1, 2. What bad things have happened to many people? What does each one of us want?

WE LIVE in difficult times. The earth has been affected by one disaster after another. People have suffered terribly because of earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, floods, volcanoes, tornadoes, typhoons, and hurricanes. Also, problems in the family and personal problems have made many sad and afraid. Just as the Bible shows, bad things can happen to any of us at any time.​—Ecclesiastes 9:11.

² God’s people have continued to serve him joyfully in these difficult situations. But each one of us wants to be ready to endure any difficulties that may come as the end of this system gets closer. How can we continue to serve God joyfully when bad things happen to us? What will help us get the courage we need?

LEARN FROM THOSE WHO SHOWED COURAGE

3. According to Romans 15:4, what can comfort us when we have serious problems?

³ Even though problems affect more people now than ever before, there have always been problems. Let us see what we can learn from some of God’s servants in the past who showed courage in difficult situations.​—Romans 15:4.

4. What are some of the things David had to endure? What helped him?

⁴ Think about some of the things David had to endure. King Saul wanted to kill him. Enemies fought against him and once even took away his wives. Some among his army and some of his own family and friends betrayed him. And at times, he felt depressed. (1 Samuel 18:8, 9; 30:1-5; 2 Samuel 17:1-3; 24:15, 17; Psalm 38:4-8) The Bible shows how much David suffered because of these problems. But these bad things did not weaken his faith in Jehovah. In fact, he said: “Jehovah is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be in dread?”​—Psalm 27:1; read Psalm 27:5, 10.

5. What helped Abraham and Sarah to stay happy, even though they had a hard life?

⁵ Abraham and Sarah lived in tents most of their life. They were strangers in places they did not know much about. Life was not always easy for them. For example, they suffered because of a famine and because of dangers from nations around them. But they were courageous and endured all of this. (Genesis 12:10; 14:14-16) What helped them endure? God’s Word tells us that Abraham “was awaiting the city having real foundations, the builder and maker of which city is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10) Abraham and Sarah did not allow a hard life to make them unhappy. Instead, they always remembered what God had promised them.

6. How can we imitate Job?

⁶ Job was a man who suffered terribly. Imagine how he felt when everything in his life seemed to go wrong. (Job 3:3, 11) Also, he did not completely understand why all those things were happening to him. But even in this situation, he never gave up. He kept his integrity and his faith in God. (Read Job 27:5.) What a fine example for us to imitate!

7. What are some of the things that Paul suffered in his service to God? What gave him the courage to continue?

⁷ Think, too, of the apostle Paul’s example. He wrote that he had been in dangerous situations in the city, in the wilderness, and at sea. He spoke of “hunger and thirst” and of “cold and nakedness.” Paul also mentioned that a few times he had been on ships that sank and, as a result, one time he spent a night and a day floating in the sea. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27) Even when his life was in danger, he kept a good attitude. One time after he had almost been killed, he said: “This was that we might have our trust, not in ourselves, but in the God who raises up the dead. From such a great thing as death he did rescue us and will rescue us.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-10) Not many people have been in as many dangerous situations as Paul was. But many of us have at times felt the same way that he did. So his example of courage can comfort us.

DO NOT GIVE UP BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS

8. How might today’s problems affect us? Give an example.

⁸ Today’s world is so full of disasters and other stressful situations that many feel that their problems are just too big or there are too many of them. Even some of God’s servants have felt that way. Lania (see footnote) was happily pioneering with her husband in Australia when she found out that she had breast cancer. This was very shocking news. She said that the treatments made her very ill, and she felt worthless. At the same time, she had to care for her husband after he had surgery on his spine. If we are ever in a situation like that, what can we do?

9, 10. (a) What must we not allow Satan to do? (b) What attitude can help us endure the “many tribulations” mentioned at Acts 14:22?

⁹ When bad things happen to us, we should remember that Satan tries to use these things to weaken our faith and take away our joy. But we must not allow him to do that. Proverbs 24:10 says that if we get discouraged, we will not have the energy to endure our problems. If we meditate on examples from the Bible, such as those we talked about earlier, we can get the courage we need when we have problems.

¹⁰ It is also good to remember that we cannot remove all problems. In fact, we can expect them. (2 Timothy 3:12) Acts 14:22 tells us: “We must enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations.” Instead of allowing problems to discourage you, think of them as opportunities to show your faith in God’s ability to help you.

11. If we do not want bad things in our life to discourage us, what can we do?

¹¹ We need to keep thinking about the good things in our life. God’s Word tells us that “a joyful heart has a good effect” on us, but “the pain of the heart” can make us feel sad. (Proverbs 15:13) Doctors know that one thing that can help a sick person get better is if he thinks that he will get better. Many times, if a person takes pills that are not real medicine but he believes that the pills will help him, he will feel better. But if a sick person thinks that the pills he is taking are causing him to have health problems, he will feel worse. This example shows that if we are always thinking about things we cannot change in our life, we will get discouraged. We are thankful that Jehovah gives us real help. Even in times of disaster, he will give us encouragement from his Word, the support of our brothers and sisters, and strength through his holy spirit. These are the things that we should keep thinking about and that will make us feel happier. Instead of thinking about what is bad in your life, do what you can to endure each problem and think mainly of the good things you have.​—Proverbs 17:22.

12, 13. (a) What has helped God’s servants to endure the effects of disasters? Give an example. (b) How can disasters make us realize what the most important thing in life is?

¹² In recent times, serious disasters have happened in some countries. We can learn from how our brothers endured in those situations, even though it was not easy for them to do so. In early 2010, a powerful earthquake and tsunami in Chile destroyed many of our brothers’ homes and possessions. Some lost their job. But even in this situation, the brothers stayed active in Jehovah’s service. Samuel, whose home was completely destroyed, said: “Even during these extreme circumstances, my wife and I never stopped attending meetings and preaching. I believe that these habits helped us not to become desperate.” They and many other brothers and sisters did not allow the disaster to discourage them but continued serving Jehovah zealously.

¹³ In September 2009, heavy rains flooded most of the city of Manila, in the Philippines. A rich man who lost many things said that the flood affected everyone and caused “difficulties and sufferings to both the rich and the poor.” This reminds us of Jesus’ wise advice: “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20) Money and things can quickly disappear, so people who put them first in their life are often disappointed. It is much wiser to put Jehovah first in our life because we can continue to be Jehovah’s friends no matter what happens around us.​—Read Hebrews 13:5, 6.

REASONS WE HAVE TO SHOW COURAGE

14. What reasons do we have to show courage?

¹⁴ Jesus told his disciples that there would be problems during the time of his presence, but he said: “Do not be terrified.” (Luke 21:9) We have excellent reasons to show courage because our King Jesus Christ and Jehovah, the Creator of the universe, are helping us. Paul encouraged Timothy by saying: “God gave us not a spirit of cowardice, but that of power and of love and of soundness of mind.”​—2 Timothy 1:7.

15. What have some of God’s servants said about their trust in him? How can we have similar courage?

¹⁵ The Bible tells us what some of God’s servants have said about their trust in him. For example, David said: “Jehovah is my strength and my shield. In him my heart has trusted, and I have been helped, so that my heart exults.” (Psalm 28:7) Paul said: “In all these things we are coming off completely victorious through him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37) When Jesus knew that he would soon be arrested and killed, he said something that clearly showed that he had a strong relationship with God. He told his apostles: “I am not alone, because the Father is with me.” (John 16:32) What do these servants of God show by their words? That they all trusted in Jehovah completely. If we learn to trust in God in the same way, we can have the courage we need in any difficult situation.​—Read Psalm 46:1-3.

BENEFIT FROM THE HELP GOD GIVES YOU

16. Why is it important for us to study God’s Word?

¹⁶ The courage we need comes, not from trusting in ourselves, but from trusting in God. We can have courage if we study his Word, the Bible, regularly. When we do this, we get to know God and we learn to trust in him. A sister who suffers from depression explains that when she reads comforting verses in the Bible over and over again, she feels better. Do we have our family worship each week, as the faithful and discreet slave class has directed us? Our study of God’s Word can help us to have the attitude of the psalmist who said: “How I do love your law! All day long it is my concern.”​—Psalm 119:97.

17. (a) What is another way Jehovah helps us to have courage? (b) How has a life story in our publications helped you?

¹⁷ Another way Jehovah helps us to have courage is through publications that teach us about his Word and help us to trust in him more. For example, the life stories in our magazines have helped many. One sister in Asia who suffers from a kind of depression called bipolar mood disorder was encouraged by a life story she read. It was about a brother who used to be a missionary and who had the same illness. Even so, the brother continued serving God faithfully. She wrote about this life story, “It helped me to understand my own problem and gave me hope.”

18. Why should we pray as often as possible?

¹⁸ Jehovah also helps us through prayer. Prayer can help us in any situation. The apostle Paul emphasized how important prayer is when he said: “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6, 7) Do we pray as often as possible for help to endure difficult situations? Alex, a brother in Britain who has been suffering from depression for a long time, says that what helps him the most is “talking to Jehovah in prayer and listening to him by reading his Word.”

19. How important is it to attend Christian meetings?

¹⁹ Meetings are another way Jehovah helps us. A psalmist wrote that he longed to be in Jehovah’s temple. (Psalm 84:2) Do we feel the same? Lani, mentioned earlier, explains that it is very important for her to attend all the meetings and to be with the brothers and sisters. She says, “I knew that I had to be there if I expected Jehovah to help me.”

20. How does being busy in the preaching work help us?

²⁰ We also get courage by being busy in the preaching work. (1 Timothy 4:16) A sister in Australia who has had many problems in her life says: “Preaching was the last thing I wanted to do, but an elder invited me to go with him. I went. Jehovah must have been helping; each time I shared in the ministry, I felt so happy.” (Proverbs 16:20) Many have found that by helping others to have faith in Jehovah, they strengthen their own faith. When they are helping others, they are able to stop thinking about their own problems and to keep thinking about “the more important things.”​—Philippians 1:10, 11.

21. What can we be sure of even when we have problems?

²¹ Jehovah has given us many things that can help us endure our problems. If we allow him to help us, we can be happy even when we have problems. Also, we can learn to be courageous by meditating on the excellent examples of servants of God and by imitating them. Although we may have more problems as the end of this system gets closer, we can feel like Paul, who said: “We are thrown down, but not destroyed” and, “We do not give up.” (2 Corinthians 4:9, 16) With Jehovah’s help, we can have the courage needed to endure our problems.​—Read 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18.

1. In his letters, what did Paul say many times to the congregations?

IN HIS letters to Christians in the first century, the apostle Paul said many times that he hoped that God and Christ would approve of the spirit that the congregations showed. For example, he wrote to the Galatians: “The undeserved kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit you show, brothers. Amen.” (Galatians 6:18) What did he mean by “the spirit you show”?

2, 3. (a) When Paul used the word “spirit,” what did he mean at times? (b) What questions might we ask ourselves about our attitude?

² Paul used the word “spirit” here to refer to our attitude, or way of thinking. It is what makes us say or do things a certain way. One person might have an attitude that makes him gentle, caring, kind, generous, or forgiving. The Bible says that it is good to have “the quiet and mild spirit” and to be “cool of spirit,” that is, to control our feelings. (1 Peter 3:4; Proverbs 17:27) Another person might have an attitude that makes him say things that offend others or makes him give too much importance to money. He might be easily offended or might not like anyone telling him what to do. Others have an attitude that even makes them think immoral thoughts or makes them rebel against God.

³ So when Paul used expressions such as “the Lord be with the spirit you show,” he was encouraging his brothers to imitate Christ and to have an attitude that pleased God. (2 Timothy 4:22; read Colossians 3:9-12.) Today, it is good to ask ourselves: ‘What kind of attitude do I show? How can I improve my attitude so that it pleases God? How can I encourage others in the congregation to have an attitude that pleases God?’ For example, in a field of sunflowers, the bright color of each sunflower helps make the whole field beautiful. Are we like one of those flowers? Are we helping to make the whole congregation beautiful? We should certainly make an effort to do so. Let us now see how we can show an attitude that pleases God.

AVOID “THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD”

4. What is “the spirit of the world”?

⁴ The Bible tells us: “We received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12) What is “the spirit of the world”? It is the same spirit as that mentioned at Ephesians 2:2, which says: “You at one time walked according to the system of things of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit that now operates in the sons of disobedience.” This “air,” or “spirit of the world,” is the way of thinking of people in the world. Like air, it is all around us. For example, many people today have the attitude, ‘No one is going to tell me what to do!’ or, ‘You must fight for your rights!’ They are “the sons of disobedience” of Satan’s world.

5. What bad attitude did some in Israel show?

⁵ People have had attitudes like these for a long time. In Moses’ time, Korah rebelled against those who had authority in Israel. He spoke especially against Aaron and his sons, who served as priests. Perhaps Korah noticed their imperfections. Or he may have thought that Moses had given them special responsibilities just because they were his relatives. Whatever Korah may have thought, it is obvious that he had stopped thinking the way Jehovah thinks. Korah showed disrespect for the men Jehovah had chosen when he said to them: “That is enough of you.” Then he asked: “Why, then, should you lift yourselves up above the congregation?” (Numbers 16:3) In a similar way, Dathan and Abiram complained against Moses and told him that he was trying to rule over them. When Moses asked to meet with them, they answered: “We are not going to come up!” (Numbers 16:12-14) Jehovah was clearly not pleased with their rebellious attitude, and he killed all the rebels.​—Numbers 16:28-35.

6. How did some men in the first century show a wrong attitude? What did they probably think?

⁶ Some men in the first century also began “disregarding lordship.” They showed disrespect for those who had authority in the congregation by speaking against them. (Jude 8) These men probably thought that they deserved more responsibilities. And they tried to influence others to show disrespect for those who had been given authority by God and who were doing their best to serve the congregation.​—Read 3 John 9, 10.

7. What attitude should we be careful not to have?

⁷ This kind of attitude should not exist in the congregation, so we all must be careful not to start thinking this way. The elders are not perfect, just as the older men were not perfect in Moses’ time and in the apostle John’s time. Elders may make mistakes that affect us personally. If that happens to any of us, we should not imitate the attitude of people in the world and say, “I deserve justice!” or, “Something needs to be done about this brother!” We have to remember that Jehovah can choose to ignore certain small mistakes the elders may make. Can we do the same? Some who commit serious sins do not like something about the elders who are assigned to help them. So they refuse to meet with those elders. They are like a patient who refuses to accept a treatment that would cure his illness because there is something about the doctor he does not like.

8. What scriptures can help us have the right attitude about the elders in the congregation?

⁸ We can avoid that kind of attitude if we remember that Jesus has “in his right hand seven stars.” The “stars” mean anointed elders, but what is said about them can also refer to all the elders in the congregations. Jesus can do whatever he wants with the “stars” in his hand. (Revelation 1:16, 20) As Head of the congregation, Jesus knows exactly what is happening among the elders. He has “eyes as a fiery flame” and sees everything. So if an elder needs correction, Jesus will make sure that he receives correction at the right time and in the right way. (Revelation 1:14) Until Jesus acts, we must show respect for the elders, who are in Jesus’ “right hand.” Paul wrote: “Be obedient to those who are taking the lead among you and be submissive, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will render an account; that they may do this with joy and not with sighing, for this would be damaging to you.”​—Hebrews 13:17.

9. (a) What attitude might a Christian show if he is corrected? (b) What is the best thing to do when we are corrected?

⁹ When the elders correct someone or take away his responsibilities, this person can show whether his attitude is good or bad. One young brother was kindly counseled by the elders because he was playing violent video games. Sadly, he did not accept the counsel, and since he was not doing what the Bible requires of ministerial servants, he could no longer serve as one. (Psalm 11:5; 1 Timothy 3:8-10) After that, the brother started telling others that he did not agree with the elders’ decision. He even wrote many letters to the branch office and said bad things about the elders. He also tried to influence others in the congregation to write to the branch office. But the truth is that if we make excuses for our wrong actions, we put the peace of the entire congregation in danger, and this does not help anybody. When we are corrected, it is so much better to think of this as an opportunity to learn what our weaknesses are and then quietly accept the correction.​—Read Lamentations 3:28, 29.

10. (a) What does James 3:16-18 teach us about the right attitude and the wrong attitude? (b) What is the result when we act according to the wisdom that God gives?

¹⁰ James 3:16-18 teaches us what is the right attitude and what is the wrong attitude for a person to show in the congregation. It says: “Where jealousy and contentiousness are, there disorder and every vile thing are. But the wisdom from above is first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical. Moreover, the fruit of righteousness has its seed sown under peaceful conditions for those who are making peace.” If we act according to the wisdom that God gives, we will imitate his qualities. In this way, we encourage one another to show the right attitude, and there will be peace in the congregation.

SHOW A RESPECTFUL ATTITUDE IN THE CONGREGATION

11. (a) If we have the right attitude, what will we not do? (b) What do we learn from David’s example?

¹¹ We should remember that it is Jehovah who wants the elders “to shepherd the congregation of God.” (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2) We should respect God’s way of doing things, whether we are elders or not. If we have the right attitude, we will not give too much importance to having authority or responsibility. When King Saul of Israel started to think that David might become king instead of him, Saul “was continually looking suspiciously at David.” (1 Samuel 18:9) The king had the wrong attitude and even wanted to kill David. Instead of being like Saul and worrying too much about authority, it is much better to be like David. Even though he suffered many injustices, David always showed respect for those who were given authority by God.​—Read 1 Samuel 26:23.

12. What can we do to help keep the unity of the congregation?

¹² Because we all have different opinions, at times we can irritate one another. This can happen even among the elders. The Bible’s counsel shows us what attitude we should have: “In showing honor to one another take the lead” and, “Do not become discreet in your own eyes.” (Romans 12:10, 16) This means that instead of insisting that we are right, we should accept that there is often more than one right way of thinking. If we do our best to understand the way others think, we can help to keep the unity of the congregation.​—Philippians 4:5.

13. What should we do after we give an opinion? What Bible example shows us what we should do?

¹³ Does this mean that it is wrong to give an opinion if we think that something in the congregation needs to be corrected? No. In the first century, there was something that many in the congregation did not agree on. The brothers “arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and older men in Jerusalem regarding this dispute.” (Acts 15:2) Surely, each of those brothers had an opinion about what was the right thing to do. But after each one said what he thought and a decision was made with the help of holy spirit, the brothers did not continue talking about their own opinions. After the congregations received the letter with the decision, “they rejoiced over the encouragement” and were “made firm in the faith.” (Acts 15:31; 16:4, 5) Today, too, after we speak to the elders about something that worries us, we should trust that they will think carefully about what we said and decide whether something needs to be done.

SHOW THE RIGHT ATTITUDE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

14. How can we show the right attitude in our relationships with others?

¹⁴ In our relationships with others, there are many opportunities for us to show the right attitude. For example, each of us can do much good if we are quick to forgive others when they offend us. God’s Word tells us: “Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave you, so do you also.” (Colossians 3:13) The expression “if anyone has a cause for complaint” shows that we may sometimes have good reasons to be irritated with others. We must not allow little things that we do not like about someone’s personality to irritate us. This could harm the peace of the congregation. Instead, we should try to imitate Jehovah by being willing to forgive our brothers and continue serving God with them.

15. (a) What can we learn about forgiveness from Job? (b) How can prayer help us to show the right attitude?

¹⁵ We can learn about forgiveness from Job. Three men who should have comforted him said many unkind things to him instead. Even so, Job forgave them. What helped him to do this? “He prayed in behalf of his companions.” (Job 16:2; 42:10) When we pray for others, we may start to feel differently about them. When we pray for all our brothers and sisters, it is easier to feel the way that Jesus feels about them. (John 13:34, 35) We should also pray to God for his holy spirit. (Luke 11:13) God’s spirit will help us to show Christian qualities in our relationships with others.​—Read Galatians 5:22, 23.

YOUR GOOD ATTITUDE BENEFITS THE WHOLE CONGREGATION

16, 17. What attitude do you want to show?

¹⁶ When each of us works hard to keep a good attitude, the whole congregation benefits. Perhaps this article has helped you to decide that you can improve your attitude and be more encouraging. If so, allow God’s Word to show you how you can make changes. (Hebrews 4:12) Paul, who wanted to be a good example to the congregations, said: “I am not conscious of anything against myself. Yet by this I am not proved righteous, but he that examines me is Jehovah.”​—1 Corinthians 4:4.

¹⁷ We can all encourage one another to keep a good attitude in the congregation. We can do this by imitating God’s qualities and not insisting on our own opinions or thinking we deserve more responsibilities. If we are quick to forgive others and think well of them, we will keep peace with our brothers and sisters. (Philippians 4:8) We can be sure that if we do these things, the spirit we show will please Jehovah and Jesus.​—Philemon 25.

1. How are the promises Jehovah makes different from the promises humans make?

JEHOVAH is “the God of truth.” (Psalm 31:5) Because humans are imperfect, we cannot always trust what they say. But “it is impossible for God to lie.” (Hebrews 6:18; read Numbers 23:19.) God always does what he promises to do for mankind. For example, God created everything on the earth during six periods of time called creative days. At the beginning of each creative day, he said what he would make. Then he did exactly what he promised to do. At the end of the sixth creative day, “God saw everything he had made and, look! it was very good.”​—Genesis 1:6, 7, 30, 31.

2. What is God’s rest day? Why did he make it sacred?

² After Jehovah God said that all his creations were very good, he announced the beginning of a seventh day. This is God’s rest day. It is, not a 24-hour day, but a long period of time during which he has rested from creating anything else on earth. (Genesis 2:2) God’s rest day has still not ended. (Hebrews 4:9, 10) The Bible does not tell us exactly when it started. But we know that it started sometime after Adam’s wife, Eve, was created about 6,000 years ago. The thousand years of Christ’s reign will soon begin, and during this time God will fulfill his purpose for the earth. God wants the earth to be a paradise where perfect humans can live forever. (Genesis 1:27, 28; Revelation 20:6) You can be sure that you can have that happy future! “God proceeded to bless the seventh day and make it sacred.” This was a promise that no matter what happened, God would make sure that his purpose would come true by the end of his rest day.​—Genesis 2:3.

3. (a) What happened after the start of God’s rest day? (b) How did Jehovah explain how he would solve this problem?

³ But after God’s rest day began, some of God’s creatures rebelled against him. Satan, who was an angel in heaven, tried to make others worship him instead of God. Satan told the first lie and tricked Eve so that she disobeyed Jehovah. (1 Timothy 2:14) After that, Eve got her husband to disobey Jehovah. (Genesis 3:1-6) This rebellion was the worst thing that had ever happened. But even though Satan was accusing Jehovah of being untruthful, Jehovah did not think that it was necessary to make an oath to prove that his purpose for the earth would come true. Instead, he made a promise that would not be understood until later. He simply said how he would solve this problem. He would put “enmity,” or hatred, between Satan and the woman and between Satan’s seed and her seed. The promised Seed would bruise Satan “in the head,” and Satan would “bruise him in the heel.”​—Genesis 3:15; Revelation 12:9.

OATHS ARE A LEGAL WAY TO SAY THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE

4, 5. What legal way of making a promise did Abraham use?

⁴ Up until that time, it had probably never been necessary to swear that something was true. Perfect creatures who love God and imitate him do not need to make an oath. They always tell the truth, and they can trust one another completely. But after the first couple sinned and became imperfect, lying eventually became common for humans. So it later became necessary for people to use oaths as a legal way to promise that an important statement was true.

⁵ Abraham used oaths at least three different times. (Genesis 21:22-24; 24:2-4, 9) For example, he used an oath when he returned from defeating the king of Elam and all the kings who fought along with him. The kings of Salem and Sodom came out to meet Abraham. Melchizedek, the king of Salem, was also “priest of the Most High God,” and he blessed Abraham and praised God for helping Abraham to defeat his enemies. (Genesis 14:17-20) Then, when the king of Sodom wanted to reward Abraham for saving the king’s people from the armies that were attacking them, Abraham swore: “I do lift up my hand in an oath to Jehovah the Most High God, Producer of heaven and earth, that, from a thread to a sandal lace, no, I shall take nothing from anything that is yours, in order that you may not say, ‘It was I who made Abram rich.’”​—Genesis 14:21-23.

JEHOVAH USED AN OATH TO MAKE A SPECIAL PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

6. (a) What example did Abraham set for us? (b) How will we benefit from what Abraham did?

⁶ Jehovah God too has used oaths so that sinful mankind can be confident in his promises. Jehovah makes oaths by using expressions like “‘As I am alive,’ is the utterance of the Sovereign Lord Jehovah.” (Ezekiel 17:16) The Bible tells us about more than 40 different times when Jehovah made oaths. A very well-known example is what God swore to Abraham. Jehovah made several covenants, or promises, throughout Abraham’s lifetime. From those covenants, Abraham learned that the promised Seed would come from his family through his son Isaac. (Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17; 15:5, 18; 21:12) Then Jehovah gave Abraham a very difficult test. He commanded Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Abraham immediately began to carry out that command. But just before he sacrificed Isaac, an angel stopped him. Then God made this oath: “‘By myself I do swear,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘that by reason of the fact that you have done this thing and you have not withheld your son, your only one, I shall surely bless you and I shall surely multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore; and your seed will take possession of the gate of his enemies. And by means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves due to the fact that you have listened to my voice.’”​—Genesis 22:1-3, 9-12, 15-18.

7, 8. (a) Why did God swear to Abraham? (b) How will Christ’s “other sheep” benefit from God’s promise and oath to Abraham?

⁷ Why did God swear to Abraham that His promises would come true? He made an oath because it would encourage and strengthen the faith of those who would become the secondary part of the promised “seed” and rule with Christ. (Read Hebrews 6:13-18; Galatians 3:29) As the apostle Paul explained, Jehovah “stepped in with an oath.” So there were two unchangeable things that would give the anointed “strong encouragement to lay hold on the hope” set before them. Those things were God’s promise and his oath, things in which it is “impossible for God to lie.”

⁸ The anointed are not the only ones who benefit from God’s oath to Abraham. Jehovah swore that by means of Abraham’s “seed,” people of “all nations of the earth” would bless themselves. (Genesis 22:18) Those people from “all nations” include Christ’s obedient “other sheep,” who have the hope of everlasting life in Paradise on earth. (John 10:16) Whether you are one of the anointed or one of the other sheep, “lay hold” on your hope. That means you should work hard to receive what you hope for by continuing to obey God in all you do.​—Read Hebrews 6:11, 12.

GOD MADE OTHER OATHS ABOUT HIS PROMISE TO ABRAHAM

9. What did God swear when Abraham’s descendants were slaves in Egypt?

⁹ Hundreds of years after Abraham’s time, Jehovah again swore to fulfill the promises he had made to Abraham. This happened when he sent Moses to speak to Abraham’s descendants, who had become slaves in Egypt. (Exodus 6:6-8) God later explained that he was making an oath at that time. He said: “I lifted up my hand in an oath to them to bring them forth from the land of Egypt to a land that I had spied out for them, one flowing with milk and honey.”​—Ezekiel 20:5, 6.

10. What promise did God make to Israel after he brought them out of Egypt?

¹⁰ After Jehovah brought the nation of Israel out of Egypt, he made another promise to them: “If you will strictly obey my voice and will indeed keep my covenant, then you will certainly become my special property out of all other peoples, because the whole earth belongs to me. And you yourselves will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exodus 19:5, 6) This was a very special offer to the nation of Israel! It meant that if they obeyed Jehovah, he would one day make people from that nation a kingdom of priests who would bless the rest of mankind. Later, Jehovah explained that he had made an oath, or “a sworn statement,” when he made that promise.​—Ezekiel 16:8.

11. What did Israel do when God offered to make them his special nation?

¹¹ Jehovah did not force Israel to swear that they would be obedient. And he did not force them to accept his special offer. But they wanted to swear that they would be obedient. They said: “All that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do.” (Exodus 19:8) Three days later, Jehovah God told Israel what he wanted them to do as his chosen nation. First he gave them the Ten Commandments and then had Moses tell them other commands that are recorded from Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33. What did Israel say after they heard these commands? “All the people answered with one voice and said: ‘All the words that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do.’” (Exodus 24:3) Then Moses wrote down the laws in “the book of the covenant” and read them aloud so that the whole nation could hear them again. After that, for the third time, the people promised: “All that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do and be obedient.”​—Exodus 24:4, 7, 8.

12. What did Jehovah do after he made his promise to make Israel his special nation? What did the people do after they made their promise to God?

¹² Jehovah immediately began to do what he promised in his covenant with Israel. He selected priests who would serve at a special tent for worship. The priesthood would help imperfect humans have a relationship with him. But even though the Israelites were dedicated to God, they immediately disobeyed him. They did not do what they had promised and “pained even the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 78:41) For example, while Moses was on Mount Sinai and Jehovah was giving him more instructions, the Israelites became impatient and began to lose faith in God. They thought that Moses had left them. So they made a golden image of a calf and said to the people: “This is your God, O Israel, who led you up out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:1, 4) Then they started to bow down and sacrifice to the image they had made, but they said they were worshipping Jehovah. When Jehovah saw that they were worshipping the image, he said to Moses: “They have turned aside in a hurry from the way I have commanded them to go.” (Exodus 32:5, 6, 8) In the years that followed, Israel made many other vows to God, but they repeatedly did not do what they had vowed to do.​—Numbers 30:2.

TWO MORE OATHS

13. What oath did Jehovah make to David? How do we know that this oath was about the promised Seed?

¹³ When David was the king of Israel, Jehovah made two more oaths that would benefit all those who obey Him. First, he swore to David that his descendants would rule on his throne forever. (Psalm 89:35, 36; 132:11, 12) The promised Seed, or the Christ, would be one of David’s descendants and would be called “the Son of David.” (Matthew 1:1; 21:9) David humbly called the promised Seed his “Lord” because the Christ was superior to him.​—Matthew 22:42-44.

14. What oath did Jehovah make about the promised Seed? How do we benefit from this oath?

¹⁴ Second, Jehovah revealed to David that the promised Seed would be not only a King but also mankind’s High Priest. This was very special. According to the Law God gave to Israel, the priests had to be from the tribe of Levi and the kings had to be from the tribe of Judah. So at that time, no one could be both a king and a priest. But David foretold about the coming King: “The utterance of Jehovah to my Lord is: ‘Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet.’ Jehovah has sworn (and he will feel no regret): ‘You are a priest to time indefinite according to the manner of Melchizedek!’” (Psalm 110:1, 4) Just as David foretold, Jesus Christ, who is the promised Seed, now rules as King in heaven. He also serves as mankind’s High Priest, who helps repentant people to have a good relationship with God.​—Read Hebrews 7:21, 25, 26.

THE NEW ISRAEL OF GOD

15, 16. (a) What two Israels are mentioned in the Bible? Which Israel has God’s blessing today? (b) What command did Jesus give his followers about swearing, or making oaths?

¹⁵ Because the nation of Israel rejected Jesus Christ, Jehovah eventually rejected them, and they lost the opportunity to be “a kingdom of priests.” Jesus told Jewish religious leaders: “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits.” (Matthew 21:43) The new nation that Jesus mentioned was formed at Pentecost of the year 33. At that time, God poured out his spirit on about 120 disciples of Jesus who had gathered in Jerusalem. These became the new “nation,” which was called “the Israel of God.” Soon, several thousand people from other nations had also become part of the Israel of God.​—Galatians 6:16.

¹⁶ Unlike the original nation of Israel, which was disobedient, the new Israel of God continues to obey God. One of the commands that the Israel of God received was about making oaths. When Jesus was on earth, people made oaths about things that were not true and they made oaths about unimportant things. (Matthew 23:16-22) Jesus taught his followers not to make oaths at all. He said: “Just let your word Yes mean Yes, your No, No; for what is in excess of these is from the wicked one.”​—Matthew 5:34, 37.

17. What questions will be answered in the next study article?

¹⁷ Does this mean that it is always wrong to make an oath? More important, what does it mean to let our “Yes” mean Yes? We can find the answers in the next study article. As we continue to meditate on God’s Word, we should let this motivate us to obey Jehovah always. Then he will bless us forever, just as he has promised and sworn to do.

1. What did Jesus say about making oaths? Why?

USUALLY, it is not necessary for true Christians to make an oath, or to swear, as a guarantee that what they say is true. They obey what Jesus said: “Just let your word Yes mean Yes.” Our Master meant that a person should tell the truth and do what he says he will do. Jesus had just said: “Do not swear at all.” He said this because many people have a habit of making oaths without intending to do what they promised. What happens if a person swears to do something and then never does it? He may show that he cannot really be trusted and therefore is under the influence of “the wicked one.”​—Read Matthew 5:33-37.

2. Why is it not always wrong to make oaths?

² Jesus did not mean that it is wrong to make an oath. As we learned in the last article, Jehovah God and his righteous servant Abraham made oaths about important matters. Also, God’s Law required that a person make an oath in order to solve certain kinds of problems. (Exodus 22:10, 11; Numbers 5:21, 22) So it may be necessary for a Christian to swear to tell the truth when he has to speak in a court of law. Or there may be rare situations when a Christian feels it is necessary to swear that he intends to do something or to swear that he is telling the truth about a problem. Jesus spoke truthfully to the Jewish Sanhedrin when the high priest used an oath to insist that Jesus tell the truth. (Matthew 26:63, 64) Jesus did not need to swear that he was telling the truth because he always told the truth. But he would often say: “Most truly I say to you” or, “Truly, truly I say to you” to make it clear to others that they could trust what he was saying. (John 1:51; footnote; 13:16, 20, 21, 38) This article will show what else we can learn from the examples of Jesus, Paul, and others who said “Yes” and meant Yes.

JESUS LET HIS “YES” MEAN YES

3. What did Jesus promise in a prayer? How did his heavenly Father respond to Jesus’ prayer?

³ “I said, ‘Look! I am come (in the roll of the book it is written about me) to do your will, O God.’” (Hebrews 10:7) In this prayer, Jesus promised to do God’s will. That meant that he would do everything that was foretold about the promised Seed and even allow Satan to “bruise him in the heel.” (Genesis 3:15) No other human has ever offered to take on such a big responsibility. Jehovah responded to this prayer and said that he completely trusted his Son, even though he did not ask Jesus to swear to keep his promise.​—Luke 3:21, 22.

4. What was Jesus willing to do to make sure that his “Yes” meant Yes?

⁴ Jesus always let his “Yes” mean Yes. He never allowed anything to distract him from doing the work his Father had given him to do. He continued to preach the good news of God’s Kingdom and to make disciples of those whom God drew to Jesus. (John 6:44) The Bible confirms that Jesus kept his promise to do God’s will when it says: “No matter how many the promises of God are, they have become Yes by means of him [Jesus].” (2 Corinthians 1:20) Jesus is truly the best example of one who did exactly what he promised his Father. Next, we will discuss someone who worked hard to imitate Jesus.

PAUL LET HIS “YES” MEAN YES

5. Why is Paul a good example for us?

⁵ “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10) This is how Saul responded to the Lord Jesus when He appeared in a vision. He wanted Saul to stop persecuting Christians. As a result, Saul repented of what he was doing, got baptized, and accepted the special assignment to take the good news about Jesus to the nations. For the rest of his life on earth, Saul, who later became known as Paul, continued to call Jesus his “Lord” and obey him. (Acts 22:6-16; 2 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Timothy 4:8) Others who called Jesus their Lord did not let their “Yes” mean Yes. Jesus said of them: “Why, then, do you call me ‘Lord! Lord!’ but do not do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46) Jesus expects all who call him Lord to do what they say they will do, just as the apostle Paul did.

6, 7. (a) Why did Paul delay his visit to Corinth? Why was it wrong for some to say that he was not trustworthy? (b) What attitude should we have toward those who take the lead among us?

⁶ Paul zealously spread the Kingdom message throughout Asia Minor and into Europe. He established many congregations and then visited them again. Sometimes it was necessary for him to swear that something he wrote was true. (Galatians 1:20) Some in Corinth thought that Paul could not be trusted. Paul wanted them to know that he told the truth, so he said: “God can be relied upon that our speech addressed to you is not Yes and yet No.” (2 Corinthians 1:18) When he wrote that, Paul had left Ephesus and was traveling through Macedonia on his way to Corinth. Originally, he had planned to go back to Corinth before going into Macedonia. (2 Corinthians 1:15, 16) But sometimes there are reasons to change plans. For example, traveling overseers today may have to change the dates of their visits to congregations. They do not change their plans for unimportant, selfish reasons but because of an emergency. Paul had a good reason to delay his visit to Corinth. It was for the benefit of the congregation. How?

⁷ When Paul was in Ephesus, he heard that the congregation in Corinth was having problems. The brothers were not united, and they were allowing someone in the congregation to live an immoral life. (1 Corinthians 1:11; 5:1) In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote strong counsel to help them solve their problems. Then, instead of sailing directly from Ephesus to Corinth, Paul decided to give the brothers time to apply his counsel before he arrived. As a result, his visit would be more encouraging. In his second letter, Paul wrote that this truly was the reason for changing his plans. He said: “I call upon God as a witness against my own soul that it is to spare you that I have not yet come to Corinth.” (2 Corinthians 1:23) We should never be like those who criticized Paul. Rather, we should have deep respect for those who are appointed to take the lead among us. Paul really did what he promised to do. We should imitate Paul, just as he imitated Christ.​—1 Corinthians 11:1; Hebrews 13:7.

OTHERS WHO LET THEIR “YES” MEAN YES

8. Why is Rebekah a good example for us?

⁸ “I am willing to go.” (Genesis 24:58) Rebekah said this when her mother and her brother asked if she was willing to become the wife of Abraham’s son Isaac. She would have to leave home that day and travel with a stranger over 800 kilometers (500 miles). (Genesis 24:50-58) Rebekah let her “Yes” mean Yes. She became a good wife to Isaac and faithfully served God. This meant that for the rest of her life, she had to live in tents as a foreigner in the Promised Land. God rewarded her because she faithfully did what she said she would do. One of her descendants was the promised Seed, Jesus Christ.​—Hebrews 11:9, 13.

9. How did Ruth let her “No” mean No?

⁹ “No, but with you we shall return to your people.” (Ruth 1:10) The Moabite widows Ruth and Orpah kept saying this to their mother-in-law, Naomi. She was a widow returning from Moab to Bethlehem. Naomi kept begging them to go back to their homeland, and Orpah eventually did go back. But Ruth let her “No” mean No. (Read Ruth 1:16, 17.) She was loyal to Naomi and stayed with her, even though this meant that she would never see her family again and that she would have to give up the false religion of Moab. She worshipped Jehovah for the rest of her life, and he rewarded her. She was one of only five women whom the Bible writer Matthew mentioned in the list of ancestors of Christ.​—Matthew 1:1, 3, 5, 6, 16.

10. Why was Isaiah a good example for us?

¹⁰ “Here I am! Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) Before saying this, Isaiah saw a glorious vision of Jehovah sitting on His throne above Israel’s temple. During this vision, Isaiah heard Jehovah say: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Jehovah was asking for someone to go and give His message to His disobedient people. When Isaiah said: “Here I am! Send me,” it was as if he was saying, “Yes, I will go and do the work you give me.” Isaiah let his “Yes” mean Yes. He did exactly what he said he would do. For more than 46 years, he prophesied that God would punish His disobedient people and that He would later bring them back to the place where He wanted them to worship Him.

11. (a) Why is it so important to let our “Yes” mean Yes? (b) What examples are there of some who did not let their “Yes” mean Yes?

¹¹ Why did Jehovah want these examples to be included in the Bible? And how important is it to let our “Yes” mean Yes? The Bible clearly warns us that a person who is “false to agreements,” or who does not do what he promises to do, is “deserving of death.” (Romans 1:31, 32) Pharaoh of Egypt, King Zedekiah of Judah, and Ananias and Sapphira did not let their “Yes” mean Yes, and as a result, they all suffered. Their examples are a warning for us.​—Exodus 9:27, 28, 34, 35; Ezekiel 17:13-15, 19, 20; Acts 5:1-10.

12. What will help us to let our “Yes” mean Yes?

¹² Since we live “in the last days,” we are surrounded by people who are “disloyal,” people “having a form of godly devotion but proving false to its power.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) As much as possible, we must not associate with people like that. Instead, we should regularly associate with those who try always to let their “Yes” mean Yes.​—Hebrews 10:24, 25.

YOUR MOST IMPORTANT “YES”

13. What is the most important “Yes” spoken by a follower of Jesus Christ?

¹³ The most important promise that a person can make is his dedication to God. Those who want to be disciples of Jesus are asked three separate times if they really want to do what is required of them. (Matthew 16:24) When two elders interview a person who would like to become an unbaptized publisher, they ask the person, “Do you really want to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” Later, when the person has made more progress and wants to be baptized, the elders meet with him or her and ask, “Have you made your personal dedication to Jehovah in prayer?” Finally, on the day of baptism, the speaker asks those who will be baptized, “On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?” So in front of all those present at the baptism, these new ones say “Yes,” or promise to serve God forever.

14. What questions should we keep asking ourselves?

¹⁴ Whether you are newly baptized or have been serving God for many years, you need to keep asking yourself questions like these: ‘Do I imitate Jesus by continuing to let my “Yes” mean Yes and to keep my promise to Jehovah? Am I continuing to make preaching and the making of disciples the most important work in my life, as Jesus told us to do?’​—Read 2 Corinthians 13:5.

15. In what ways is it important to let our “Yes” mean Yes?

¹⁵ To keep the promise we made to God at our dedication, we must also be truthful in other important matters. For example: If you are married, you should keep the special promise you made to love and cherish your marriage mate. If you have signed a business contract or filled out an application form to volunteer to work with the congregation or the organization, then you should do what you have promised. Maybe you have accepted an invitation to have a meal at a certain time at the home of someone who has very little. You should keep your promise even if you get another invitation that you think is better. If you promised to make a return visit on someone you met in the house-to-house ministry, you should let your “Yes” mean Yes. Jehovah will bless your ministry.​—Read Luke 16:10.

JESUS, OUR HIGH PRIEST AND KING, WILL HELP US

16. If we have not kept a certain promise, what should we do?

¹⁶ The Bible states that as imperfect humans, “we all stumble many times,” or make many mistakes, especially in what we say. (James 3:2) What should we do if we realize that we have not kept a promise? In God’s Law to Israel, it was possible for a person who spoke “thoughtlessly with his lips” to receive mercy. (Leviticus 5:4-7, 11) It is also possible for Christians to be forgiven if they fail to do what they say they will do. If we confess to Jehovah that we did not keep a certain promise, he will show us mercy and forgive us. We have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who will help us to have God’s favor again. (1 John 2:1, 2) But to remain in God’s favor, we must show that we really are repentant. For example, we must not make a habit of breaking our promises. And we should do whatever we can to solve any problems that we caused when we broke our promise. (Proverbs 6:2, 3) Of course, it is much better to think carefully before we make a promise that we may not be able to keep.​—Read Ecclesiastes 5:2.

17, 18. What wonderful future will there be for all who work hard to let their “Yes” mean Yes?

¹⁷ There is a wonderful future for all worshippers of Jehovah who work hard to let their “Yes” mean Yes. The 144,000 anointed ones will have immortal life in heaven, where they will rule as kings with Jesus for the thousand years. (Revelation 20:6) There will be many millions more who will live in Paradise on earth. During the time when Christ rules as King of God’s Kingdom, they will be helped to have perfect health and perfect thinking.​—Revelation 21:3-5.

¹⁸ At the end of Jesus’ rule, there will be a final test. Only those who are faithful during that test will be allowed to remain in the Paradise, where they will always be able to trust what others say. (Revelation 20:7-10) All then living will let their “Yes” mean Yes and their “No” mean No. They will perfectly imitate our loving heavenly Father, Jehovah, who is “the God of truth.”​—Psalm 31:5.

SOME years ago, Rúbia, a sister who is now 30 years old, made a trip to visit Sandra, a pioneer who served in a small congregation in the south of Brazil. During the visit, something happened that impressed Rúbia so much that it changed her life. What was it? Let us find out.

SHE NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE

Sandra took Rúbia on a Bible study she had with a woman. During the study, the woman told Sandra that three girls at her workplace wanted to study the Bible. But the woman had told them that Sandra did not have time to study with anybody else for the rest of the year and that they would have to wait. Rúbia never thought it was possible that people would have to wait for their turn to have a Bible study! She says: “In my home congregation, I had a hard time finding even one study. At that very moment, in the home of that Bible student, I felt a deep desire to help the people in her small town. Soon thereafter I left the big city where I lived and moved to the town where Sandra was pioneering.”

What were the results for Rúbia? She explains: “Within two months after moving there, I was conducting 15 Bible studies.” And soon, like Sandra, Rúbia had a list of people waiting for a Bible study!

IT MADE HIM THINK ABOUT HIS MINISTRY

Diego, a brother who is now in his early 20’s, visited a couple of pioneers serving in Prudentópolis, a small town in the south of Brazil. This visit made him think about his own ministry. In his congregation, he was spending just a few hours each month in the preaching work. But when he visited those pioneers and listened to their experiences, it was clear that they had a lot more joy in their ministry than he had in his. Diego says: “When I saw how happy and excited they were, I wished that my life could be as meaningful as theirs.” After that visit, he began pioneering.

Are you a young Witness? Like Diego, do you go out in service and attend meetings but at the same time feel that your ministry is not very exciting? If so, can you make changes in your life so that you can have the joy of serving where the need is greater? It is natural for you to be afraid of giving up a comfortable life. But many young ones have chosen to do exactly that. They have had the courage to change their goals and desires so that they can do more in Jehovah’s service. Consider the example of Bruno.

MAESTRO OR MINISTER?

Some years ago, Bruno, who is now 28 years old, studied at a famous music school. He wanted to become a maestro, or an orchestra conductor. In fact, he did so well in his studies that he was invited many times to conduct a symphony orchestra. It seemed that he would be a very successful maestro. But Bruno says: “I felt that something was missing in my life. I had dedicated myself to Jehovah, but I knew that I wasn’t giving my all to him, and that bothered me. I told Jehovah in prayer about my feelings, and I also spoke to experienced brothers in the congregation.” After seriously thinking about his situation, Bruno decided to put his ministry first, left the music school, and moved to a place where there was a great need for preachers. What were the results of his decision?

Bruno moved to the town of Guapiara. This town is about 260 kilometers (160 miles) from the city of São Paulo and has about 7,000 people. It was a big change for him. He tells us: “I moved into a small house without a fridge, TV, or Internet connection. Still, the house came with some things I’d never had before​—a vegetable garden and an orchard!” Bruno served there in a small congregation. Once a week he packed his bag with food, water, and publications and went to preach in the countryside on his motorcycle. Many people in that area had never heard the good news before. Bruno says: “I conducted as many as 18 Bible studies. Seeing how these students made changes in their life gave me so much joy!” He adds: “At this point, I realized that I had found what had been missing in my life​—the feeling of deep satisfaction that comes from putting Kingdom interests first.” He knows that he would never have felt this joy if he had continued with his career in music. And what about work? How did Bruno support himself in Guapiara? He says with a smile: “By giving guitar lessons.” In a way, he was still a maestro.

“I SIMPLY HAD TO STAY”

Mariana, who is now in her late 20’s, was in a situation similar to Bruno’s. Even though she earned a lot of money as a lawyer, she did not feel truly satisfied. She says: “I felt as if I was ‘striving after wind.’” (Ecclesiastes 1:17) Many brothers and sisters encouraged her to think about pioneering. After thinking seriously about her situation, Mariana, together with her friends Bianca, Caroline, and Juliana, decided to help a congregation in Barra do Bugres. This is an isolated town near Bolivia, thousands of miles away from their home. What happened next?

Mariana explains: “My intention was to stay there for three months. But at the end of that period, I was conducting 15 Bible studies! Of course, those students needed much more help to progress in the truth.” Mariana did not have the courage to tell her Bible students that she was leaving. She says: “I simply had to stay.” And that is exactly what all four sisters did. Mariana now feels that her life has much more meaning. She says: “That Jehovah uses me to help people change their lives for the better gives me a good feeling. It’s a blessing for me to know that I’m now using my time and energy doing something that’s really worthwhile.” Caroline describes how all four sisters feel about giving their best in Jehovah’s service. She says: “When I lie down at night, I have a feeling of deep satisfaction.” She continues: “My life centers on how to help my Bible students. It’s marvelous to see them making progress. I am experiencing the truthfulness of the words: ‘Taste and see that Jehovah is good.’”​—Psalm 34:8.

Jehovah must be very happy to see more and more young brothers and sisters moving to isolated areas to preach the good news of his Kingdom! They “offer themselves willingly.” (Psalm 110:3; Proverbs 27:11) Jehovah greatly blesses willing workers like these.​—Proverbs 10:22.

In December 2009, as a result of a decision supported by the Russian Supreme Court, the religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Taganrog, Russia, was shut down. The Kingdom Hall was taken away from the Witnesses, and 34 of our publications were considered dangerous to the public. A report about this was posted on the official Web site of Jehovah’s Witnesses along with photos of Witnesses in Taganrog, including young children.

A few months later, the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia received a box and a letter from a Witness family in Queensland, Australia, who had seen the report of the Court’s decision. The letter said: “Dear Brothers, Our children, Cody and Larissa, were very touched by the faith and trials of the friends in Russia. They have written cards and letters, and we have made up a small package of gifts that we would like to send to the children in Taganrog, just to let them know that very far away, there are other children who also faithfully serve Jehovah and who are thinking of them. They send them all a big hug and their love.”

When they received the gifts, the children in Taganrog wrote letters and drew pictures to thank the family in Australia. A Witness serving at the Russia branch was so moved by what Cody and Larissa had done that he wrote them a letter. The letter said: “You can imagine how unpleasant it is for both children and adults when they are punished for something that they have not done. Our brothers and sisters in Taganrog have done nothing wrong, but their Kingdom Hall was taken away. This has made them very sad. It will be encouraging for them to know that someone from the other side of the world is thinking of them.” He then thanked them for their love and kindness.​—Psalm 8:2.

We truly are part of an international family, and our love for one another helps us all to endure life’s trials and difficulties. Jehovah’s Witnesses have been accused of encouraging people to hate one another. But our children in different countries and of different cultures have shown their love and concern for one another. Their attitude shows that Jesus’ words are true: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.”​—John 13:35.