Do You Really Appreciate God’s Gift of Marriage?

“May Jehovah make a gift to you, and do you find a resting-place each one in the house of her husband.”​—RUTH 1:9.

LOOK FOR THE ANSWERS:

How did God’s servants who lived in the past show that they appreciated and respected his gift of marriage?

How do we know that whom we choose to marry is important to Jehovah?

What Bible counsel on marriage do you plan to apply in your life?

1. How did Adam react when God created a wife for him?

“THIS is at last bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. This one will be called Woman, because from man this one was taken.” (Genesis 2:23) These words were spoken by the first man, Adam. He was happy because Jehovah had created a beautiful wife for him! God made Adam fall into a deep sleep, took one of his ribs, and created the woman. Adam later named her Eve. God made them husband and wife. Because Jehovah used Adam’s rib to create her, Adam and Eve were closer than any married couple today!

2. Why do men and women feel romantic love?

² Jehovah created humans with the ability to feel romantic love. This love brings a husband and wife together. Most people hope that when they marry, their love will last forever.

THEY RESPECTED THE GIFT OF MARRIAGE

3. What did Abraham do to find a wife for his son Isaac?

³ Faithful Abraham respected Jehovah’s standard for marriage. So he sent his eldest servant to Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac. The servant prayed to Jehovah to help him, and he had good results. He found Rebekah, a woman who feared God, and she became Isaac’s wife. She had a part in the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promise to continue Abraham’s family line. (Genesis 22:18; 24:12-14, 67) Many people today make their own choice of whom to marry. Sometimes people like to help others find a mate. But they should not do this if they have not been asked to help. Also, God does not choose whom a person should marry. But when Christians are thinking about getting married, God can help with this and other things if they pray for his direction and are guided by his spirit.​—Galatians 5:18, 25.

4, 5. How do you know that the Shulammite and the shepherd loved each other?

⁴ A beautiful Shulammite girl from ancient Israel did not want her friends to pressure her to become one of King Solomon’s many wives. She said: “I have put you under oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you try not to awaken or arouse love in me until it feels inclined.” (Song of Solomon 8:4) The Shulammite was in love with someone else, a shepherd. Humbly, she said to him: “A mere saffron of the coastal plain I am, a lily of the low plains.” The shepherd loved her too. He answered her: “Like a lily among thorny weeds, so is my girl companion among the daughters.” (Song of Solomon 2:1, 2) They really loved each other.

⁵ Their marriage would be strong because the Shulammite and the shepherd loved God more than they loved anyone else. The Shulammite even said to her beloved shepherd: “Place me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; because love is as strong as death is, insistence on exclusive devotion is as unyielding as Sheol is. Its blazings are the blazings of a fire, the flame of Jah. Many waters themselves are not able to extinguish love, nor can rivers themselves wash it away. If a man would give all the valuable things of his house for love, persons would positively despise them.” (Song of Solomon 8:6, 7) Should servants of God not expect this same standard and same commitment from their marriage mate?

YOUR CHOICE IS IMPORTANT TO GOD

6, 7. How do we know that whom we choose to marry is important to God?

⁶ Whom you choose to marry is important to Jehovah. For example, he warned the Israelites about the people who lived in Canaan. He commanded the Israelites: “You must form no marriage alliance with them. Your daughter you must not give to his son, and his daughter you must not take for your son. For he will turn your son from following me, and they will certainly serve other gods; and Jehovah’s anger will indeed blaze against you, and he will certainly annihilate you in a hurry.” (Deuteronomy 7:3, 4) Hundreds of years later, Ezra the priest said: “You yourselves have acted unfaithfully in that you gave a dwelling to foreign wives so as to add to the guiltiness of Israel.” (Ezra 10:10) Later, the apostle Paul told Christians: “A wife is bound during all the time her husband is alive. But if her husband should fall asleep in death, she is free to be married to whom she wants, only in the Lord.”​—1 Corinthians 7:39.

⁷ Dedicated servants of Jehovah disobey him if they marry someone who is not a baptized Witness of Jehovah. The Israelites who lived at the time of Ezra disobeyed God when they married foreign wives. The Scriptures are clear about whom a Christian should marry. It would be wrong to try to find an excuse not to obey God’s requirements. (Ezra 10:10; 2 Corinthians 6:14, 15) So a baptized Christian who marries someone who is not baptized does not obey God’s requirements on marriage and can lose privileges in the congregation. It would not be reasonable to expect blessings and at the same time pray: “Jehovah, I chose to disobey you, but please bless me anyway.”

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS BEST

8. Why should we follow God’s instructions about marriage?

⁸ A person who makes a machine knows how it works. He can provide instructions for others to put it together correctly. If we ignore the instructions and put the machine together as we want to, what will be the result? It may be a disaster! So if we want a happy marriage, we must follow the instructions given by Jehovah, the one who created marriage.

9. Why did Jehovah provide the gift of marriage?

⁹ Jehovah knows everything there is to know about humans and marriage. He wanted them to “be fruitful and become many,” so he gave humans a sexual need. (Genesis 1:28) Before Jehovah created Eve, he said: “The man’s being alone is not good; I will make him a helper to match him.” (Genesis 2:18, Byington) Jehovah wants married people to be happy.​—Read Proverbs 5:15-18.

10. How can couples please Jehovah even in their personal life together?

¹⁰ Every person has inherited sin and is imperfect, so no marriage is perfect. But Jehovah’s servants can have true happiness if they follow God’s Word in every aspect of their lives. For example, Paul gave clear counsel on sexual relations in marriage. (Read 1 Corinthians 7:1-5.) The Scriptures do not say that having children is the only reason for a couple to be intimate with each other. They also have emotional and physical needs. But unnatural practices do not please God. In this important part of their lives, Christian husbands and wives must treat each other with tenderness and show true love for each other.

11. How was Ruth blessed for being faithful to Jehovah?

¹¹ Marriage should be full of joy and happiness. A Christian home should be a place of rest and peace. Think about what happened nearly 3,000 years ago. Naomi, an older woman, and her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, were all widows. On their way from Moab to Judah, Naomi told the younger women to return to their people. But Ruth did not leave Naomi to return to Moab. Instead, she stayed with her and was faithful to the true God. Boaz was an older man who was a true worshipper of Jehovah. He told Ruth: “May there come to be a perfect wage for you from Jehovah the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” (Ruth 1:9; 2:12) She showed great appreciation and respect for God’s gift of marriage, and she married Boaz. When Ruth is resurrected on earth in God’s new world, she will be very happy to learn that she was part of the family line of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 1:1, 5, 6; Luke 3:23, 32) She was faithful to Jehovah and received great blessings!

GOOD COUNSEL FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE

12. Where can we find good counsel on marriage?

¹² God tells us what we need to know to have a successful marriage. No human knows as much as he does. The Bible is always right and is therefore a source of good counsel about marriage. So anyone who offers counsel should base it on the Bible’s standards. For example, the apostle Paul wrote: “Let each one of you individually so love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33) Mature Christians can understand such clear counsel from the Bible. But will they apply it? They will if they really appreciate and respect God’s gift of marriage.a​—See footnote.

13. What may result if a husband does not follow the counsel of 1 Peter 3:7?

¹³ A Christian husband treats his wife with love. The apostle Peter wrote: “You husbands, continue dwelling in like manner with them according to knowledge, assigning them honor as to a weaker vessel, the feminine one, since you are also heirs with them of the undeserved favor of life, in order for your prayers not to be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7) Jehovah may not listen to the prayers of a husband if he does not apply God’s counsel. The relationship that each mate has with Jehovah could suffer. This could also cause the couple to have great stress. They might argue a lot and treat each other in a harsh way.

14. What good can a loving wife do for her family?

¹⁴ A wife who follows Bible counsel and is guided by God’s holy spirit can do much to make her home a place of peace and happiness. It is natural that a Christian husband loves his wife and wants to protect her. A Christian wife wants to be loved, so she shows qualities that help her husband love her even more. “The truly wise woman has built up her house,” says Proverbs 14:1, “but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.” A wise and loving wife does much for the success and happiness of her family. She shows that she really appreciates God’s gift of marriage.

15. What counsel is found at Ephesians 5:22-25?

¹⁵ Husbands and wives show respect for God’s gift of marriage when they follow the example of how Jesus treats his congregation. They show love and respect to each other. (Read Ephesians 5:22-25.) Married people who really love each other are humble and do not refuse to speak to each other or allow other bad qualities to harm their marriage. Jehovah blesses couples like these!

LET NO MAN PUT THEM APART

16. Why do some Christians stay single?

¹⁶ Most people plan to get married one day. But some of Jehovah’s servants stay single because they cannot find a mate whom Jehovah would approve of and whom they would like to marry. There are others who do not feel the need to marry. They can spend more time in Jehovah’s service and can find fulfillment in life while they are single.​—Matthew 19:10-12; 1 Corinthians 7:1, 6, 7, 17.

17. (a) What did Jesus say about marriage? (b) If a Christian begins to desire another person’s mate, what should he or she quickly do?

¹⁷ Whether we are single or married, all of us need to remember Jesus’ words: “Did you not read that he [God] who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’? So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has yoked together let no man put apart.” (Matthew 19:4-6) To desire another person’s marriage mate is a sin. (Deuteronomy 5:21) If a Christian begins to have this desire, he or she should quickly do everything possible to remove that unclean desire from his or her mind. This must be done even if it causes great emotional pain because the Christian has allowed this selfish desire to grow. (Matthew 5:27-30) It is very important to correct such thinking and stop any sinful desire.​—Jeremiah 17:9.

18. How should we feel about God’s gift of marriage?

¹⁸ Many who have known little or nothing about Jehovah God and his wonderful gift of marriage have some respect for it. What about us? As dedicated servants of “the happy God,” Jehovah, we are happy to show by the way we live that we really appreciate and respect God’s gift of marriage!​—1 Timothy 1:11.

[Footnote]

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

Marry “only in the Lord”: To marry someone who is a baptized Witness of Jehovah

[Blurb on page 4]

A marriage will be strong when a couple love God more than they love anyone else

[Blurb on page 5]

Whom you choose to marry is important to Jehovah

[Blurb on page 6]

Jehovah wants married people to be happy

[Blurb on page 7]

The Bible is the source of the best counsel on marriage

[Blurb on page 8]

A good marriage honors Jehovah and can make everyone in the family very happy

[Picture on page 6]

Ruth showed appreciation and respect for God’s gift of marriage

[Picture on page 8]

Do you show that you really appreciate and respect Jehovah’s gift of marriage?

Take a Positive View of a Strained Marriage

“To the married people I give instructions, yet not I but the Lord.”​—1 CORINTHIANS 7:10.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN?

In what way does God yoke marriage mates together?

How can elders help Christians who have problems in their marriage?

How should we view marriage?

1. How do Christians view marriage? Why?

WHEN Christians get married, they make a vow to God. This is a serious responsibility. (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6) Jehovah is the Creator of marriage, so he has joined, or “yoked together,” married couples. (Mark 10:9) Marriage mates are yoked together regardless of the laws of a country. Servants of Jehovah should view their marriage vow as he does. This is true even if a couple were not his worshippers at the time they were married.

2. What questions will be discussed in this article?

² Marriage can result in great happiness. But what can we do if we are not happy in our marriage? Can such a marriage be strengthened? What help is there for couples who do not have peace in their marriage?

WILL IT BE A HAPPY MARRIAGE OR NOT?

3, 4. What can happen if we make an unwise decision when we choose a marriage mate?

³ When a Christian’s marriage is a success, it makes the Christian truly happy, and it honors Jehovah. But if a marriage fails, it can cause much more than intense sadness. Single Christians who follow God’s direction will be able to begin marriage in a fine way. But a person who makes an unwise decision when choosing a husband or a wife may have frustration and sadness. For example, some young people start dating before they are ready for the responsibilities of married life. Others find a mate on the Internet. They marry quickly and soon are in an unhappy marriage. Others commit a serious sin while they are dating, and they start their married life with little respect for each other.

⁴ Some Christians do not marry “only in the Lord” and suffer pain because their mate is not a servant of Jehovah. (1 Corinthians 7:39) If you are in this situation, pray for God’s forgiveness and help. Jehovah does not remove the difficulties caused by past mistakes, but if a person is sincere and admits that he did wrong, Jehovah can help him to endure. (Psalm 130:1-4) So do your very best to please God, and “the joy of Jehovah” will strengthen you.​—Nehemiah 8:10.

WHEN A MARRIAGE IS IN DANGER

5. What kind of thinking should be avoided in an unhappy marriage?

⁵ If some are unhappy in their marriage, they may wonder: ‘Do I really want to save my marriage? Maybe I would be happier if I could just marry someone else!’ They may dream about leaving their mate and think: ‘I want to be free again! Could I get a divorce? Even if I cannot get a Scriptural divorce, I could separate from my mate and enjoy my life again.’ Instead of thinking this way and dreaming about how different life could be, Christians should try to do their best in the situation they are in and follow God’s direction.

6. What do Jesus’ words at Matthew 19:9 mean?

⁶ If a Christian gets a divorce, he or she may or may not be Scripturally free to get married again. Jesus said: “Whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, and marries another commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9) Fornication includes adultery and other serious sexual sins. It is important that a Christian pray to God for guidance if he or she is thinking about getting a divorce when neither mate has committed fornication.

7. What may people think if a Christian marriage fails?

⁷ When a marriage fails, it may show that a person’s relationship with God is weak. The apostle Paul asked this serious question: “If indeed any man does not know how to preside over his own household, how will he take care of God’s congregation?” (1 Timothy 3:5) When both mates say they are Christians and their marriage still fails, people may think that the couple say one thing but do another.​—Romans 2:21-24.

8. What must be wrong if a Christian couple decide to separate or divorce?

⁸ If a Christian couple are planning to separate or divorce for unscriptural reasons, there must be something wrong in their relationship with Jehovah. It may be that one mate or both mates are not applying Bible principles. If they both trust in Jehovah with all their heart, they should be able to save their marriage.​—Read Proverbs 3:5, 6.

9. How have some Christians been rewarded for staying with their mate?

⁹ Many married couples have had so many problems that they thought their marriage would fail. But even some of those couples have been able to make a success of their marriage. Christians who have a difficult marriage and do not quickly decide to leave their mate are often rewarded. For example, think of what can happen when a husband is an unbeliever. The apostle Peter 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 Peter 3:1, 2) Because of a mate’s good conduct, the unbeliever may accept the truth. Christians who save their marriage and stay with their mate honor God, and the whole family can be blessed.

10, 11. What changes may cause difficulties in a marriage? A Christian may be sure of what help?

¹⁰ When they get married, most single Christians choose another baptized Christian to be their mate because they want to please Jehovah. Even then, circumstances may change in a way that they did not expect. For example, a husband or a wife may begin to have serious emotional problems. Or a mate may stop preaching and become an inactive publisher. Something similar happened to Linda, a zealous publisher and loving mother.a (See footnote.) She felt helpless when her husband began to do wrong things. He did not repent for what he did, and he had to be disfellowshipped. Christians who are in similar situations may feel that their marriage is hopeless. What should they do?

¹¹ You may wonder: ‘Do I need to keep trying to save my marriage no matter what happens?’ Nobody can or should make such a decision for you. But there are good reasons for not giving up on a marriage that seems hopeless. Christians who endure a difficult marriage because their conscience will not allow them to leave their mate are very precious to God. (Read 1 Peter 2:19, 20.) By means of his Word and his spirit, Jehovah will help Christians if they do everything they can to strengthen their marriage.

THEY ARE READY TO HELP YOU

12. How will the elders feel about us if we ask them for help?

¹² If you are having problems in your marriage, you can ask for help from experienced Christians. The elders are shepherds of the congregation, and they will be happy to show you God’s counsel in the Bible. (Acts 20:28; James 5:14, 15) You and your mate will not lose the respect of the elders if you discuss with them a serious problem in your marriage and ask for their help. They will love and respect you even more because they see that you really want to please God.

13. What counsel do we have at 1 Corinthians 7:10-16?

¹³ When a Christian who is married to an unbeliever asks for help, the elders can use Paul’s counsel: “To the married people I give instructions, yet not I but the Lord, that a wife should not depart from her husband; but if she should actually depart, let her remain unmarried or else make up again with her husband; and a husband should not leave his wife. . . . For, wife, how do you know but that you will save your husband? Or, husband, how do you know but that you will save your wife?” (1 Corinthians 7:10-16) What a blessing it is when a mate becomes a servant of Jehovah!

14, 15. When might a Christian wife decide to leave her mate? Why should a Christian pray about the matter and examine her feelings honestly?

¹⁴ For what reasons might a Christian wife “actually depart” and leave her husband? Some have chosen to separate for these serious reasons: refusal to provide for a family materially to the point where the family was left with no money or food, physical abuse got so bad that a mate felt that her life was threatened, or a mate’s actions made it impossible for the Christian to serve God.

¹⁵ To stay with or to leave our mate is a personal decision. But Christians should pray about the matter and examine their feelings honestly. For example, is the unbeliever the only one preventing the Christian from serving Jehovah? Or is the Christian also responsible in some way for not being regular in personal Bible study, in meeting attendance, and in preaching?

16. Why should Christians not make quick decisions about divorce?

¹⁶ We should not make quick decisions about divorce. Our relationship with God is precious to us, and we appreciate and respect his gift of marriage. As Jehovah’s servants, we want to keep his name holy by not making decisions that would cause people to think badly about him. For this reason, we would never want to betray our marriage mate by planning to leave him or her so that we can marry another person.​—Jeremiah 17:9; Malachi 2:13-16.

17. When can it be said that “God has called you to peace”?

¹⁷ Christians who are married to unbelievers should do all they can to keep their marriage strong. But after all efforts to save the marriage have failed, Christians should not feel guilty if their mate who is not a believer decides to leave them. “If the unbelieving one proceeds to depart, let him depart,” wrote Paul. “A brother or a sister is not in servitude under such circumstances, but God has called you to peace.”​—1 Corinthians 7:15.b (See footnote.)

TRUST IN JEHOVAH

18. Even when it is not possible to save a marriage, what good can result if we try to save it?

¹⁸ When we have a problem in our marriage, we should pray for courage and always trust in Jehovah. (Read Psalm 27:14.) Earlier in this article, we spoke about Linda. For many years she had tried very hard to save her marriage, but it later ended in divorce. Does she feel that her efforts were a waste of time? “Not at all,” she says. “My efforts gave a good witness to others. I have a clear conscience. But the best result is that those years helped our daughter to stay strong in the truth. She became a zealous, dedicated Witness of Jehovah.”

19. What may result if we make efforts to save our marriage?

¹⁹ A Christian woman named Marilyn is happy that she trusted in God and made extra effort to save her marriage. She said that she was tempted to separate from her husband because he did not provide for her materially and he also put her relationship with Jehovah in danger. In the past, her husband served as an elder. Then he got involved in some unwise business activities. He began to miss meetings, and the couple stopped having conversations. A terrorist attack in their city frightened her so much that it became hard for her to be with others. But she realized that she too was responsible for the problems they were having. She and her husband started having conversations again, began their family study again, and began to attend meetings regularly. The elders were kind and helpful. Soon it was as if their marriage had a new start. They were very happy. Later, her husband was given congregation privileges. She said that it was a painful lesson to learn, but it had good results.

20, 21. What should we be determined to do in our marriage?

²⁰ Whether we are single or married, we should always have courage and we should trust in Jehovah. If we have problems in our marriage, we should do everything we can to solve them. We should remember that married couples are “no longer two, but one flesh.” (Matthew 19:6) And if we stay with an unbelieving mate even though there are difficulties, we may have the joy of seeing that one come to serve Jehovah.

²¹ Whatever our situation, we should always act in a way that gives a good witness to those who are not members of the congregation. If we have very serious problems in our marriage and feel that we want to leave our mate, we must honestly examine our reasons. We should also pray intensely, meditate on the Scriptures, and ask for help from the elders. But most important, we should be determined to please Jehovah God in everything we do and show real appreciation and respect for his wonderful gift of marriage.

[Footnotes]

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

Scriptural divorce: A divorce that God allows if one mate has committed fornication and the innocent mate does not extend forgiveness

[Blurb on page 10]

If a Christian couple trust in Jehovah, they should be able to save their marriage

[Blurb on page 12]

Difficult marriages can become very successful

[Blurb on page 13]

Christians who have a difficult marriage and do not quickly decide to leave their mate are often rewarded

[Blurb on page 14]

The elders will love and respect you even more if you ask for help with your marriage

[Blurb on page 14]

Always trust in Jehovah and pray for courage

[Picture on page 11]

Jehovah blesses Christian mates who work hard to save their marriage

[Picture on page 12]

The Christian congregation can give us comfort and help from the Bible

Trust in Jehovah​—The God of “Times and Seasons”

“He is changing times and seasons, removing kings and setting up kings.”​—DANIEL 2:21.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

How do created things and fulfilled prophecies prove that Jehovah can make his purpose come true at his chosen time?

Since we know that Jehovah is the God of “times and seasons,” what will we do?

No matter what humans do, why does Jehovah not need to change the time he has chosen to fulfill his purpose?

1, 2. Why can we say that Jehovah completely understands time?

LONG before Jehovah God created humans, he made it possible to measure time. On the fourth day of creation, God said that sources of light should appear in heaven to “make a division between the day and the night” and to “serve as signs and for seasons and for days and years.” (Genesis 1:14, 19, 26) According to Jehovah’s will, that is exactly what happened.

² Scientists still cannot explain what time really is. One encyclopedia says: “No one can say exactly what it is.” But Jehovah completely understands time. He is “the Creator of the heavens” and “the Former of the earth and the Maker of it.” Jehovah can know what will happen in the future. The Bible says that he is “the One telling from the beginning the finale, and from long ago the things that have not been done.” (Isaiah 45:18; 46:10) We will now discuss two things that will strengthen our faith in Jehovah and in the Bible. They will prove that Jehovah is the Great Timekeeper, that is, he always fulfills his purpose at his chosen time. They are (1) things that Jehovah created and (2) prophecies that were fulfilled.

THINGS JEHOVAH CREATED STRENGTHEN FAITH

3. What are some examples of things that are very accurate in keeping time?

³ Many things that Jehovah created, both small and big, are very accurate in keeping time. For example, atoms vibrate with a rhythm that never changes. Special clocks that use atoms to measure time would not miss a second even in 80 million years. Planets and stars move in such a way that we can know in advance their exact position in the sky. These positions have helped people to know the seasons and to find the right direction when traveling. Since Jehovah made both atoms and stars, he is “vigorous in power” and deserves our praise.​—Read Isaiah 40:26.

4. How does the fact that living things are controlled by time prove that Jehovah is wise?

⁴ Living things are controlled by time. Many plants and animals seem to follow some kind of clock inside of them. That is why many birds know by instinct when to begin their migration. (Jeremiah 8:7) Humans too are controlled by time. For example, our body tells us when it is day and when it is night. If we travel by airplane to another part of the world where the time is very different, our body may need a few days to adjust to the new time. So in the things Jehovah created, there are many examples that prove that he is the God of “times and seasons” and that he is very powerful and wise. (Read Psalm 104:24.) And because Jehovah has endless wisdom and power, we can have faith that he is able to fulfill his purpose!

PROPHECIES FULFILLED ON TIME STRENGTHEN OUR FAITH

5. (a) What is the only way that we can know about mankind’s future? (b) Why can Jehovah tell us what is going to happen and when?

⁵ The things Jehovah created teach us much about his “invisible qualities,” but they do not answer such important questions as, What will mankind’s future be? (Romans 1:20) The only way to find the answer is to study what God says in the Bible. There are many examples of prophecies that have been fulfilled exactly on time. Jehovah can tell us what is going to happen because he can know the future. Also, Bible prophecies always come true on time because Jehovah can make things happen according to his purpose and at his chosen time.

6. How do we know that Jehovah wants us to understand Bible prophecies?

⁶ Even though God does not view time as we do, he uses language that we can understand when he tells us that something will happen at a specific time. (Read Psalm 90:4.) For example, the book of Revelation mentions “four angels” who “have been prepared for the hour and day and month and year.” As humans, we can understand what an hour, a day, a month, and a year are. (Revelation 9:14, 15) When we understand that prophecies were fulfilled exactly at the time that God had said, our faith in him as the God of “times and seasons” is strengthened. Our faith in the Bible is also strengthened. We will now discuss a few examples.

7. How does Jeremiah’s prophecy about Jerusalem and Judah show that Jehovah always fulfills his purpose at his chosen time?

⁷ First, let us consider what happened in the seventh century before Christ. “In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah,” Jehovah spoke to Jeremiah about the people of Judah. (Jeremiah 25:1) Jehovah said that the Babylonians would destroy Jerusalem and take the Jews from the land of Judah to Babylon. There, the Jews would “serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” In the year 607 before Christ, the Babylonian armies destroyed Jerusalem and took the Jews from Judah to Babylon. But what did Jehovah say would happen at the end of 70 years? Jehovah told his people that at the end of “seventy years at Babylon,” he would keep his promise to bring them back to their land. (Jeremiah 25:11, 12; 29:10) This prophecy was fulfilled exactly on time. The Jews returned to their land in the year 537 before Christ, after the Medes and Persians freed them from Babylon.

8, 9. How do Daniel’s prophecies show that Jehovah is the God of “times and seasons”?

⁸ About two years before the Jews left Babylon, another prophecy that affected them was written by Daniel. In this prophecy, God said that the Messiah would appear 483 years after the order to rebuild Jerusalem was given. The king of the Medes and Persians gave that order in the year 455 before Christ. Exactly 483 years later, in the year 29, Jesus of Nazareth was anointed by holy spirit at his baptism, and so he became the Messiah.a (See footnote.)​—Nehemiah 2:1, 5-8; Daniel 9:24, 25; Luke 3:1, 2, 21, 22.

⁹ Now think of what the Bible prophesied about God’s Kingdom. The Bible indicated that Christ would become King in heaven in 1914. For example, the Bible gave “the sign” of Jesus’ presence and said that at that time, there would be great troubles on earth because Satan would be thrown out of heaven. (Matthew 24:3-14; Revelation 12:9, 12) Other prophecies in the Bible help us to know the exact time when “the appointed times of the nations” ended and Christ became King in heaven. This happened in 1914.​—Luke 21:24; Daniel 4:10-17.b​—See footnote.

10. What events will certainly happen on time?

¹⁰ Soon, the “great tribulation” prophesied by Jesus will come. After that, Jesus will rule for a thousand years. There can be no doubt that all these events will happen exactly on time. When Jesus was on earth, Jehovah had already chosen the “day and hour” when these events would happen.​—Matthew 24:21, 36; Revelation 20:6.

USE YOUR TIME WISELY

11. If we believe that we are living in the time of the end, what should we do?

¹¹ Since we know that Christ has become King and that we are living in “the time of the end,” what should we do? (Daniel 12:4) Many people notice that problems in the world are getting worse, but they do not understand that this is exactly what the Bible prophesied about the last days. Some expect that these problems will get completely out of control. Others believe that humans will bring “peace and security.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) Do we believe that we are living very near the end of Satan’s world? If we do, we will use our time to serve Jehovah and help others to come to know him. (2 Timothy 3:1) We must buy out the opportune time, that is, make wise decisions about how we use our time.​—Read Ephesians 5:15-17.

12. What can we learn from what Jesus said about the days of Noah?

¹² Since there are many things in this world that can distract us, it is not easy to use our time wisely. Jesus warned: “Just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be.” How were the days of Noah? God had told Noah that the world of that time would come to an end. Wicked humans would drown in a flood that would happen all over the earth. Noah was “a preacher of righteousness.” He faithfully preached God’s message to the people of his time. (Matthew 24:37; 2 Peter 2:5) But they were “eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage,” and “they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away.” That is why Jesus warned: “Prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that you do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming.” (Matthew 24:38, 39, 44) We must be like Noah, not like the people of his time. What will help us to be ready?

13, 14. While we wait for the coming of the Son of man, what must we remember about Jehovah that will help us to serve him?

¹³ Even though the Son of man is coming at a time that we do not expect, we need to remember that Jehovah always fulfills his purpose at his chosen time. No matter what may happen in the world or what humans plan to do, Jehovah can decide when things will happen and what the results will be. (Read Daniel 2:21.) In fact, Proverbs 21:1 tells us: “A king’s heart is as streams of water in the hand of Jehovah. Everywhere that he delights to, he turns it.”

¹⁴ Jehovah can control events to fulfill his purpose on time. The end result of many big changes in the world is that Bible prophecies have come true, especially prophecies about the preaching of the good news of God’s Kingdom in all the earth. Think about what happened after the government of the Soviet Union lost its power. Few people expected that such big changes in government could happen so quickly. But as a result of these changes, the good news is now being preached in many countries where our work was banned in the past. So let us make sure that we use our time wisely to continue serving Jehovah, the God of “times and seasons.”

SHOW FAITH THAT JEHOVAH FULFILLS HIS PURPOSE AT THE RIGHT TIME

15. How can we show faith when Jehovah’s organization makes changes?

¹⁵ To keep preaching in these last days, we need to have faith that Jehovah fulfills his purpose at the right time. Because the world situation keeps changing, sometimes we might need to make changes in the way we preach. Jehovah’s organization may at times make changes to help us preach the good news in the most effective way. We show our faith in the God of “times and seasons” by fully cooperating with these changes and loyally serving under his Son, the “head of the congregation.”​—Ephesians 5:23.

16. Why can we have faith that Jehovah will help us at the right time?

¹⁶ Jehovah wants us to pray to him at any time and with complete faith that he will give us “help at the right time.” (Hebrews 4:16) This shows how much he loves us and cares about each one of us. (Matthew 6:8; 10:29-31) We show our faith in Jehovah God when we keep on praying for his help and then follow his direction. Also, we remember to pray for our brothers and sisters.

17, 18. (a) What will Jehovah soon do to his enemies? (b) What danger must we avoid?

¹⁷ Now is not the time to have weak faith. It is the time to have strong faith that will give us courage to do God’s will. (Romans 4:20) Satan and those under his influence are trying to stop the work that Jesus commanded us to do. (Matthew 28:19, 20) Even though the Devil attacks us, we know that Jehovah is “a living God, who is a Savior of all sorts of men, especially of faithful ones.” He “knows how to deliver people of godly devotion out of trial.”​—1 Timothy 4:10; 2 Peter 2:9.

¹⁸ Soon, Jehovah will destroy this wicked system. We do not know exactly how and when this will happen, but we do know that Christ will destroy God’s enemies at just the right time. Then, everyone will know that Jehovah has the right to rule the universe. So it would be very dangerous to forget the meaning of “the times and the seasons” in which we now live. We must be careful that we never start to think that “all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning.”​—1 Thessalonians 5:1; 2 Peter 3:3, 4.

“SHOW A WAITING ATTITUDE”

19, 20. Why should we show a waiting attitude for Jehovah?

¹⁹ When Jehovah created humans, he wanted them to live forever so that they could keep learning about him and all the beautiful things he created. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says about Jehovah: “Everything he has made pretty in its time. Even time indefinite he has put in their heart, that mankind may never find out the work that the true God has made from the start to the finish.”

²⁰ We are very glad that Jehovah has never changed his purpose for man. (Malachi 3:6) The Bible says that with God “there is not a variation of the turning of the shadow.” (James 1:17) Shadows keep changing because of the rotation of the earth, but Jehovah is not affected by the passing of time. He is “the eternal King.” (1 Timothy 1:17, footnote) So let us “show a waiting attitude” for Jehovah. (Micah 7:7) And as the Bible says, “be courageous, and may your heart be strong, all you who are waiting for Jehovah.”​—Psalm 31:24.

[Footnotes]

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

Jehovah can be called the Great Timekeeper because he can choose a specific time when he wants to fulfill his purpose and then fulfill it at that specific time

[Blurb on page 17]

Jehovah can control events to fulfill his purpose on time

[Blurb on page 19]

Jehovah will make sure that the good news is preached to all the nations

[Blurb on page 20]

Never accept the idea that “all things are continuing exactly as from creation’s beginning”

[Picture on page 17]

Daniel had faith that God’s prophecies would be fulfilled

[Picture on page 20]

Do you wisely use your time to do Jehovah’s will?

Are You Reflecting the Glory of Jehovah?

“We . . . reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah.”​—2 CORINTHIANS 3:18.

WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER?

Why is it possible for us to reflect Jehovah’s glory even though we are sinful?

How do our prayers and our meetings help us to reflect God’s glory?

How can we keep on glorifying Jehovah?

1, 2. Why is it possible for humans to imitate Jehovah’s qualities?

IN ONE way or another, all of us are like our parents. We probably have heard someone say to a boy, ‘You are just like your father’ or to a girl, ‘You remind me of your mother.’ And children often try to imitate what their parents do. But what about us? Can we imitate our heavenly Father, Jehovah? Although we have not seen him, we can learn about his wonderful qualities by what we see in the things he created. We can also learn about God’s qualities by studying the Bible and meditating on what we read, especially on what his Son, Jesus, said and did. (John 1:18; Romans 1:20) So it is possible for us to imitate Jehovah’s qualities, and in that way we can reflect his glory.

² Before God created humans, he knew that they would be able to do his will, imitate his qualities, and glorify him. (Read Genesis 1:26, 27.) As Christians, we want to imitate the qualities of our God. If we do so, we have the great honor to reflect his glory. We can reflect God’s glory no matter what our culture or race is or how much education we have. Why? Because “God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.”​—Acts 10:34, 35.

3. How do we feel as we serve Jehovah?

³ Anointed Christians reflect Jehovah’s glory. The apostle Paul, who was one of them, wrote: “All of us, while we with unveiled faces reflect like mirrors the glory of Jehovah, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) Paul was speaking of the time when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. Moses’ face was shining with rays of light because Jehovah had spoken with him. (Exodus 34:29, 30) We have not had the same experience as Moses had, and when people look at our faces, they do not see rays of light. But they can see the joy we feel when we speak about Jehovah, his qualities, and his wonderful purpose for mankind. So whether we are of the anointed or of the other sheep, we are like polished metal mirrors of ancient times in the sense that we reflect Jehovah’s glory in our life and ministry. (2 Corinthians 4:1) Are you reflecting Jehovah’s glory by living in a way that pleases him and by regularly participating in the preaching work?

WE DESIRE TO REFLECT JEHOVAH’S GLORY

4, 5. (a) Like Paul, what fight do we have inside of us? (b) How does sin affect humans?

⁴ As Jehovah’s servants, we want to reflect his glory in everything we do. But we often do what is wrong even though we wish to do what is right. Paul also had this problem. (Read Romans 7:21-25.) He clearly explained why we have to fight against our wrong desires: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Because Adam sinned, all humans are born as slaves to sin, which is like a cruel king who rules over them.​—Romans 5:12; 6:12.

⁵ What is sin? It is anything that is the opposite of Jehovah’s qualities, of what he likes, and of what he wants from us. Sin damages a person’s relationship with God. Sin prevents us from reflecting God’s glory, just as something can prevent an archer from hitting his target. Sometimes we sin because we choose to. Other times we sin by mistake. (Numbers 15:27-31) Sin has a very strong influence on us, and it separates us from our Creator. (Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 59:2; Colossians 1:21) Most humans live in a way that completely separates them from God, so they miss the wonderful opportunity to reflect God’s glory. Nothing has a worse effect on humans than sin.

6. Why is it possible for us to reflect Jehovah’s glory even though we are sinful?

⁶ Although we are born with sin, Jehovah has given us a hope. (Romans 15:13) When he gave Jesus as a ransom sacrifice, Jehovah made it possible for us to be set free from sin. Because of our faith in that sacrifice, we are no longer “slaves to sin,” and we can reflect Jehovah’s glory and be his friends. (Romans 5:19; 6:6; John 3:16) If we continue to be God’s friends, we can be sure that he will bless us now. And in the future, he will make us perfect and give us everlasting life. It is a great honor that God thinks we can reflect his glory even though we are still sinful.

WHAT HELPS US TO REFLECT GOD’S GLORY?

7. What do we need to admit if we want to reflect God’s glory?

⁷ As sinful humans, we all have weaknesses. If we want to reflect God’s glory, each one of us needs to know what our own weaknesses are. (2 Chronicles 6:36) We need to admit that we have those weaknesses and then fight against them so that we can glorify God. For example, if we are sinning by viewing pornography, we must admit that we need help from the elders and then ask them to help us. (James 5:14, 15) This is the first thing we should do if we really want to glorify God. We must always make sure that we are living in the way that Jehovah requires of us. (Proverbs 28:18; 1 Corinthians 10:12) No matter what our weaknesses are, we must keep fighting against them so that we can reflect God’s glory.

8. Although we are not perfect, what should we do?

⁸ Jesus was the only human who always did what was pleasing to God and perfectly reflected God’s glory. Although we are not perfect like Jesus, we should try hard to imitate his example. (1 Peter 2:21) Jehovah notices not only our progress but also our efforts to glorify him, and he blesses these efforts.

9. How does the Bible help us to reflect God’s glory better?

⁹ The Bible can help us to understand how we can better reflect God’s glory. We need to study the Bible well and meditate on what it says. (Psalm 1:1-3) When we read the Bible daily, we learn what changes we need to make so that we can become better Christians. (Read James 1:22-25.) What we learn from the Bible strengthens our faith. It also strengthens our desire to avoid serious sin and to please Jehovah.​—Psalm 119:11, 47, 48.

10. How can prayer help us to do better in Jehovah’s service?

¹⁰ If we want to reflect God’s glory, we also need to “persevere in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) We should pray for Jehovah’s help to serve him in a way that he accepts. We can ask him for holy spirit, for more faith, and for strength to resist temptation. We can also ask him to help us become good teachers of the Bible. (Matthew 6:13; Luke 11:13; 17:5; 2 Timothy 2:15) We need to trust in the help of our Father, Jehovah, in the same way that a child trusts his father. If we ask Jehovah to help us do better in his service, we can be sure that he will help us. We must never feel that our prayers might annoy Jehovah. So let us use our prayers to praise him, to thank him, and to ask him to guide us especially when we are in difficult situations. We can also ask Jehovah to help us glorify him with our service.​—Psalm 86:12; James 1:5-7.

11. How do our meetings help us to reflect God’s glory?

¹¹ God has given “the faithful and discreet slave” the responsibility of caring for his precious sheep. (Matthew 24:45-47; Psalm 100:3) The faithful slave class wants to help all of us to reflect Jehovah’s glory. One way that we can learn to do this is by attending our meetings. Our meetings help us to make adjustments in our life and to improve our Christian qualities, just as a tailor would adjust our clothes and improve our appearance. (Hebrews 10:24, 25) That is why we should arrive at meetings on time. If we have the habit of arriving late at the meetings, we will not benefit from all the help we could get from them.

LET US IMITATE GOD

12. How can we imitate God?

¹² We can reflect Jehovah’s glory only if we “become imitators of God.” (Ephesians 5:1) One way to imitate Jehovah is to learn to think as he does. When we try to do things our own way and not according to God’s thinking, we dishonor him and cause trouble for ourselves. Since we live in Satan’s world, we must work hard to hate what Jehovah hates and to love what Jehovah loves. (Psalm 97:10; 1 John 5:19) There should be no doubt in our heart that the only right way to serve God is to do all things for his glory.​—Read 1 Corinthians 10:31.

13. Why must we hate sin? What will we do if we hate sin?

¹³ We should hate sin because Jehovah hates it. If we hate sin, we will stay as far away as possible from anything that could make us sin. For example, we must stay away from apostasy. Those who become apostates no longer glorify God. (Deuteronomy 13:6-9) So we should completely avoid apostates or anyone who says that he is a brother but who is dishonoring God. We should avoid them even if they are family members. (1 Corinthians 5:11) We gain no benefit in trying to prove that apostates and others who criticize Jehovah’s organization are wrong. In fact, we should not even want to know what they say, whether it is in their literature or on the Internet, because this could damage our relationship with Jehovah.​—Read Isaiah 5:20; Matthew 7:6.

14. What is one of the most important ways to imitate Jehovah? Why?

¹⁴ One of the most important ways to imitate Jehovah is to show love. (1 John 4:16-19) In fact, the love we have among ourselves proves that we are disciples of Jesus and servants of Jehovah. (John 13:34, 35) Because we are imperfect, sometimes it may be hard to show love. But we must try to be loving at all times. Our efforts to show love and other Christian qualities will help us to avoid sinning and doing unkind things.​—2 Peter 1:5-7.

15. If we love others, how will we treat them?

¹⁵ Love makes us want to do good things for other people. (Romans 13:8-10) For example, if a husband and a wife love each other, they will always be faithful to each other. If we love the elders and respect their work, we will be obedient and submissive to them. Children who love their parents obey and respect them and do not say bad things about them. If we love others, we will not think that they are less important than we are or speak to them without respect. (James 3:9) And elders who love God’s sheep treat them with tenderness.​—Acts 20:28, 29.

16. How does love help us in our ministry?

¹⁶ Love should also be evident in our ministry. Because of our great love for Jehovah, we will not be discouraged when people do not listen to us or are not interested. Instead, we will keep on preaching the good news. We will prepare well for the ministry and try to become good teachers of God’s Word. If we truly love God and people, we will not preach just because we have to. We will think of the preaching work as a great honor, and we will do it with joy.​—Matthew 10:7.

KEEP ON GLORIFYING JEHOVAH

17. Because we understand that sin prevents us from reflecting God’s glory, what do we need to do?

¹⁷ Most people in the world do not realize how serious sin is. But we do. For this reason, we know that we need to fight against our tendency to sin. We know that we need to train our conscience so that it will help us to do what is right as soon as we start to desire something that is wrong. (Romans 7:22, 23) As humans we are weak, but God can give us the strength to do what is right in any situation.​—2 Corinthians 12:10.

18, 19. (a) What helps us to win the fight against Satan and his demons? (b) What should we strongly desire to do?

¹⁸ Because we want to glorify Jehovah, we must fight against Satan and his demons. We can win our fight against them with the help of the “suit of armor from God.” (Ephesians 6:11-13) Satan does everything he can to take away from Jehovah the glory that Jehovah alone should receive. Satan also tries hard to destroy our friendship with God. That is why it is a great defeat for Satan when we and millions of other imperfect men, women, and children remain faithful and glorify God. So let us continue to praise Jehovah, like the heavenly creatures who say: “You are worthy, Jehovah, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”​—Revelation 4:11.

¹⁹ Let us always have a strong desire to keep on glorifying Jehovah. He is very happy when he sees so many of his servants doing their best to imitate him and reflect his glory. (Proverbs 27:11) We should feel like David, who praised Jehovah with all his heart and sang: “I will glorify your name to time indefinite.” (Psalm 86:12) Obedient humans will be able to reflect the glory of Jehovah perfectly and praise him forever. It will be wonderful to live at that time. Are you reflecting the glory of Jehovah God now, with the hope of doing so for all eternity?

SOME EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

To reflect the glory of Jehovah: To imitate Jehovah’s qualities and glorify him

To glorify Jehovah: To honor Jehovah with our conduct and our ministry so that others may praise him even more

Apostates: People who rebel against true worship and abandon it

[Blurb on page 22]

It is a great honor that God thinks we can reflect his glory even though we are sinful

[Blurb on page 24]

Jehovah sees not only our progress but also our efforts to glorify him, and he blesses them

[Blurb on page 26]

If we hate sin, we will stay as far away as possible from anything that could make us sin

[Pictures on page 25]

Are you reflecting Jehovah’s glory in these ways?

Life Story

I Was Drawn to Wise Older Ones

As told by Elva Gjerde

About 70 years ago, a visitor came to our house and said something to my father that completely changed my life. Since that important day, many other people have helped me in my life. And I have a friendship that is more precious to me than any other. Let me tell you my story.

I WAS born in Sydney, Australia, in 1932. My parents believed in God but did not go to church. My mother taught me that God was always watching me so that he could punish me if I did something wrong. This made me afraid of God. But I was still very interested in the Bible. When my aunt visited us on the weekends, she told me many interesting Bible stories. I always loved her visits.

When I was a teenager, my father read a set of books that an elderly lady had given to my mother. The elderly lady was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. My father liked what he read so much that he agreed to study the Bible with the Witnesses. While he was having his Bible study one evening, my father saw that I was secretly listening to what they were saying. He was going to send me back to bed, but the visitor asked my father if I could sit with them during the study. Because of that, my life started to change and my friendship with the true God, Jehovah, began.

Soon after that, my father and I began to attend Christian meetings. Because of what he learned, he made changes in his life. He even began to control his anger. This caused my mother and my older brother, Frank, to start attending meetings with us.a (See footnote.) All four of us continued to make changes in our lives, and we were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since that day, I have become friends with many older ones who have helped me at different times in my life.

WHAT CAREER WOULD I CHOOSE?

As a teenager, I became close to the older ones in our congregation. One of them was Alice Place, the elderly sister who first preached to our family. She became like a grandmother to me. Alice taught me how to preach to others and encouraged me to get baptized. So at the age of 15, I was baptized.

I also had a close friendship with an elderly couple named Percy and Madge Dunham. The help that they gave me had a great effect on my future. I loved mathematics, and I really wanted to be a mathematics teacher. Percy and Madge were missionaries in Latvia before the start of the second world war. But when the war started, they were invited to serve at Bethel in Sydney, Australia. Percy and Madge showed that they were interested in me, and they told me many exciting experiences from their missionary work. I could clearly understand that I would be much happier teaching the Bible than I would be teaching mathematics. So I decided to become a missionary.

The Dunhams encouraged me to pioneer so that I would be prepared for missionary service. Accordingly, in 1948, when I was 16, I became a pioneer and joined ten young pioneers in my congregation who were happily preaching in Hurstville, Sydney.

During the next four years, I pioneered in four other towns in New South Wales and Queensland. One of my first Bible students was Betty Law (now named Betty Remnant). Betty was two years older than I and was a loving person. Later, we pioneered together in the town of Cowra, about 230 kilometers (145 miles) west of Sydney. Although we worked together for only a short time, Betty and I are still friends.

I became a special pioneer and was sent to the town of Narrandera, 220 kilometers (137 miles) southwest of Cowra. My next pioneer partner was Joy Lennox (now named Joy Hunter). She also was two years older than I and was zealous in the ministry. We were the only Witnesses in the town. Joy and I lived in the home of a hospitable couple named Ray and Esther Irons. They had a son and three daughters, and the whole family was interested in the truth. Ray and his son worked on a sheep and wheat farm during the week, while Esther and her daughters managed a local boarding house, where guests would rent rooms and pay for meals. Every Sunday, Joy and I cooked a huge roast meal for the Irons family and about 12 men who stayed at the boarding house. They were railway workers and were really hungry! Cooking these meals paid for part of our rent. After the meal, we would clean up and then study The Watchtower with the Irons family. Ray, Esther, and their four children came into the truth and were the first members of the Narrandera Congregation.

In 1951, I attended the convention in Sydney and went to a special meeting for pioneers who were interested in missionary work. This meeting was held in a large tent, and more than 300 attended. Nathan Knorr from Brooklyn Bethel spoke to us, and we were extremely interested in everything he had to say. He made it very clear that the good news needed to be preached in every part of the earth. Many pioneers who were at that meeting later began the preaching work in the South Pacific and other areas. I was so excited to be 1 of the 17 Australians who were invited to the 19th class of Gilead School in 1952. I was only 20 years old, and my dream of becoming a missionary was coming true!

MORE CHANGES WERE NEEDED

Gilead School increased my Bible knowledge and strengthened my faith. It also had a deep effect on my personality. I was still young and unrealistic. I wanted everything I did to be perfect, and I also expected others to be perfect. Sometimes I was too strict. There were some things that I thought were wrong, but they were not wrong. For example, I was shocked when I saw Brother Knorr playing ball with a group of young Bethelites.

The wise Gilead instructors must have seen that I was having a difficult time. They were kind and helped me to change my thinking. Slowly, I began to understand that Jehovah is a loving God who appreciates what we do. He is not strict and harsh. Some of my classmates also helped me. I remember one of them saying to me that Jehovah is not using a whip to try to control us and that I should not be so strict with myself! Her honest words really affected my heart.

After we finished Gilead School, five of us were assigned to Namibia, Africa. Soon we had 80 Bible studies. I loved Namibia and missionary life, but I had fallen in love with a Gilead classmate who was assigned to Switzerland. After a year in Namibia, I moved to Switzerland. We got married, and I traveled with my husband in his work as a circuit overseer.

A TERRIBLE DISAPPOINTMENT

We enjoyed five years in the circuit work and were then invited to serve at Switzerland Bethel. I was excited to be part of the Bethel family and to be with many older brothers and sisters who had so much experience in the truth.

Soon after I went to Bethel, something terrible happened to me. I learned that my husband had been unfaithful to me and to Jehovah. When he left me, I was shocked and upset. I do not know what I would have done without the love and support of my dear older friends in the Bethel family. They listened to me when I needed to talk and let me rest when I needed to rest. Their words comforted me, and their kindness helped me to endure the great pain. My relationship with Jehovah grew stronger.

I also remembered what friends had said many years earlier. These wise older ones allowed the trials they had experienced to train them. Madge Dunham once told me that I would experience many trials in my service to Jehovah but that the most difficult tests might come from people I had a close relationship with. During those trials, I should trust in Jehovah and remember that I was serving him and not imperfect humans. What Madge said helped me to endure many difficult tests. I was determined never to allow my husband’s mistakes to separate me from Jehovah.

Later, I decided to return to Australia to pioneer closer to where my family lived. During the long journey home, I had interesting Bible discussions with a group of passengers on the ship. In the group was a quiet Norwegian man named Arne Gjerde, who liked what he heard. Arne later visited my family and me in Sydney. He quickly accepted the things he learned and was baptized. In 1963, Arne and I were married, and two years later I gave birth to our son, Gary.

ANOTHER TRIAL TO ENDURE

Arne, Gary, and I enjoyed a very happy family life. Soon, Arne added rooms to our home so that my elderly parents could live with us. But after we had been married for six years, Arne was told he had brain cancer. We were shocked at this news and felt like we had been hit with a heavy blow. Arne was in the hospital for a long time while he had radiation treatment. I visited him every day. It seemed as if he was getting better, but then his condition got worse and he had a stroke. I was told that he would live only a few more weeks. But Arne lived longer and was able to return home. I cared for his needs, and his health improved. After some time, he was able to walk again, and soon he was well enough to do the work of a congregation elder. He was a happy person and had a good sense of humor. This also helped him to get better and made it easier for me to care for him.

Many years later, in 1986, Arne got very sick again. My parents had died by then, and we moved away from Sydney to the beautiful Blue Mountains, where we lived closer to our friends. Gary later married a lovely sister named Karin, and they suggested that the four of us share a house. So we all moved into a house only a few streets away from where Arne and I had been living.

During the last 18 months of his life, Arne was not able to get out of bed and needed to be cared for constantly. Since I needed to be in the house for most of that time, I used two hours each day to study the Bible and our publications. I learned many things that helped me to endure my situation. I enjoyed the loving visits of older ones from the congregation. Some of them had endured similar trials, and their visits really encouraged me! Arne died in April 2003, and he never doubted that there would be a resurrection.

MY GREATEST HELP

When I was young, I was unrealistic and wanted everything to be perfect. However, I learned that life is almost never what we expect it to be. I have had many blessings but have also endured two very painful trials. I lost my first husband because he was unfaithful to me and to Jehovah. And I lost my second husband because he became sick and died. Through all my trials, I have been guided and comforted in different ways. But my greatest help still comes from Jehovah God, “the Ancient of Days.” (Daniel 7:9) His counsel has changed my personality, and because of this I had many joyful experiences in the missionary work. When I had problems, Jehovah’s love and kindness helped me to endure and comforted me. (Psalms 94:18, 19) My family and friends have loved and supported me. They have been very good to me during these times of distress. (Proverbs 17:17) Many of them were wise older ones.

The faithful man Job asked: “Is there not wisdom among the aged and understanding in length of days?” (Job 12:12) When I think about my life, I can say that the answer is yes. The advice of wise older ones has helped me, their comfort has supported me, and their friendships have made my life better. I am grateful that I could be their friend.

I am 80 years old now. Because of my experiences, the needs of other elderly ones are very important to me. I still love to visit them and to help them. But I also enjoy being with young people. I love their energy, and their enthusiasm encourages me. When young ones ask me for guidance or support, I really enjoy helping them.

[Footnote]

[Picture on page 29]

Elva with members of the Switzerland Bethel family in 1960

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Caring for Arne when he was sick

“Watch Out for the Leaven of the Pharisees”

Jesus warned his disciples: “Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” (Luke 12:1) This warning was also written by Matthew, and he helps us to understand that Jesus was talking about the bad teachings of the Pharisees.​—Matthew 16:12.

The Bible sometimes uses “leaven,” or yeast, to refer to something that makes a person become bad. Because they believed the dangerous teachings of the Pharisees and imitated their wrong thinking, many people did what was bad. Why were the Pharisees’ teachings dangerous?

1 The Pharisees were proud and believed that they were better and more righteous than other people.

Jesus spoke about this bad attitude in one of his parables. He said: “The Pharisee stood and began to pray these things to himself, ‘O God, I thank you I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give the tenth of all things I acquire.’ But the tax collector standing at a distance was not willing even to raise his eyes heavenward, but kept beating his breast, saying, ‘O God, be gracious to me a sinner.’”​—Luke 18:11-13.

Jesus praised the humility of the tax collector and said that this man was more righteous than the Pharisee. Why? “Because everyone that exalts himself will be humiliated, but he that humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14) Many people thought that all tax collectors were dishonest, but Jesus wanted to help the tax collectors who liked what he taught. We know of two of them who became his disciples, Matthew and Zacchaeus.

Perhaps we were born with some abilities that others do not have, or we may have been given responsibilities in Jehovah’s organization. Or maybe we notice the weaknesses of other people. What should we do if we start to think that we are better than they are? We should quickly stop thinking like this. The Bible says that people who love others are patient, kind, and not jealous. They do not boast and are not proud. They are not selfish and are not happy when others sin.​—1 Corinthians 13:4-6.

The apostle Paul said: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Then he continued: “Of these I am foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15) We should think the way Paul did.

Questions to think about:

Do I understand that I am a sinner and that I can be saved only because Jehovah has shown me great kindness? Or do I think that I am better than others because I have been serving Jehovah for many years, because I have responsibilities in God’s organization, or because I have some abilities that others do not have?

2 The Pharisees did good things so that others could see them and think they were righteous. They wanted to be important, and they liked to have special titles.

But Jesus said about them: “All the works they do they do to be viewed by men; for they broaden the scripture-containing cases that they wear as safeguards, and enlarge the fringes of their garments. They like the most prominent place at evening meals and the front seats in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi by men.” (Matthew 23:5-7) The way Jesus thought was completely different from the way the Pharisees thought. He was humble even though he was the Son of God and was perfect. When one man called him “good,” Jesus said: “Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God.” (Mark 10:18) At another time, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples so that they could learn that they should always be humble.​—John 13:1-15.

All true Christians should serve their brothers and sisters. (Galatians 5:13) This is especially true of those who want to become overseers in the congregation. It is good if a brother is working to become an overseer. But the reason why he wants to become an overseer should be to help others. An overseer is not more important than other people, and he does not rule over them. He needs to be like Jesus, “lowly in heart.”​—Matthew 11:29; 1 Timothy 3:1, 6.

Questions to think about:

Do I treat brothers with responsibilities in the congregation better than I treat others because I hope that I will get more privileges? In my worship, do I prefer to do the things that will make other people notice me and praise me? Am I always trying to be better than others?

3 The rules and traditions of the Pharisees made life hard for the common people.

Jehovah gave his Law to the Israelites to show them how to worship him. But he did not tell them every little thing they needed to do to obey that Law. For example, the Law said that the Israelites could not work on the Sabbath. But it did not give a list of things they should do or should not do on that day. (Exodus 20:10) The Pharisees added their own rules and traditions because they thought that Jehovah’s Law did not give enough information. Jesus obeyed God’s Law, but he did not obey the strict rules that the Pharisees added. (Matthew 5:17, 18; 23:23) He understood the reasons for God’s laws, and he knew that God wanted people to show mercy and compassion. Jesus was kind, even when his disciples disappointed him. For example, on the night he was arrested, Jesus asked three of his apostles to stay awake. But they kept falling asleep. Even though they did this, Jesus was kind to them and said: “The spirit, of course, is eager, but the flesh is weak.”​—Mark 14:34-42.

Questions to think about:

Do I make strict rules and try to make other people obey them? Do I always want others to do what I think is right? Do I expect more from others than what they can do?

Jesus’ teachings were very different from the teachings of the Pharisees. Can you think of anything you could do to be more like Jesus? Whatever it is, try your best to do it.

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Christian elders are not like the proud Pharisees, but they are humble and serve others