the color wheel. If you mix all three primaries (or, if you prefer, the secondaries) in carefully controlled proportions you can get infinite varieties of olive-greens, light and dark browns and beiges.

How can this device assist you to harmonize colors? Often pleasing results come from using complementary colors. These are located opposite each other in the color wheel. Thus, you may find that red goes well with green, blue with orange, yellow with violet, and so forth. Some have worked out excellent four-color schemes by combining two sets of complements. However, finding a satisfying color scheme has much to do with your individual personality. What delights one person may clash in the opinion of another.

Quite often a color goes well with the two on either side of its complement. For example, blue combines pleasingly with yellow-orange and red-orange. Another fine arrangement is a triad, made up of colors spaced equally from one another. Combinations such as blue-green, yellow-orange and red-violet, as well as the primary colors, red, yellow and blue, are examples of triads.

Pleasant, too, is the use of adjacent colors, that is, those next to one another on the color wheel. For instance, you will find that yellow, yellow-green and yellow-orange blend nicely, as do violet, blue-violet and red-violet. Another interesting method is known as a mutual complement. This combines five adjacent colors with the complement of the middle one. If, for example, you chose as adjacent colors green, yellow-green, yellow, yellow-orange and orange, the sixth color would be violet, the complement of the middle one (in this case yellow).

What about variations of a single color? Such variations are made by diluting a color with a neutral pigment, either white or black. Here you will benefit from using a “color triangle.” What is that? “A color triangle,” notes The World Book Encyclopedia, “has a color at one angle, black at another, and white at the third. If a color from the color wheel, such as red, is mixed with white, the result is a tint​—in this case, pink. If we mix red with black, the result is a shade​—in this case, maroon. And if we mix red with both black and white, the result is a tone​—in this case, rose.” Such a color triangle might look like the one on page seventeen.

How does one use this? “In a color triangle,” continues the same reference work, “the colors in any straight line form pleasing combinations. A pure color harmonizes with tints and white, with shades and black, or with tones and gray. A tint and a tone blend with black, and a shade and a tone go well with white. Groups of tints, shades, or tones also harmonize well.”

Did you know that color can even make a room appear larger or smaller than its true size? Interior decorating expert Florence Byerly writes:

“Color can change the apparent size of a room. It can also hide or emphasize features in the room. To make a room appear larger, paint it a pale, cool color. The walls will seem to recede, or move farther away. To make a room appear smaller, use a bright color that advances, or seems to jump out at you. You can hide a bulky chair, or make it look smaller, by having it the same color as its background. You can emphasize an object or an area by using contrasting colors. For example, white dishes that seem lost in a white cupboard look striking in a cabinet lined with deep green.”

Have you tried any of these ways of making color work for you? If you intend to do so, there is something else that you ought to know about color. What is that?

Psychological Effects of Color

Colors have notable psychological effects and can be used to good advantage. “From our work,” notes color expert Faber Bitten, “we have found that people react quite differently in a colorful environment than in a drab one, although they themselves may not be conscious of it. The natural condition for the human being is to live in a constantly changing environment​—of light, color, forms. There’s no such thing as a monotonous environment in nature. Today we know that children’s intelligence actually degenerates in a monotonous environment.” What, then, are the effects of basic colors?

Among the “warm” colors are red and orange. These are lively and tend to excite emotions and stimulate certain bodily functions. According to the book The Art of Color and Design, red light “accelerates the pulse and raises blood pressure.” Persons who prefer red are often impulsive and energetic, with strong personalities and a craving for action and success. Properly used, red and orange can be stimulating, but overuse produces tension.

Another warm color is yellow. Bright, clear yellow reminds one of the sun and is cheerful, gay and lively. On the other hand, the darker yellows and greenish yellows are not popular. In the minds of many they suggest things such as sickness, cowardice, envy and treachery. But when properly related to other colors, these yellows contribute to a delightful overall effect.

The “cool” colors, including violets, blues and greens, are tranquil and serene. They have a calming effect upon people. In contrast to the results of red light upon humans, blue light has been found to retard the pulse rate and lower blood pressure. Light blue is soothing, suggesting blue skies and the waters of rivers and lakes. Light green is another restful color, reminding one of the outdoors. If your needs are in the direction of a calm, tension-free life, these may be your color preference.

As to choosing wall colors, Florence Byerly advises: “When choosing a wall color, get the largest paint samples available. Tape several on a wall near your draperies. Look at them by both daylight and lamplight. Remember that a color is influenced by its surroundings. A subtle, dull sample will show in its true color when placed beside white paper.”

Color is among the special blessings that mankind enjoys because of God’s gift of light. “Color is one of the natural delights of this world,” remarks Faber Birren. “It is the rule of nature, not the exception, and much of the good life depends on it.” In view of this, why not take the time to make color work for your greater enjoyment?

[Diagram on page 17]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

COLOR WHEEL

YELLOW

Yellow-Orange

ORANGE

Red-Orange

RED

Red-Violet

VIOLET

Blue-Violet

BLUE

Blue-Green

GREEN

Yellow-Green

[Diagram on page 17]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

COLOR TRIANGLE

COLOR

SHADE

TINT

TONE

BLACK

GRAY

WHITE

Cunning Hunter of Field and Forest

HOUNDS are in hot pursuit. Escape seems impossible. But in an instant the pursued one is dashing over an old log that has fallen across a stream. Midway he notes a tiny island and leaps to it. Will the next jump be to the far side of the brook? No. Surprisingly, he springs back to the bank he just left, then darts off in another direction. Soon, the dogs appear. Right to the middle of the log they follow the would-be victim’s scent. There it disappears, but they go on to the other side of the stream. Yes, the pursuers have been foiled completely.

In that true-life episode, the cunning escapee was a fox. But just how crafty are foxes? What are they really like?

A Few Fox Facts

“Doglike” is a good word for the fox. It is a carnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, as is the dog. In fact, with their pointed ears and long muzzles, most foxes look like little dogs.

What about color? Well, there is quite some variety among foxes. Throughout most of Europe, Asia and the northern part of North America, red foxes are numerous. Generally, they are reddish-orange or rust and have a whitish belly, black fur on the legs and a white-tipped bushy tail. But other red foxes have black fur with white tips and are called silver foxes. Those having jet-black fur are known as black foxes. Still other red foxes are called cross foxes because, though rusty in color, they have fur that forms a black cross on the shoulders and along the backbone.

The gray fox ranges from southern Canada to northern South America. Fur on its back is of a salt-and-pepper color, though its underside is whitish and the sides of the shoulders, neck and legs, as well as the tail’s underside, are a rusty color. Incidentally, only this fox climbs trees a​—good way to escape a pack of hounds!

Arctic foxes are yet another type. As their name suggests, they inhabit the Arctic regions. Their gray-brown coat of summer changes to snow-white in the wintertime​—a superb camouflage amid the ice and snow. This small, resourceful fox is attired in its warm white coat by September. Let temperatures plummet to 75 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (−59 degrees Celsius)! That matters not to this creature, perhaps curled up in the snow with its nose tucked into the hair of the tail, which is said to act as “a sort of radiator of self-generated heat.”

The yellowish-gray kit fox of western North America gets its name from the fact that it is kitten-like in size. But this nimble animal makes up for its smallness in maneuverability and speediness. If necessary, it musters up a great burst of speed and can change directions in an instant without slowing down​—leaving the baffled pursuer in the dust.

Yet, the smallest of the foxes is the fennec, an inhabitant of Arabia and North Africa. Not only do these creatures look like “cute” little baby animals; when startled, they whimper, making them seem all the more like babies. Fennecs spend considerable time in underground burrows to escape the sun’s heat and the cold of night. The relatively big area of their four-inch (10-centimeter) ears promotes loss of body heat, keeping fennecs from getting overheated in their desert habitat.

Speaking of ears, let’s not forget the bat-eared fox. This fox roams the dry regions of southern and eastern Africa. Interestingly, besides large and sensitive ears, it has forty-six to forty-eight teeth​—more than other canines.

Lodging and Food

For the red fox, home may be a little den inside a hollow log, or out among the rocks. Then again, a woodchuck or badger burrow will serve just fine. Otherwise, the fox may dig his own underground home. After mating, Mr. and Mrs. Fox​—who may become lifetime partners—​settle down to raise a family. The female fox, or vixen, gives birth to from four to nine pups yearly.

Those young ones cannot “outfox” their mother. Alan Devoe wrote: “Three fox cubs were playing while their mother eyed them contentedly from their den entrance. Suddenly one of the youngsters started to trot off across the pasture. The vixen stood up, ‘pointed’ with her sharp muzzle in his direction​—and stood rigidly still and silent. She made no sound I could hear from where I was hidden, but in a few seconds the cub began to slow down. Turning around, he looked straight at his mother. She kept her gaze on him. As if pulled by an invisible thread, the little fox hurried home.”​—Marvels & Mysteries of Our Animal World.

In the case of many types of foxes, father, mother and children will begin sleeping mostly out in the open as soon as the pups are old enough to hunt. Foxes are solitary, nocturnal hunters. And they are cunning. For instance, the red fox knows enough to creep silently to within just a few feet of a bird before springing upon it.

Fox fare includes mice and other rodents, birds, insects, frogs, lizards and the like. They also dine on fruits. Foxes have no aversion to eating an animal they find already dead. As it is, if a fox has been feasting on some creature and there are leftovers, most species will bury the remains. The fox returns to the quarry from time to time, eating more of it as he feels the urge.

Since the fox’s food search is most likely to be a nocturnal venture, many a poultry farmer has risen in the morning to find that he has lost a chicken to the red fox. But well-mended fences will deter this night marauder. In this cunning hunter’s defense, it can be said that he is an excellent “mousetrap.” Then, too, during the summertime, the red fox dines extensively on insects and even carrion. So, is it fair for farmers to view him merely as a drooling villain?

Talking about food, the Arctic fox has its own “refrigerator.” During the autumn, this fox gathers ground squirrels, mice and lemmings, kills them, then stores the food supply just below the surface of the ground​—in a veritable “icebox,” or “refrigerator.”

The Fox and Man

Regarding Arctic foxes, eighteenth-century naturalist G. W. Steller wrote: “They crowded into our dwellings by day and by night, stole everything they could carry away, including articles that were of no use to them, like knives, sticks, bags, shoes, sacks, caps, etc. They knew in such an unbelievably cunning way how to roll off a weight of several poods [a pood is about 36 pounds (c. 16 kilograms)] from our provision caches and to steal the meat from thence that at first we could hardly ascribe it to them. While skinning [sea] animals, it often happened that we stabbed two or three foxes with our knives, because they wanted to tear the meat from our hands. . . . They observed all that we did and accompanied us on whatever project we undertook.”​—The Animal Kingdom.

While those animals were a nuisance, some people are pleased to have certain foxes around. Fox farming is quite a lucrative enterprise. Silver foxes were first raised for their fur on Prince Edward Island in the year 1894. Since then, fox farming has grown into an important industry. Furs of high quality are produced in cool, humid areas.

Yet, is it possible to tame a fox? On this point it has been said: “Even after several generations in captivity foxes are not really tamed or domesticated. Wild-caught foxes soon learn to respect their keeper, but he cannot afford to relax his vigilance; his charges will snap and bite with little or no provocation.”

The wild fox has been the object of many a hunt. As a sport, the fox hunt had its start in England probably during the eighteenth century. On horseback, persons follow trained hounds through the countryside as the dogs track the fox by its scent. Once cornered, the fox may be permitted to go free. But this hunt has become popular in England because the fox is noted for craftiness. Its reputation, in turn, prompts a good question.

Just How Cunning Is the Fox?

Whether every fox is as cunning as legend would have it may be open to question. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the fox has become noted for craftiness. In fact, Jesus Christ may have had that very trait in mind when he spoke of King Herod as “that fox.”​—Luke 13:32.

Foxes certainly have been known to do some cunning things. For example, a fox may be going along at some six miles (9.7 kilometers) an hour. But just let some hounds begin baying at a distance! The fox may start to run at around forty-five miles (72.4 kilometers) an hour. But it can keep that speed up for only about a mile. So, how can the fox elude its pursuers? Why not backtrack in its own footprints, then jump to the side and dash away to safety? The fox has been known to do just that.

Of course, there are other means of getting out of harm’s way. Leaping from the ground to the top of an old rail fence, then walking along it for some distance may well discourage hounds that thus lose the fox’s scent. Then again, why not run through a stream? Or, how about racing across a field that has just been fertilized? That will take care of the scent. And what about the wintertime? Well, running across thin ice just strong enough to hold the fox and far too fragile to support a pack of dogs is a pretty good way to foil the foe. Why, Mr. Fox may just seat himself on the opposite bank, watching as the hapless hounds take an icy “bath”!

With all its cunning ways, however, the fox may not escape the flea. But, then, there is always a surefire defleaing process. On one occasion, a fox was observed gathering strands of sheep’s wool from a hawthorn fence in England. The fox “arranged the wool in its muzzle so that it projected two or three inches on either side,” wrote R. Atkinson of Kendal some years ago, adding: “Then it proceeded towards a stream of water running through the field, entered it backwards, sat down on its haunches like a dog, and eventually lowered itself in the water by putting out its forelegs until the whole of its body except the nostrils, and the wool held in its mouth, were submerged. The fox stopped in that position for two or three minutes, then liberated the wool slowly, left the water, shook itself vigorously and disappeared. The wool, as it was released by the fox, was carried downstream, so we went in search of it, and eventually found it lodged by the side of the stream. To our amazement it was simply alive with hen-fleas​—hundreds of them. It is obvious that the fleas objected to the water, and made for the highest dry point, i.e., the wool.”

Yes, indeed, a fox may well rid itself of fleas by backing into a pond or stream. With its crafty ways, this creature may foil flea or foxhound. And even persons who do not think that the fox is very smart will probably admit that it is a cunning hunter of field and forest.

‘Words like Oxgoads’

Wise King Solomon wrote: “The words of the wise ones are like oxgoads.” (Eccl. 12:11) A goad​—a long pointed rod, sometimes tipped with a sharp metal point—​was used for driving and guiding draft animals. Similarly, the words of wise persons serve in a stimulating way to guide and motivate the hearers to act in harmony with them.

“Tazara”​—A Boon to African Economy

By “Awake!”’ correspondent in Zambia

I WAS there. And I can assure you that what took place last October at Kapiri Mposhi, southern Zambia, was a stirring event for all present. Thousands of Zambians, along with many Chinese, had flocked together for a special event. What was the center of attraction? A blue diesel locomotive with a string of new coaches gleaming in the Zambian sunshine. Crowds had gathered to witness the departure of the inaugural run of a unique railway known as “Tazara” (from (“TAnzania ZAmbia Railway Authority”). The new railway covers a distance of 1,150 miles (c. 1,850 kilometers) from Kapiri Mposhi to the Tanzanian port of Dar-es-Salaam.

The occasion was truly exciting. For weeks prior to the official opening of the railway, newspapers carried almost daily reports of what it would haul, the benefits it would bring to Zambia and the progress of the work. Many hailed the project as “Zambia’s new life line,” “Zambia’s main artery,” “the great Uhuru [meaning ‘freedom’] railway.”

I was one of the passengers on the Tazara railway’s first journey to Dar-es-Salaam. Let me explain some interesting facts about this new transportation facility.

Some Unique Features

If you are accustomed to rail travel in other countries, you might be surprised during your first ride on Tazara. Quickly you would notice that it has but a single track. “What!” you exclaim. “How do trains traveling in opposite directions pass each other?” Simple. About every eight miles [13 kilometers] there is a siding, or spur track, where one train can move aside to allow the other to pass.

Another thing that might catch your eye is that the sleepers, or ties, that serve as a base for the rails are of concrete, rather than wood. Wooden ones would provide a banquet for termites in this tropical area. It was also necessary to expend much effort at planting deep-rooted grasses on the railway’s embankments. This binds the earth together, preventing washout by heavy rains that pelt Zambia during November.

Of the nineteen tunnels on the whole line, eighteen are located in a section, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) in length, toward the center of Tanzania. Here the railway cuts through the Uzungwa Mountains. Interestingly, it was in this difficult terrain that the builders made the most gains against the construction timetable.

China Makes It Possible

There was a great need for the Tazara facility. Zambia is a landlocked country. To survive economically, she must import food, raw materials and mining equipment. Zambia must also export commodities. Copper accounts for 90 percent of her export earnings. The railway was needed to increase Zambia’s opportunities for external trade. But where would money to finance such a large project come from?

I thought of this during the first stage of our journey from Kapiri Mposhi. We crossed a well-wooded, gently undulating plateau. This section of the railway runs parallel to a new road, where we noticed many gray trucks driven by Chinese wearing identical blue-gray uniforms. Some recent estimates put the Chinese labor force for this project between 15,000 and 42,000 persons. We might say that our railway was built by Chinese with the help of Zambian and Tanzanian workers.

How did China become involved in construction of an African railroad? Well, the first step toward securing finances was an approach to the World Bank. But the response was negative. Then efforts were made to get money from the United States, Britain, West Germany, France and the U.S.S.R. These too met negative response.

Early in 1965, however, prospects began to brighten. At that time President Nyerere of Tanzania visited China. Before he returned home, China had agreed to a commitment of up to £100 million ($177,400,000) for construction of the Tanzanian section of the railway. Two years later Zambian President Kaunda visited Peking. On that occasion the governments of Zambia, Tanzania and China came to an agreement, according to which China undertook to provide an additional interest-free loan to cover surveying, designing, construction and equipment costs.

Besides that, China agreed to train Zambian and Tanzanian personnel to operate and maintain the railway. Then, in July 1970, Peking agreed to yet another interest-free loan of £167 million ($296,258,000). This would be divided equally between Zambia and Tanzania with repayments covering a thirty-year-period beginning in 1983. Construction of the railway got under way in mid-1970. On July 14, 1976, a deputy prime minister of China formally handed over the completed railroad to the governments of Zambia and Tanzania.

Economic Benefits

Hopes are high that the Tazara railway will bring sizable economic benefits, especially to Zambia and Tanzania. It is expected to stimulate agricultural and livestock development. For example, about 31 miles (50 kilometers) from the Zambian border lies the Tanzanian town of Mbeya. The plateau and hill country surrounding Mbeya hold considerable potential for cultivation of grain, oilseed and other goods. About midway through Tanzania is the Kilombero Valley, which even now is Tanzania’s major source of sugarcane. Kilombero’s well-watered, fertile soil holds great potential. Besides sugarcane, it is suitable for growing rice and vegetables and for raising livestock. With the railway providing easy transportation to the port city of Dar-es-Salaam, there will be good reason to step up agricultural production.

Tazara will do much to stimulate industry too. Reduced freight rates for transporting copper from Mbeya to Dar-es-Salaam will be one benefit. The present method of conveyance by trucks presents problems. Because of the need for weight distribution, it is necessary to transport copper as individual bars. These must be put on pallets when they reach the port. This calls for additional handling and storage charges. However, rail transportation makes it possible to put the copper on pallets right at the mine. This may result in savings of as much as £2.70 ($4.79) a ton.

As another potential for industrial development, 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of Mbeya there are iron ore and coal deposits. The iron is estimated at 90 million tons and the coal at 1,500 million tons. According to Africa/​Middle East Business Digest, China agreed to another loan, this time of £65 million ($115,310,000) for building an integrated steel mill in this iron-rich area, as well as a rail spur to link up the deposits with the new railway.

For Mbeya itself, the U.S.S.R. has agreed to finance a new cement plant. There are now thoughts of erecting a pulp and paper mill in the Kilombero Valley. And Kasama in Zambia will be the location of two automobile assembly plants, one for Mercedes-Benz and the other for Toyota trucks.

Can Dar-es-Salaam Cope with Expansion?

When we arrived at Dar-es-Salaam, a refreshing welcome awaited us. In the heat of the midday sun, Tanzanians excitedly cried out “Jambo! Jambo!”, a Swahili word meaning “How do you do!” There in the background was the Indian Ocean, its shore fringed with coconut palms.

However, in the minds of many there was a question: While the railway will be able to carry all the imports Zambia needs, can the port of Dar-es-Salaam cope with the increased demands put on it?

True, this port has undergone rapid expansion in recent years. But there are problems. During the past year Zambian goods have piled up at the port. While some place the blame on the inadequacy of Zambian trucks, others blame the East African Harbours Corporation for assigning to goods inaccurate rotation numbers. Too, much of the port equipment, such as cranes and forklifts, is inoperative due to lack of maintenance or because of waiting for spare parts.

Only the future will tell if Dar-es-Salaam can keep up with the increased demands that the Tazara railway presents. Whatever the case may be, Tazara promises to be a boon to African economy.

[Map on page 8]

Why a Worm?

At Isaiah 41:14 we read Jehovah God’s encouragement to Israel: “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel. I myself will help you.” Their being likened to a worm was not with a view to degrading the people. Rather, this called attention to the fact that Israel was like a lowly, helpless creature, puny, either in its own eyes or that of enemies. (Ps. 22:6) How comforting and reassuring, then, was God’s promise to come to the aid of his people!

What Is the Bible’s View?

Why ‘Test Whether You Are in the Faith’

IT WAS to professing Christians at Corinth that the apostle Paul wrote: “Keep testing whether you are in the faith, keep proving what you yourselves are.” (2 Cor. 13:5) Why are such testing and proving essential? How can they be undertaken?

We might first consider why the apostle Paul gave the above counsel. Certain Christians at Corinth believed that they were in the faith. Yet they were acting in a way that was contrary to the example and teaching of Jesus Christ. Paul feared that upon visiting them he would find “strife, jealousy, cases of anger, contentions, backbitings, whisperings, cases of being puffed up, disorders.” (2 Cor. 12:20) In view of such a poor spiritual situation among members of the congregation, there was a need for all to determine whether they were really living as Christians should.

Humans are prone to take their own shortcomings far less seriously than those of others and to excuse themselves. So a danger existed that some Christians at Corinth would deceive themselves into thinking that they were in the faith when in reality they were in a spiritually diseased condition. The apostle Paul was concerned that the Corinthians recover themselves and, therefore, urged that they examine themselves as to their profession of being Christians.

Some members of the congregation were definitely in danger of experiencing shipwreck to their faith on account of self-deception. The words of Jesus Christ to the congregation at Laodicea illustrate that their course could have led to a complete loss of their relationship with God and Christ. The Son of God warned: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or else hot. So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say: ‘I am rich and have acquired riches and do not need anything at all,’ but you do not know you are miserable and pitiable and poor and blind and naked.”​—Rev. 3:15-17.

Considering the grave danger of self-deception, all Christians do well to keep testing whether they are in the faith. The disciple James gave fine admonition in this regard: “Become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning. For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, and off he goes and immediately forgets what sort of man he is. But he who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and who persists in it, this man, because he has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, will be happy in his doing it. If any man seems to himself to be a formal worshiper and yet does not bridle his tongue, but goes on deceiving his own heart, this man’s form of worship is futile.”​—Jas. 1:22-26.

So if a Christian does not continue to examine himself carefully in the light of God’s Word, he can become like a person who simply takes a quick glance at the mirror. Such a Christian could easily deceive his heart. He could reason, ‘I’m doing all right. I attend Christian meetings, read the Bible, pray and tell others about my beliefs.’ But aside from these outward aspects of formal worship, he may put forth little effort to develop a Christian personality. He may dismiss his spiritual spots and blemishes, continuing in the same routine and all the while thinking that he is truly in the faith. Especially to such a person the inspired warning is applicable: “Let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.”​—1 Cor. 10:12.

What he fails to recognize is that, without works consistent with the whole of Christian teaching, his worship is futile. It does not amount to anything.

The tongue, for example, cannot be permitted to continue expressing downgrading things. It has to be kept in check. The words that come from the mouth reveal just what a person is at heart. Jesus Christ said: “Out of the heart’s abundance [the] mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45) So the person who makes a practice of downgrading others and imputing selfish motives to them shows that there is something defective about his claim to be in the faith. His formal expressions of worship are therefore valueless.

Hence, a Christian, in testing whether he is in the faith, must determine whether his words and actions harmonize with his profession. When he seeks to be guided by God’s Word in all affairs of life, he proves himself to be a ‘doer of the word.’ This can bring him great happiness, for the Giver of the guidelines found in the Holy Scriptures is Jehovah God, the Source of “every good gift and every perfect present.” (Jas. 1:17) Accordingly, observance of the ‘law that belongs to Christian freedom’ is bound to promote a person’s greatest happiness and lasting welfare. The maintaining of happiness is therefore another good reason for testing whether one is in the faith.

Besides making examination of themselves with the help of the Scriptures, Christians today should also, as the Corinthians were instructed, ‘keep proving what they themselves are.’ (2 Cor. 13:5) How might this be done? By way of illustration, a person may have a saw. His knowing how this tool was manufactured and what materials were used will not be enough for him to determine whether his saw is really of superb quality. It could have a hidden defect. Only by using the saw for a variety of tasks over a period of time can he really find out how good a tool it is. Similarly, one of the best ways to prove what we are as persons is to put Christian faith to work in all affairs of life, especially in trialsome situations.

Ask yourself, How do I react to unkindness and abuse? Do I refuse to retaliate? When others are dishonest, do I uphold right principles? The Christian proves that he is genuine when he does not succumb to pressures to be like the world in attitude, word and action.

What do such pressures reveal about you? Are others able to see that you conduct yourself in harmony with the counsel at 1 Peter 3:8, 9? There we read: “All of you be like-minded, showing fellow feeling, having brotherly affection, tenderly compassionate, humble in mind, not paying back injury for injury or reviling for reviling, but, to the contrary, bestowing a blessing.”

Truly Christians have good reasons for continuing to test whether they are in the faith, proving what they really are. Such testing is a safeguard against self-deception and losing an approved standing with God. It results in taking positive steps to conform ever closer to God’s Word. This brings great happiness now and assures the Christian of future blessings.

Watching the World

Literacy Problems

◆ More and more college freshmen in the United States are deficient in reading and writing skills. For example, nearly half the entering class at the University of California at Berkeley failed their placement exams in the section having to do with reading and writing. From 30 to 50 percent of applicants to the journalism programs in various universities failed basic spelling, punctuation and usage tests. Geye Lyons, a university instructor, writing in Harper’s Magazine, says that the evidence is “persuasive” that “college freshmen really do read on what used to be considered a high-school freshman level.” Will the universities try to make up for these deficiencies? He states: “Teaching individual students to read, write, and think is surely not what the American university is about.” James Degnan, a writing instructor at the University of Santa Clara in California, notes that even many a “bright” student “is incapable of saying, in writing, simply and clearly, what he means.”

“Last-Fling Psychology”

◆ During the recent recession, many people, especially those in lower-income brackets, suffered economic hardships. However, Steven Star of the Harvard Business School says that “a large segment of people at the top of the income scale weren’t affected​—and even prospered. They continue to have the disposable income, and they are turning toward high-priced products.” A luxury-car manufacturing official stated that people “might not be certain of the future, so they’re treating themselves now.” He called this a “last-fling psychology.”

Bacteria That Clean

◆ Many waste products of industry are difficult to purify or decompose. Sporous bacteria, such as those found in animal waste, have for some time been used in treatment plants to purify wastes. But that type of bacteria is not effective enough in treating wastes such as petroleum, fats, detergents and various poisons. However, biologists have been working with other bacteria that are able to break down the tougher industrial wastes. The bacteria are produced in large flasks, mixed with nutrients, freeze-dried and packaged. Then the bacteria are sold commercially. There are about five billion bacteria to the gram. The user must warm the package at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) for about an hour. This revives the bacteria and they begin to work on the waste products.

Guns Do Kill

◆ A three-year-old boy used a revolver to kill a six-year-old boy. The New York Times noted that those fond of guns claim that “guns don’t kill people; people kill people.” But, as the editorial pointed out, if that gun had not been available the boy “might have come away with a black eye, a scuffed shin and hurt feelings, but he would be alive. Guns do indeed kill people.”

Paying Bills by Phone

◆ The largest mutual savings bank in Seattle, Washington, has a computer system that allows customers of the service to pay bills by phone. Those who have dial phones can pay any of 1,600 merchants or credit-card firms by calling the bank, talking to a teller and giving their secret pass-code number, stating whom they want paid and how much. Those customers of this service who have touch-tone button phones can call the computer directly; a computer voice asks for the needed information and the customer punches the required numbers on his phone.

Flash Floods

◆ The flash flood that took over a hundred lives in Colorado last summer was caused by an unusually heavy rain. In recent years such floods have taken a high toll of lives. Why? Because more people are taking vacations in flash-flood areas. Authorities suggest staying away from stream beds, dry gullies and other drainage channels during and after rainstorms. They warn against camping on low ground, where a flash flood can occur while a person sleeps. Also vital is checking ahead of time for high ground, and then, at the first sign of flooding, moving there immediately.

More Shaves

◆ Most men who use the wet-blade shaving method need a new blade after only a relatively few number of shaves. But a Rhode Island doctor says that various barber schools have taught a technique that could improve blade performance many times over: vigorously lather the face for at least two minutes by actual clock time just before shaving.

Fish Catch Falling

◆ The world’s fishing fleets, using ever more modern equipment, have been harvesting the oceans intensively for a number of years now. With what result? Naturalist Garrett Hardin states: “Since the beginning of this decade the gross harvest of fish has fallen, an indication that we are exploiting this resource beyond its point of maximum sustainable yield.” He commented that, although “species after species of marine animal approaches extinction,” man’s response has often been to fish all the more intensively.

Caution on Power Mowers

◆ Millions of people mow lawns with power mowers. The National Safety Council estimates that more than 150,000 Americans are injured by these mowers each year, with about 65,000 requiring hospital treatment. Accidents occur when the operator catches his foot or hand in the machine, injuring or even amputating toes or fingers. The rotating blade can also hurl stones, twigs and other objects as though they were missiles, endangering bystanders. One source says that a 26-inch (.7-meter) power-mower blade rotating at 3,000 revolutions a minute has a propelling force equivalent to three times the muzzle energy of a .357 Magnum pistol.

Younger Bank Bobbers

◆ The average age of bank robbers in Quebec has dropped to nineteen years, according to Montreal police. The province leads Canada in bank offenses. Last year there were 1,057 bank robberies in all of Canada, and 656 of them, or 62 percent, took place in Quebec. “Bank robberies are so common here that, to many kids, it’s no big deal,” says a police inspector in Quebec. “Many of them claim they want the money to buy soft drugs, hash and grass,” he added.

“Plowless” Farming Gaining

◆ An estimated three billion tons of valuable topsoil are lost in the United States each year due to wind and water erosion. Part of this has been due to the habit of plowing all vegetation under after a harvest, leaving the topsoil bare. But more farmers are leaving a protective blanket of stubble on the field to guard against erosion. At planting time a machine is used to cut a narrow slot through the stubble, into which seeds are dropped at a fixed spacing, after which wheels close the slot, completing the planting. An agriculture expert predicts: “Minimum tillage is going to be a major breakthrough. We’re on the verge of it right now.” Indeed, ten times as many acres are farmed this way now as were ten years ago.

What Worries Japanese Most

◆ The Japan Times reports that the main worry among the Japanese is the constant increase in the cost of living, about 90 percent of those questioned expressing concern. And in answer to the question, “Has your life in general improved compared with last year?” 65 percent said that it was about the same, 21 percent said that it had taken a turn for the worse, only 12 percent saying that their life had improved. The remainder did not express an opinion.

Homosexual Priests

◆ The London Sunday Telegraph, declares: “A Church of England vicar has claimed that one in every six priests is homosexual by nature, the highest proportion in any profession outside the theatre. The Rev. Peter Elers, vicar of Thaxted, Essex, since 1973 and a self-confessed homosexual, says that in one Church of England theological college two-thirds of the students are homosexually-oriented.” Yet God’s Word says “that those practicing such things are deserving of death.”​—Rom. 1:32.

Big Government

◆ The federal government of the United States has five million people on its payroll. This includes 2.9 million civilian workers and 2.1 million in the armed forces. The payroll cost was 1.9 billion dollars in 1940; now it is 41.7 billion dollars. In the past 185 years, the nation’s population has multiplied 53 times, but the number of federal workers has multiplied about 1,500 times. Today, the government owns one third of all the country’s land. It also holds title to 405,000 buildings that cost 91 billion dollars.

More Congestion Ahead

◆ Vehicular traffic now congests many roads throughout the world. In the United States there were 76 million cars, trucks and buses in 1961; in 1976 there were 134 million. It is said that in another fifteen years there will be an estimated 170 million. Larger traffic jams, slower commuting, more noise and irritation are thus projected for each year of the immediate future.

Rising Postal Rates

◆ Along with nearly everything else, postal rates have risen sharply in the United States. First-class mail was three cents for one ounce in 1957. Now it is 13 cents, an increase of 333 percent in less than two decades.

New Poverty Level

◆ Not too many years ago, an income of $100 a week was considered an accomplishment in the United States. The Labor Department says that a family of four living on that income today is below the poverty level. All of this is due to the persistent rise in the cost of living. According to the Census Bureau, more than 33 million Americans were living below that poverty level last year.

Swimming-Pool Dangers

◆ In one year 65,000 Americans required emergency treatment in hospitals for injuries associated with swimming pools. Most of the victims were young people. Major-accident patterns involved falling on slippery walkways, diving boards or ladders; striking the bottom or sides of the pool when diving or sliding; and drowning when swimming alone or without adult supervision.

Oil Imports Soaring

◆ Paying for high-priced imported oil is a severe drain on the resources of many nations. The United States pays the highest bill, since it imports more than any other nation. It has sought to become more independent of imported oil, but the opposite has taken place​—imports are at the highest level ever. The Commerce Department predicts that for the year 1976 an average of about seven million barrels a day will be imported. At the same time, domestic production has dropped to its lowest level in ten years​—to about eight million barrels a day. At times during the year, imports even exceeded domestic production. Yet people are now tending to buy larger cars that use more gasoline, so it is felt that soon oil imports will rise even more. Imports from the Arab oil-producing countries alone have doubled in three years.

Burying the Hoodlums

◆ Reports from Japan indicate that the Catholic Church does not hold a monopoly on conducting funerals for gangsters and underworld figures. The Daily Yomiuri reports that “an influential [Buddhist] temple in Ichikawa, Chibaken, has rejected a police request not to hold a funeral service for a powerful local underground organization.” In turning down the police plea, the Buddhist temple’s head used expressions reminiscent of the Church’s rationale: “Buddha welcomes a service to console the spirit of the deceased no matter who observes it.” Welcome, too, no doubt, are the economic benefits to temples and churches from their wayward members.

Can You Read It in the Newspaper?

Newspapers report what is happening in the world. But they do not give the solution to world troubles. Nor do they tell about the one government that will solve them.

You need the Watchtower and Awake! magazines, for they give this information. They provide evidence that a government by God will soon take over earth’s affairs and bring a grand change for the better. You can receive both magazines (four copies a month) for one year. Send only $3.

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Parents, Speak to Your Children about Drugs

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