34567JULY 2021

STUDY ARTICLES FOR:AUGUST 30–SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

HOW did you become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses? First,you heard “the good news”—maybe from your parents,from a workmate or a schoolmate, or by means of thedoor-to-door preaching work. (Mark 13:10) Then, some-one spent a lot of time and effort conducting a Bible studywith you. During that study, you came to love Jehovahand you learned that he loves you. Jehovah drew you tothe truth, and now, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, you havethe prospect of living forever. (John 6:44) You are nodoubt grateful to Jehovah that He motivated someone toteach you the truth and that He accepted you as one ofHis servants.

2 Now that we know the truth, we have the privilege ofhelping others join us on the road to life. We may be com-fortable preaching from door to door, but we may find itchallenging to offer and conduct Bible studies. Is that howyou feel? If so, perhaps you will find some of the sugges-tions in this article helpful.We will discuss what motivatesus to help make disciples.We will also considerhowwe canovercome challenges that might hold us back from con-ducting a Bible study. First, let us consider why we mustbe not only preachers but also teachers of the good news.

JESUS COMMISSIONED US TO PREACH AND TO TEACH3 When Jesus was on the earth, he gave his follow-

ers a two-fold commission. First, he told them to preach

1. What has Jehovah done for you?2. What will we discuss in this article?3. Why do we preach?

STUDYARTICLE 26

Can You Help in theDisciple-Making Work?

“God is . . . giving you both the desire and thepower to act.”—PHIL. 2:13.

SONG 64Sharing Joyfullyin the Harvest

PREVIEW

Jehovah has given usthe privilege not only ofpreaching to others butalso of teaching themto observe all the thingsthat Jesus commanded.What motivates us towant to teach others?What challenges do weface in the preaching anddisciple-making work?And how can we overcomethose challenges? Thisarticle will answer thosequestions.

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the good news of the Kingdom, and heshowed them how to go about it. (Matt.10:7; Luke 8:1) Among other things, Je-sus prepared his disciples for both anegative and a positive response to theKingdom message. (Luke 9:2-5) He alsoforetold the extent of their preachingactivity, telling them that his followerswould give “a witness to all the nations.”(Matt. 24:14; Acts 1:8) Regardless of howpeople responded to the preaching, thedisciples were to tell people about God’sKingdom and what it would accomplish.

4 What was the second part of the com-mission that Jesus gave? He told his fol-lowers to teach potential disciples to ob-serve all the things he had commanded.But would this preaching and teachingwork be confined to the first century,as some may claim? No, Jesus indicatedthat this vital work would continue evendown to our day, “until the conclusion ofthe system of things.” (Read Matthew28:18-20.) Jesus likely gave that com-mission when he appeared to more than500 of his disciples. (1 Cor. 15:6) And inthe revelation he gave to John, Jesusclearly indicated that all his disciples areexpected to help others learn about Je-hovah.—Rev. 22:17.

5 The apostle Paul likened the workof disciple-making to cultivating a crop,showing that we must do more thanplant seeds. He reminded the Corinthi-ans: “I planted, Apollos watered . . .You are God’s field under cultivation.”

4. According to Matthew 28:18-20, what must wedo in addition to preaching about the Kingdom?5. According to 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, how did Paulillustrate the connection between preaching andteaching?

(Read 1 Corinthians 3:6-9.) As workersin “God’s field,” not only do we plant theseeds but we water them and regular-ly check the progress of our plantings.(John 4:35) At the same time, we recog-nize that it is God who makes the seedgrow.

6 We are looking for those who are“rightly disposed for everlasting life.”(Acts 13:48) To assist those individu-als in becoming disciples, we must helpthem to (1) understand, (2) accept, and(3) put into practice the things they learnfrom the Bible. (John 17:3; Col. 2:6, 7;1 Thess. 2:13) All in the congregation canhelp Bible students by setting an exam-ple in showing these new ones love andin making them feel welcome when theyattend meetings. (John 13:35) The oneconducting the study may also have tospend much time and energy helping astudent overturn “strongly entrenched”beliefs or practices. (2 Cor. 10:4, 5) Itmay take many months to guide an in-dividual through these steps so that heeventually reaches the goal of baptism.But it is well worth the effort.

LOVE MOTIVATES US TOMAKE DISCIPLES

7 Why do we engage in the preach-ing and disciple-making work? First,because we love Jehovah. When youdo your best to obey the command topreach and make disciples, you are dem-onstrating your love for God. (1 John5:3) Think of this: Your love for Jeho-vah has already moved you to preach

6. What does our work as teachers involve?7. What motivates us to share in the preachingand disciple-making work?

JULY 2021 3

See what our preaching and teachingwork can do for a person(See paragraphs 15-17)

JULY 2021 5

from house to house.Was that commandeasy to obey? Probably not. When youapproached your very first door in thepreaching work, were you nervous? Nodoubt youwere! But you knew that this isthe work that Jesus wants you to do, andyou obeyed the command. And likely,with time, it has become easier for you toengage in the preaching work. Now whatabout conducting a Bible study? Doesthe very thought make you nervous? Per-haps. However, when you ask Jehovahto help you overcome your nervousnessand muster up courage to offer a Biblestudy, Jehovah can help you to strength-en your desire to make disciples.

8 Second, love for our neighbors movesus to teach them the truth. On one oc-casion, Jesus and his disciples were ex-hausted from their intensive preachingactivity. They needed a place where theycould rest, but a large crowd found them.Moved with pity, Jesus began teachingthe people “many things.” (Read Mark6:34.) He exerted himself on that oc-casion. Why? Jesus put himself in theplace of the people in the crowd. Hesaw how much they were suffering—howmuch they needed hope—and he want-ed to help them. People today are inthe same condition. Do not be misledby their outward appearance. They arelike sheep straying helplessly, having noshepherd to guide them.The apostle Pauldescribed people like this as being with-out God and having no hope. (Eph. 2:12)They are on “the road leading off into de-struction”! (Matt. 7:13) When we consid-er the spiritual condition of those in our

8. According to Mark 6:34, what else can move usto teach others?

territory, love and compassion move usto help them. And the best way we canhelp is by offering to study the Bible withthem.

9 Perhaps you hesitate to offer a Bi-ble study because you are aware of thecommitment of time that a study will re-quire. If that is the case, share your feel-ings with Jehovah. Ask him to help youcultivate the desire to find and conducta study. (Read Philippians 2:13.) Theapostle John assured us that God will an-swer prayers that are in harmony withHis will. (1 John 5:14, 15) So you can besure that Jehovah will help you culti-vate the desire to have a share in makingdisciples.

OVERCOMING OTHER CHALLENGES10 We take seriously our commission

to teach even though we face challengesthat may keep us from doing as muchas we would like to do in making disci-ples. Let us consider what some of thosechallenges are and how we can overcomethem.

11 We may feel limited by our circum-stances. For example, some publishersare older or have poor health. Does thatdescribe your situation? If it does, con-sider one of the lessons we have learnedfrom the COVID-19 pandemic. We havediscovered that we can conduct effectiveBible studies electronically! So you maybe able to start and conduct a study fromthe comfort of your own home. Andthere is another advantage. Some would

9. According to Philippians 2:13, how can Jehovahhelp you?10-11. What may hold us back from conducting aBible study?

6 THE WATCHTOWER

enjoy studying the Bible, but they arenot available during the times our broth-ers usually set aside for preaching. How-ever, they may be available early in themorning or late at night. Might you beable to make yourself available to fill thatneed? Jesus taught Nicodemus at night,which was a time that Nicodemus pre-ferred.—John 3:1, 2.

12 We may lack confidence in our abilityto conduct a Bible study. Perhaps we feelthat we should have more knowledge orskill as a teacher before we can studywith someone. If this is how you feel,consider three factors that can bolsteryour confidence. First, Jehovah consid-ers you qualified to teach others. (2 Cor.3:5) Second, Jesus, who has ‘all authori-ty in heaven and on the earth,’ has au-thorized you to teach. (Matt. 28:18) Andthird, you can rely on others to help you.Jesus relied on what his Father taughthim to say and speak, and so can you.(John 8:28; 12:49) In addition, you canask your field service group overseer, aqualified pioneer, or an experienced pub-lisher to help you to start and conduct aBible study. One way you could gain con-fidence is by sitting in on a Bible studyconducted by one of these publishers.

13 We may find it challenging to adaptto new methods and new tools. The waythat we conduct Bible studies has nowchanged. Our principal study publica-tion, Enjoy Life Forever!, requires that weprepare for the study and conduct it dif-ferently from how we did in the past. Weread fewer paragraphs and have more of

12. What factors give us confidence that we canbe effective teachers?13. Why do we need to be adaptable?

a conversation with the student. Whenteaching, we use more videos and elec-tronic resources, such as JW Library˙.If you are not comfortable using thesetools, talk to someone who can help youlearn to use them. We humans are crea-tures of habit. It is not easy for us toadapt to new ways of doing things. Butwith Jehovah’s help and the help of oth-ers, you will find it easier to adjust andeven more enjoyable to study with peo-ple. As one pioneer said, this method ofstudy is “refreshing for both the studentand the teacher.”

14 We may live in a territory where it isdifficult to start Bible studies. People mayseem to be indifferent to our messageor even opposed to it. What can helpus remain positive in such territory? Re-member that people’s circumstances canchange quickly in this turbulent world,and those who were once not interestedmay become conscious of their spiritualneed. (Matt. 5:3) Some who always in thepast refused our literature later accepteda Bible study.We also know that Jehovahis the Master of the harvest. (Matt. 9:38)He wants us to keep planting and water-ing, but he is the One responsible for thegrowth. (1 Cor. 3:6, 7) And how encour-aging it is to be reminded that even if weare not able to conduct a Bible study atpresent, Jehovah rewards us based onour efforts, not on our results!�

� For a discussion of what part we play in making dis-ciples, see the article “As a Congregation, Help Bi-ble Students to Progress to Baptism,” published in theMarch 2021 issue of The Watchtower.

14. What should we remember when working indifficult territory, and how is 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7encouraging to us?

EXPERIENCE THE JOY OFMAKING DISCIPLES

15 Jehovah rejoices when a person ac-cepts Bible truth and shares that truthwith others. (Prov. 23:15, 16) How greatJehovah’s joy must be when he seeswhat is happening today! For example,despite a global pandemic during the2020 service year, 7,705,765 Bible studieswere conducted, which helped 241,994people to dedicate themselves to Jeho-vah and get baptized.These newdiscipleswill, in turn, conduct Bible studies andmake more disciples. (Luke 6:40) With-out doubt, wemake Jehovah happy whenwe share in the disciple-making work.

16 Making disciples is hard work, butwith Jehovah’s help we can play a part inteaching new ones to love our heavenlyFather. Could we set the goal of startingand conducting at least one Bible study?Wemaybe surprised to seewhat will hap-pen if we use every appropriate occasionto ask those whom we meet to study with

15. How does Jehovah feel when someone ac-cepts a Bible study and acts on what he is learn-ing?16. What is a good goal?

us.We can be sure that Jehovahwill blessour efforts.

17 What a privilege we have both topreach and to teach the truth to oth-ers! This work makes us genuinely hap-py. The apostle Paul, who helped manyin Thessalonica to become disciples, ex-pressed his feelings this way: “What is ourhope or joy or crown of exultation beforeour Lord Jesus at his presence? Is it notin fact you? You certainly are our gloryand joy.” (1 Thess. 2:19, 20; Acts 17:1-4)Many todayhave felt that sameway. A sis-ter named Stephanie who, along with herhusband, has helped a number of individ-uals to come to the point of baptism says,“There is no greater joy than helping peo-ple to dedicate themselves to Jehovah.”

17. What will we experience if we are able to con-duct a Bible study?

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PICTURE DESCRIPTION Page 4: See the changesa Bible study can bring about in a person’s life:At first a man’s life seems to be without purpose,alienated from Jehovah. Then Witnesses meet himin the preaching work, and he accepts a Biblestudy. What he is taught leads to his dedicationand baptism. In time, he too becomes a disciple-maker. Finally, they all enjoy life in Paradise.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

˛ Why must we be preachersand teachers of the goodnews?

˛ What motivates us to makedisciples?

˛ How can we overcomechallenges to conductinga Bible study?

SONG 57Preaching to All Sorts of People

“DON’TGIVEUP!” was the rousing theme ofthe 2017 re-gional convention program.The program showed us howwe can bear up under the trials that befall us. Four yearshave passed since then, and here we are, still enduringlife in this present system of things.

2 What have you had to deal with recently? The loss ofa family member or a dear friend? A life-threatening ill-ness? The trials of getting older? A natural disaster, vio-lence, or persecution? Or the effects of a disease, such asthe COVID-19 pandemic? How we yearn for the daywhen all of that will be behind us—long forgotten andnever to be repeated!—Read Isaiah 65:16, 17.

3 Life in this system is hard, and we may be confrontedwith even more difficult challenges in the future. (Matt.24:21) Clearly, we need to continue to strengthen ourendurance. Why? Because Jesus said: “By your endur-ance you will preserve your lives.” (Luke 21:19) Thinkingabout how others are successfully enduring trials similarto ours can strengthen our endurance.

4 Who is the best example of endurance? Jehovah God.Does that answer surprise you? It might until you thinkabout it. This world is under the control of the Devil, andit is riddledwith problems. Jehovah has the power to endit in an instant, but he is waiting for a future day to dothat. (Rom. 9:22) In the meantime, our God keeps on en-during until that appointed time arrives. Let us consider

1-2. How do Jehovah’s words recorded at Isaiah 65:16, 17 encourageus not to give up?3. What must we do now, and why?4. Why can we say that Jehovah is the best example of endurance?

STUDYARTICLE 27

Imitate Jehovah’sEndurance“By your endurance you will preserve your lives.”—LUKE 21:19.

SONG 114“Exercise Patience”

PREVIEW

All of us have problems ofone kind or another. Thereis presently no solution formany of them; we simplyhave to endure. But we arenot alone. Jehovah himselfis enduring many things.In this article, we will ex-amine nine of them. We willalso see what Jehovah’sendurance has accom-plished and how we canbenefit from his example.

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nine things that Jehovah has chosen toendure.

WHAT HAS JEHOVAH CHOSENTO ENDURE?

5 The reproach brought on his name.Jehovah loves his name, and he wantseveryone to respect it. (Isa. 42:8) Butfor some six millenniums, his good namehas been reproached. (Ps. 74:10, 18, 23)This started in the garden of Eden whenthe Devil (meaning “Slanderer”) accusedGod of depriving Adam and Eve of some-thing they needed in order to be hap-py. (Gen. 3:1-5) Ever since then, Jeho-vah has been falsely accused of deprivinghumans of what they truly need. Jesuswas concerned about the reproach thatwas being heaped on his Father’s name.For that reason, he taught his disciplesto pray: “Our Father in the heavens, letyour name be sanctified.”—Matt. 6:9.

6 The opposition to his sovereignty. Je-hovah has the absolute right to rule theheavens and the earth, and his way ofruling is the verybest. (Rev. 4:11) But theDevil has tried to mislead angels and hu-mans into thinking that God does nothave that right. The issue of the right-fulness of Jehovah’s sovereignty couldnot be settled overnight.Wisely, God hasallowed ample time for people to seethat when humans try to rule themselvesindependently of the Creator, they aredoomed to fail. (Jer. 10:23) As a resultof God’s patience, the issue will be set-tled once and for all. He will be vindicat-ed as he proves that his Kingdom alone

5. How has God’s name been reproached, andhow do you feel about that?6. Why has Jehovah allowed ample time to passbefore settling the issue of his sovereignty?

can establish real peace and security onearth.

7 The rebellion of some of his children.Jehovah created his spirit and humanchildren perfect, without any flaws. Butthen the rebel angelic son Satan (mean-ing “Resister”) turned the perfect hu-mans, Adam and Eve, against Jehovah.Other angels and humans joined in therebellion. (Jude 6) Later, even membersof the nation of Israel, God’s chosenpeople, rejected him and turned to theworship of false gods. (Isa. 63:8, 10) Je-hovah rightly felt betrayed. Still, he hasendured, and he will keep on enduringuntil the time comes to put an end to allrebels. That will bring blessed relief tohis loyal ones, who along with him areenduring evil in this system of things!

8 The constant lies of the Devil. Sa-tan accused Jehovah’s upright servantJob, saying in effect that all of Jehovah’sfaithful worshippers serve God for self-ish reasons. (Job 1:8-11; 2:3-5) The Dev-il has kept up his accusations to this day.(Rev. 12:10) We can do our part to provethat there is no truth to Satan’s lies byenduring our trials and remaining loyalto Jehovah out of love for Him. As withJob, we will be blessed for our endur-ance.—Jas. 5:11.

9 Satan uses leaders of false religionto say that Jehovah is cruel and is re-sponsible forman’s suffering. Some evensay that when children die, it was Godwho took them because he needed moreangels in heaven. How blasphemous!

7. Who have rebelled against Jehovah, and whatwill he do about them?8-9. What lies are being told about Jehovah, andhow do we respond to them?

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We know better. When we are strickenwith a serious illness or when someonewe love dies, we never blame our God.On the contrary, we have faith that oneday he will make things right.We can telleveryone who will listen what a lovingGod Jehovah is. That gives him a goodreply to make to the one taunting him.—Prov. 27:11.

10 The suffering of his cherished ser-vants. Jehovah is a compassionate God.He hates to hear us cry out because ofthe suffering that we are enduring—beit persecution, illness, or our imperfec-tions. (Read Psalm 22:23, 24.) Jehovahfeels our pain; he wants to stop it, and hewill stop it. (Compare Exodus 3:7, 8; Isa-iah 63:9.) The day will come when “hewill wipe out every tear from [our] eyes,and death will be no more, neither willmourning nor outcry nor pain be any-more.”—Rev. 21:4.

11 Separation from his friends who havedied. Howdoes Jehovah feel about faith-ful men and women who have died? Helongs to see them again! (Job 14:15) Canyou imagine how much Jehovah misseshis friend Abraham? (Jas. 2:23) Or Mo-ses, with whom he spoke “face-to-face”?(Ex. 33:11) And how he must yearnto hear David and the other psalmistssing their beautiful songs of praise! (Ps.104:33) Although these friends of Godare sleeping in death, Jehovah has notforgotten them. (Isa. 49:15) He remem-bers every detail of their personality.In a sense, “they are all living from

10. What does Psalm 22:23, 24 reveal about Jeho-vah?11. What does Jehovah miss about his loyal ser-vants who have died?

10 THE WATCHTOWER

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1. Reproach brought on his name

2. Opposition to his sovereignty

3. Rebellion of some of his children

4. Constant lies of the Devil

5. Suffering of his cherished servants

6. Separation from his friends whohave died

7. Oppression of humans by the wicked

8. Degradation of the human family

9. Ruining of his creation

What JehovahIs Enduring

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12 THE WATCHTOWER

his standpoint.” (Luke 20:38, ftn.) Oneday, he will bring them back to life, andhe will once again hear their earnestprayers and accept their worship. If youhave lost a loved one in death, may thesethoughts console and comfort you.

12 The oppression of humans by thewicked. When the rebellion began inEden, Jehovah knew that conditionswould get worse before they got better.Jehovah hates the wickedness, injustice,and violence in the world today. He hasalways been especially empathetic to-ward the most vulnerable—the weak anddefenseless, the orphan as well as thewidow. (Zech. 7:9, 10) Jehovah is partic-ularly distressed when he sees his faith-ful servants being oppressed and impris-oned. Be assured that he loves all of youwho are enduring along with him.

13 The degradation of the human fami-ly. Satan loves to degrade humans, whowere created in God’s image. When God“saw that man’s wickednesswas great” inNoah’s day, “Jehovah regretted that hehad made men on the earth, and he felthurt at his heart.” (Gen. 6:5, 6, ftn., 11)Have conditions improved since then?Certainly not! How pleased the Devilmust be when he sees the prevalence ofsexual immorality in all its forms, includ-ing immoral acts between people of theopposite sex and people of the same sex!(Eph. 4:18, 19) Satan is especially happywhen he can cause those who practicetrue worship to fall into sin.When Jeho-vah’s patience comes to an end, he will

12. What especially distresses Jehovah duringthese wicked last days?13. How is the human family being degraded be-fore God’s eyes, and what will he do about it?

demonstrate his strong disapproval ofall immoral conduct.

14 The ruining of his creation. Not onlyis man ‘dominating man to his harm’ buthe is mismanaging the earth and the an-imal creation that Jehovah entrusted toman’s care. (Eccl. 8:9; Gen. 1:28) Someexperts warn that human actions couldpush one million more species� to ex-tinction in the next few years. No won-der they say nature is in trouble! Thank-fully, Jehovah has promised “to bring toruin those ruining the earth” and to turnthe planet into a global paradise.—Rev.11:18; Isa. 35:1.

WHAT WE LEARN FROMJEHOVAH’S ENDURANCE

15 Think of all the distressing problemsthat our heavenly Father has been en-during for thousands of years. (See thebox “What Jehovah Is Enduring.”) Je-hovah could put an end to this wickedsystem of things at any time. But his pa-tience has proved to be a blessing for us!We might think of it this way. Suppose aman and his wife are told that their un-born baby has serious physical problemsand that the child will never have an easylife and will die prematurely. Even so,at great cost to themselves, the parentswelcome the child’s birth. Their love forthe child moves them to endure anyhardship in order to provide him withthe best possible quality of life.

� “Species” should not be confused with the Bible term“kinds,” which refers to a broad group of living things.

14. What is man doing to God’s earthly creation?15-16. What should move us to endure along withJehovah? Illustrate.

16 Similarly, all descendants of Adamand Eve are imperfect when they comeinto the world. Still, Jehovah loves themand cares for them. (1 John 4:19) Andunlike the human parents in our illustra-tion, Jehovah can do something aboutit. He has set the date when he will undoall the maladies that plague his humancreation. (Matt. 24:36) Should not hislove motivate us to endure along withhim for as long as it is necessary?

17 Jehovah set the perfect example ofendurance. Jesus succeeded in imitat-ing his Father’s endurance. As a hu-man, Jesus endured hostile speech,shame, and a torture stake for our sake.(Read Hebrews 12:2, 3.) Jehovah’s ex-ample of endurance undoubtedly gaveJesus the strength to endure. It canstrengthen us too.

18 Read 2 Peter 3:9. Jehovah knowsthe best time to end this wicked world.His patience has allowed for the gather-ing of a great crowd, numbering into the

17. How does the description of Jesus recorded atHebrews 12:2, 3 encourage us to keep on endur-ing?18. How does 2 Peter 3:9 help us to understandwhat Jehovah’s patience is accomplishing?

millions, who worship and praise him.All of them are glad that Jehovah has en-dured long enough for them to be born,to learn to love him, and to dedicatethemselves to him. Jehovah’s decisionto endure will be fully justified when hejoyfully rewards the millions of us whohave endured to the end!

19 We learn from Jehovah how to en-dure with joy. Despite all the heartacheand suffering Satan has caused, Jehovahremains “the happy God.” (1 Tim. 1:11)We can likewise remain joyful while wepatiently wait for Jehovah to sanctifyhis name, vindicate his sovereignty, endall wickedness, and bring an end to ourpresent problems. Let us be determinedto endure and to take comfort in know-ing that our heavenly Father is endur-ing too. If we do, these words will cometrue for each one of us: “Happy is theman who keeps on enduring trial, be-cause on becoming approved he will re-ceive the crown of life, which Jehovahpromised to those who continue lovingHim.”—Jas. 1:12.

19. What should we be determined to do, and whatwill be our reward?

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

˛ What example of Jehovah’sendurance especiallyimpresses you?

˛ How did Jesus benefit fromhis Father’s example of en-durance?

˛ Why are you determinedto endure?

SONG 139See Yourself When All Is New

IN THE world today, many people are selfishly motivat-ed by a spirit of competition. A businessman may resortto cutthroat tactics to get ahead of his competitors. Anathlete in a sporting event may deliberately injure a play-er on the other team in order to win the game. A studentcompeting for a place at a prestigious university maycheat on the entrance exams. As Christians, we recog-nize that such conduct is wrong; it is part of “the worksof the flesh.” (Gal. 5:19-21) However, could it be thatsome of Jehovah’s servants might stir up competition inthe congregationwithout even realizing it? That is an im-portant question because a spirit of competition can af-fect the unity of our brotherhood.

2 In this article, we will discuss the negative qualitiesthat can cause us to stir up competition with our broth-ers. We will also consider the examples of faithful menand women in Bible times who did not give in to the spir-it of competition. First, let us consider how we can ex-amine our motives.

EXAMINE YOUR MOTIVES3 From time to time, it is a good idea to examine ourmo-

tives. We might ask ourselves: ‘Do I measure my worthby comparing myself with others? Am I motivated by

1. What effect can a spirit of competition have on people?2. What will we discuss in this article?3. What questions should we ask ourselves?

STUDYARTICLE 28

Avoid Stirring UpCompetition—Promote Peace“Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition withone another, envying one another.”—GAL. 5:26.

SONG 101Working Together in Unity

PREVIEW

Like small cracks that canweaken a clay vessel, thespirit of competition canweaken a congregation.If the congregation is notstrong and united, it can-not be a peaceful place toworship God. This articlewill discuss why we shouldavoid developing a com-petitive spirit and what wecan do to promote peacein the congregation.

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a desire to view myself as the best atwhatever I do or at least to see myself asbetter than a particular brother or sister?Or do I simply want to give my very bestto Jehovah?’ Why should we ask thosequestions? Note what God’s Word says.

4 The Bible urges us to avoid compar-ing ourselves with others. (Read Gala-tians 6:3, 4.) Why? On the one hand,if we think we are doing better thanour brother, we may become prideful.On the other hand, if we compare our-selves unfavorably with others, we willlikely get discouraged. Either way, wewill not be thinking with a sound mind.(Rom. 12:3) A sister named Katerina,�who lives in Greece, says: “I used tocompare myself with others who seemedprettier, more effective in the ministry,and better at making friends. As a re-sult, I felt worthless.” We must remem-ber that Jehovah drew us to him, notbecause we are beautiful, articulate, orpopular, but because we are willing tolove him and to listen to his Son.—John6:44; 1 Cor. 1:26-31.

5 Another question we could ask our-selves is this, ‘Am I known as a peace-maker, or do I often find myself in themiddle of a dispute?’ Note the expe-rience of a brother named Hyun, wholives in South Korea. At one time, heviewed some who had privileges of ser-vice as his rivals. He says, “I was criticalof these brothers, and I often disagreed

� Names have been changed.

4. Why should we avoid comparing ourselves withothers, as mentioned at Galatians 6:3, 4?5. What do you learn from the experience of abrother named Hyun?

with the things they said.” With whatresult? “My attitude caused disunity inthe congregation,” he admits. Some ofHyun’s friends helped him to recognizehis problem. Hyun made needed adjust-ments, and today he serves as an effec-tive elder. If we see in ourselves a ten-dency to stir up competition rather thanto promote peace, we must take action.

GUARD AGAINSTEGOTISM AND ENVY

6 Read Galatians 5:26.What undesir-able qualities can lead to manifesting aspirit of competition? One is egotism.An egotistical person is proud and self-ish. Another bad trait is envy. Not onlydoes an envious person want what an-other person has but he alsowants to de-prive the other person of what he has.Really, envy is a form of hatred. We cer-tainly want to avoid those bad traits likethe plague!

7 The negative qualities of egotism andenvy could be likened to impurities con-taminating the fuel that powers an air-craft. The plane may be able to take off,but the contaminants can block the fuellines, causing the engines to lose pow-er just before landing and the plane tocrash. Similarly, someone may serve Je-hovah for a while. But if he is motivat-ed by egotism and envy, he will crash.(Prov. 16:18) He will stop serving Jeho-vah and will harm himself and others.How, though, can we guard against ego-tism and envy?

6. According to Galatians 5:26, what undesirablequalities contribute to a spirit of competition?7. How could the damage caused by egotism andenvy be illustrated?

JULY 2021 15

8 Wecan combat egotismbykeeping inmind the apostle Paul’s counsel to thePhilippians: “Do nothing out of conten-tiousness or out of egotism, but with hu-mility consider others superior to you.”(Phil. 2:3) If we consider others superi-or to us, we will not compete with thosewho may have greater talents and abili-ties than we possess. On the contrary,we will be happy for them. That is espe-cially true if they are using their abili-ties in Jehovah’s service to his praise. Inturn, if our gifted brothers and sistersare following Paul’s advice, they will befocusing on qualities that they appreci-ate in us. As a result, we will all promotepeace and unity in the congregation.

9 We can control our tendency towardenvy by cultivating modesty, that is, bybeing aware of our own limitations. If weare modest, we will not try to prove that

8. How can we combat egotism?9. How can we control our tendency to be en-vious?

we are more talented or more capablethan everyone else. Instead, we will lookat how we can learn from those who aremore capable than we are. For example,suppose a brother in the congregationgives excellent public talks. We mightask him how he goes about preparing histalks. If a sister is a fine cook, we mightask her for suggestions that will help usto improve in that area. And if a youngChristian does not make friends easily,he might ask for advice from someonewho is good at making friends. In thesewayswe can avoid envy and improve ourown skills.

LEARN FROM BIBLE EXAMPLES10 Consider the incident involving Gid-

eon, who was from the tribe of Manas-seh, and the men of the tribe of Ephraim.With Jehovah’s backing, Gideon and his300 men had a remarkable victory forwhich they could have taken great pride.

10. What challenge did Gideon face?

Because he was humble,Gideon maintained peacewith the Ephraimites(See paragraphs 10-12)

JULY 2021 17

The men of Ephraim met Gideon, not tocommend him, but to quarrel with him.It appears that their pride was hurt be-cause Gideon had not invited them fromthe beginning to join in the fight againstGod’s enemies. They were so focused onprotecting the honor of their tribe thatthey failed to see the big picture—Gideonhad just helped to honor Jehovah’s nameand to protect His people.—Judg. 8:1.

11 Gideon humbly said to the men ofEphraim: “What have I done comparedwith you?” He then gave them a specificexample of how Jehovah had blessedthem. As a result, the men “calmeddown.” (Judg. 8:2, 3) Gideon willing-ly set pride aside in order to maintainpeace among God’s people.

12 What can we learn from this ac-count? From the example of the Ephra-imites, we learn that we should not be-come more focused on protecting ourown honor than on honoring Jehovah.As family heads and elders, we can learna lesson from Gideon. If someone is up-set by something we did, we should tryto see things from his perspective. Wecan also commend the person for whathe has done well. That will require hu-mility on our part, especially if the oth-er person is clearly in the wrong. Butpeace is worth much more than our per-sonal pride.

13 Think, too, of the example of Han-nah. She was married to a Levite named

11. How did Gideon respond to the men ofEphraim?12. What do we learn from the example of theEphraimites and that of Gideon?13. What challenge did Hannah face, and how didshe overcome it?

Elkanah, who loved her very much. ButElkanah had another wife, Peninnah. El-kanah loved Hannah more than he lovedPeninnah; however, “Peninnah had chil-dren, but Hannah had no children.” Be-cause of this, Peninnah taunted Han-nah “relentlessly in order to upset her.”How did Hannah react? She became veryupset! “She would weep and not eat.”(1 Sam. 1:2, 6, 7) Yet, there is no re-cord that Hannah tried to take revengeon Peninnah in some way. Instead, shepoured out her heart to Jehovah andtrusted that hewouldmakematters right.Did Peninnah’s attitude toward Hannahchange? The Bible does not say. But wedo know that Hannah regained and main-tained her inner peace. “Her face was nolonger downcast.”—1 Sam. 1:10, 18.

14 What can we learn from Hannah’s

14. What do we learn from Hannah’s example?

Because she trusted in Jehovahto make matters right, Hannahregained her inner peace(See paragraphs 13-14)

18 THE WATCHTOWER

example? If someone tries to competewith you in some way, remember thatyou are in control of the situation. Youdo not have to allow yourself to be drawninto the competition. Instead of repayingevil for evil, try to make peace with theperson. (Rom. 12:17-21) Even if he doesnot respond, you will maintain your in-ner peace.

15 Finally, consider what we can learnfrom the examples of the disciple Apol-los and the apostle Paul. Both men hadan excellent knowledge of the Scrip-tures. Both were prominent and influen-tial teachers. And both had helped tomake many disciples. But neither manviewed the other as a rival.

16 Apollos was “a native of Alexan-

15. How were Apollos and Paul similar?16. How would you describe Apollos?

dria,” which was a center of learning inthe first century. He was apparently agifted speaker, and he was “well-versedin the Scriptures.” (Acts 18:24) WhenApollos spent time in Corinth, some inthe congregation made it obvious thatthey preferred him over other broth-ers, including Paul. (1 Cor. 1:12, 13) DidApollos promote that divisive attitude?We cannot imagine that he did. In fact,some time after Apollos left Corinth,Paul urged him to return there. (1 Cor.16:12) Paul would never have done thatif he had felt that Apollos was divid-ing the congregation. Clearly, Apollosused his gifts in a good way—to pro-claim the good news and to strengthenhis brothers. We can also be sure thatApolloswas a humbleman. For example,there is no record that he took offense

Because they realized that Jehovahwas blessing the work, Apollos andPaul were not rivals(See paragraphs 15-18)

We might unintentionally contribute toa spirit of competition in the congregationif we inappropriately share our opinion asto who is the best speaker, who gives thebest comments, or who is the mostproductive pioneer. We might compareone elder with another whose particulargifts we appreciate. Elders are only human,and if an elder finds himself being constantlycompared with another, he could begin toview his brother as a rival. That would bedamaging to the congregation.

Avoid Stirring UpCompetition

when Aquila and Priscilla “explained theway of God more accurately to him.”—Acts 18:24-28.

17 The apostle Paul was aware of thegoodwork done by Apollos. But Paul didnot feel threatened by him. Paul’s hu-mility, modesty, and reasonableness areseen in the counsel that he gave to thecongregation in Corinth. Instead of be-ing flattered by those who were saying “Ibelong to Paul,” he directed all attentionto Jehovah God and to Jesus Christ.—1 Cor. 3:3-6.

18 What can we learn from the exam-ples of Apollos and Paul? We may workhard for Jehovah, andwe may help manyprogress to baptism. But we realize thatany success we have is only becauseof Jehovah’s blessing. From the exam-

17. How did Paul promote peace?18. Based on 1 Corinthians 4:6, 7, what do welearn from the examples of Apollos and Paul?

ples of Apollos and Paul, we learn an-other lesson—the more prominence wehave, the greater our opportunity to pro-mote peace. How grateful we are whenappointed men promote peace and unityby basing their counsel on God’s Wordand by focusing attention, not on them-selves, but on our model, Christ Jesus!—Read 1 Corinthians 4:6, 7.

19 Each one of us has some God-giventalent or ability. We can use that gift “inministering to one another.” (1 Pet. 4:10) We may feel that the part we play issmall. But the small acts that promoteunity are like the small stitches that holda garment together. May we work hardto remove from ourselves any trace of acompetitive spirit. Let us be determinedto do all we can to promote peace andunity in the congregation.—Eph. 4:3.

19. What can each of us do? (See also the box“Avoid Stirring Up Competition.”)

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

˛ Why should we examineour motives?

˛ How can we avoid promot-ing a spirit of competition?

˛ What did you learn fromthe examples set by Gideon,Hannah, Apollos, and theapostle Paul?

SONG 80“Taste and See That Jehovah Is Good”

JEHOVAH loves variety. This is evident in his amazingcreations, including humankind. Each of us is unique. SoJehovah never compares you with others. He exam-ines your heart, your inner person. (1 Sam. 16:7) Healso takes into account your strengths, weaknesses, andbackground. And he does not ask more of you than youcan give.We need to imitate Jehovah by seeing ourselvesas he does. Then we will have “a sound mind,” thinkingneither too much nor too little of ourselves.—Rom. 12:3.

2 Of course, we may benefit by observing the good ex-ample of a faithful brother or sister who has a productiveministry. (Heb. 13:7) We might then seeways inwhichwecan be more effective in our own ministry. (Phil. 3:17)But there is a difference between imitating someone’sgood example and using it to assess your value as an in-dividual. Such a comparison could cause you to feel en-vious, discouraged, or even unworthy. As we learned inthe preceding article, to compete with others in the con-gregation would also be spiritually harmful. So Jehovahlovingly exhorts us: “Let each one examine his own ac-tions, and then he will have cause for rejoicing in regardto himself alone, and not in comparison with the otherperson.”—Gal. 6:4.

3 Jehovah wants you to rejoice in your own spiritual

1. Why does Jehovah not compare us with others?2. Why is it not good to compare ourselves with others?3. What spiritual progress have you made that brings you joy?

STUDYARTICLE 29

Rejoice in YourOwn Progress!“Let each one . . . have cause for rejoicing in regardto himself alone, and not in comparison with the otherperson.”—GAL. 6:4.

SONG 34Walking in Integrity

PREVIEW

Jehovah does not compareus with others. Yet, someof us might be inclined todo just that and then tojudge ourselves negatively.In this article, we will dis-cuss why it can be harm-ful to compare ourselveswith others. We will alsosee how we can help familymembers and those in thecongregation to see them-selves as Jehovah does.

20

progress. For instance, if you got bap-tized, you should be thrilled that youhave reached that goal! You made thedecision to do that on your own. Youbased it on your love for God. Thinkabout the progress you have made sincethen. For example, has your love for per-sonal Bible reading and studydeepened?Have your prayers become more mean-ingful and heartfelt? (Ps. 141:2) Haveyou become more conversational in thepreaching work and more effective at us-ing our tools for the ministry? And ifyou have a family, has Jehovah helpedyou to become a better husband, wife,or parent? You can feel happy and deep-ly satisfied about the progress you havemade in such areas.

4 We can help others to rejoice in theirown spiritual progress. We can also helpthem to refrain from making compari-sons. In this article, we will see how par-ents can help their children, how mar-riage mates can help each other, andhow elders and others can help theirbrothers and sisters. Finally, we will con-

4. What will we consider in this article?

sider some Bible principles that can as-sist us in setting reasonable goals ac-cording to our individual abilities andcircumstances.

WHAT PARENTS ANDMARRIAGE MATES CAN DO

5 Parents should be careful not tocompare one child with another or toask more of a child than he or she cangive. Unfavorable comparisons and un-reasonable demands can exasperate achild. (Read Ephesians 6:4.) A sisternamed Sachiko� says: “My teachers ex-pected me to do better than my class-mates at school. Additionally, my moth-er wanted me to do well at school so thatI would give a good witness to my teach-er and my unbelieving father. In fact,she wanted me to get 100 percent onmy exams, which I found impossible. Al-though I left school years ago, at times Istill wonder if my best is good enoughfor Jehovah.”

� Some names have been changed.

5. According to Ephesians 6:4, what should par-ents avoid?

Parents, acknowledgethe good efforts ofeach of your children(See paragraphs 5-6)

JULY 2021 21

22 THE WATCHTOWER

6 Avaluable lesson for parents is foundat Psalm 131:1, 2. (Read.) King Davidsaid that he did not “aspire to things toogreat” or to things that were beyondhim. His humility and modesty “calmedand quieted” him. What can parentslearn from David’s words? Parents canbe humble and modest not only in whatthey expect of themselves but also inwhat they expect of their child. Parentscan reassure their child by acknowledg-ing his strengths and weaknesses whenhelping him to set appropriate goals. Asister named Marina recalls: “My moth-er never compared me with my threesiblings or with other children. Shetaught me that everyone has differentgifts and that each of us is precious toJehovah. Thanks to her, I rarely com-pare myself with others.”

7 AChristian husband must show hon-or to his wife. (1 Pet. 3:7) Honor in-volves giving special attention and re-spect to others. For example, a husbandhonors his wife by dignifying her. Hedoes not ask more of her than she cangive. And he certainly does not com-pare her with other women. If he wereto do so, what effect might such a com-parison have? The non-Witness hus-band of a sister named Rosa often com-pares her with other women. His cruelwords have done more than under-mine Rosa’s self-confidence. She says,“I need constant reassurance that Jeho-vah values me.” In contrast, a Christianhusband assigns honor to his wife. Heknows that his doing so affects both his

6. What can parents learn from Psalm 131:1, 2?7-8. How can a husband show honor to his wife?

relationship with her and his relation-ship with Jehovah.�

8 A husbandwho honors his wife prais-es her, reassures her of his love, andcommends her. (Prov. 31:28) That ishow the husband of Katerina, men-tioned in the preceding article, hashelped her to overcome feelings of lowself-worth. As a child, she was belit-tled by her mother, who often com-pared her with other girls, including herfriends. As a result, Katerina began tomeasure her worth by comparing herselfwith others—even after she came intothe truth! Her Christian husband, how-ever, has helped her to fight this tenden-cy and to develop a more reasonableviewof herself. She states: “He loves me,commends me for the good things I do,and prays for me. He also reminds me ofJehovah’s wonderful qualities and helpsme to correct my negative thinking.”

WHAT LOVING ELDERSAND OTHERS CAN DO

9 How can elders help those who havea tendency to compare themselves withothers? Consider the experience of a sis-ter named Hanuni, who as a child wasrarely commended. She recalls: “I wasshy and felt that other kids were betterthan I was. I began comparing myselfwith others as far back as I can remem-ber.” Even after she came into the truth,Hanuni still compared herself with oth-ers. As a result, she felt of little value

� Although these points are focusing on the husband,many of the principles also apply to the wife.

9-10. How did caring elders help a sister to over-come her tendency to compare herself unfavor-ably with others?

JULY 2021 23

in the congregation. Now, though, sheserves as a happy pioneer. What helpedher to change her outlook?

10 Hanuni says that she was helpedby caring elders. They expressed confi-dence in her and commended her forher faithful example. She writes: “A fewtimes the elders asked me to encour-age some sisters who needed help.Theseassignments made me feel needed. Iremember when caring elders thankedme for the encouragement I had giv-en to some younger sisters. Then theyread 1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3 to me. Howthat touched my heart! Thanks largelyto those fine shepherds, I now treasuremy place in Jehovah’s organization.”

11 Read Isaiah 57:15. Jehovah caresdeeply for those “crushed and lowly inspirit.” All of us, not just the elders,can help to encourage these dear broth-ers and sisters. One way we can en-courage them is by showing a sincereinterest in them. Jehovah wants us toconvey to them his love for his precioussheep. (Prov. 19:17) We can also helpour brothers and sisters by being hum-ble and modest. We do not want to drawattention to ourselves that could resultin stirring up envy in others. Instead, weuse our abilities and knowledge to en-courage one another.—1 Pet. 4:10, 11.

12 We can learn much about how totreat others by considering how Je-sus treated his followers. He was thegreatest man who ever lived. Yet, he

11. How can we help those who are “crushed andlowly in spirit,” as described at Isaiah 57:15?12. Why were lowly ones drawn to Jesus? (Seecover picture.)

was “mild-tempered and lowly in heart.”(Matt. 11:28-30) He did not show offhis superior intelligence and vast knowl-edge. He taught by using simple lan-guage and appealing illustrations thattouched the hearts of lowly ones. (Luke10:21) Unlike the arrogant religiousleaders, Jesus never made others feelthat they were of little value to God.(John 6:37) Instead, he dignified thecommon people.

13 Jesus’ kindness and love were re-flected in the way he dealt with hisdisciples. He knew that they had dif-ferent abilities and circumstances. Sothey could not all handle the same re-sponsibilities; nor could they be equal-ly productive in the ministry. Yet, heappreciated the whole-souled efforts ofeach one. Jesus’ understanding attitudeis reflected in the parable of the tal-ents. In that illustration, the master as-signed each slave work “according to hisown ability.” One of the two diligentslaves gained more than the other. Butthe master commended both with thesame words: “Well done, good and faith-ful slave!”—Matt. 25:14-23.

14 Jesus is kind and loving in the wayhe deals with us. He knows that our abil-ities and circumstances vary, and he ispleased when we do our best. We dowell to treat others as Jesus did. Neverwouldwewant tomake a fellow worship-per feel unworthy or ashamed becausehe cannot do as much as others can.

13. How were Jesus’ kindness and love reflected inthe way he dealt with his disciples?14. How can we imitate the way Jesus treated oth-ers?

24 THE WATCHTOWER

Instead, let us look for opportunities tocommend our brothers and sisters fordoing their best to serve Jehovah.

SET REASONABLE GOALS15 Spiritual goals give our life direc-

tion and purpose. The key, however,is to set goals according to our abili-ties and circumstances, not those of oth-ers. We do not want to set ourselvesup for disappointment and discourage-ment. (Luke 14:28) Consider the exam-ple of a pioneer sister named Midori.

16 Midori’s father, who is not a Wit-ness, humiliated her as a child by com-paring her with her siblings and class-mates. “I felt worthless,” says Midori.As she grew older, however, Midorigained self-confidence. She says, “I read

15-16. How did a sister benefit from setting rea-sonable goals for herself?

the Bible every day so that I could havepeace in my heart and I could feel thatJehovah loves me.” In addition, she setreasonable goals for herself, and sheprayed specifically for help to achievethose goals. As a result, Midori could re-joice in her own spiritual progress.

CONTINUE TO GIVE JEHOVAH YOUR BEST17 Negative feelings and thoughts may

not go away overnight. So Jehovah ex-horts us: “You should continue to bemade new in your dominant mental at-titude.” (Eph. 4:23, 24) To do so, ofcourse, we need to pray, study God’sWord, and meditate. Apply yourself tothese things, and look to Jehovah forstrength. His holy spirit will help youto overcome any tendency to compare

17. How can we “continue to be made new in [our]dominant mental attitude,” and with what results?

Find joy in setting andreaching reasonable goals(See paragraphs 15-16)

yourself with others. Jehovah will alsohelp you to recognize and quickly rootout envy or undue pride if these undesir-able feelings spring up in your heart.

18 Read 2 Chronicles 6:29, 30. Jeho-vah knows our heart. He also knows ourstruggles—our fight against the spirit ofthe world and against our own imper-fections. As Jehovah sees how hard weare fighting against such negative influ-ences, his love for us grows.

19 To illustrate how he feels about us,Jehovah uses the bond between a moth-er and her baby. (Isa. 49:15) Considerthe example of a mother named Rachel.She writes: “My daughter Stephanie wasborn prematurely. When I first saw her,she looked tiny and helpless. But thehospital allowed me to hold her everyday during the first month when she wasin an incubator. Those tender momentshelped us to form a close bond. She isnow six years old and is smaller thanothers her age. Yet, I love her all themore because she fought so hard to live,

18. How can you take comfort from the wordsfound at 2 Chronicles 6:29, 30?19. How does Jehovah illustrate the way he feelsabout us?

and she has brought so much joy to mylife!” How comforting it is to know thatJehovah feels that type of deep love forus when he sees us fighting to serve himwhole-souled!

20 As a servant of Jehovah, you are aunique and valued member of his di-verse family. Jehovah did not draw youto himself because you were better thanyour neighbors. He drew you becausehe looked into your heart and saw ameek and teachable person whom hecould mold. (Ps. 25:9) Be assured thathe appreciates it when you do your bestto serve him. Your endurance and yourfaithfulness are evidence of “a fine andgood heart.” (Luke 8:15) So continue togive Jehovah your best. Then you willhave good reason to rejoice “in regardto [yourself] alone.”

20. As a dedicated servant of Jehovah, what rea-son do you have to rejoice?

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PICTURE DESCRIPTIONS Page 21: During familyworship, the parents show their delight with whateach child has made to put into Noah’s ark.Page 24: A single parent who has a preschoolerworks out a schedule to auxiliary pioneer, and sheis happy to have reached her goal.

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?

˛ How can parents help theirchildren to rejoice in theirown spiritual progress?

˛ How can elders help those intheir care to feel loved andappreciated?

˛ Why can we rejoice whenwe give Jehovah our best?

SONG 38He Will Make You Strong

26 THE WATCHTOWER

The next year, it was announced to the Beth-el family that volunteers were needed toserve at the South Africa branch, where anew rotary printing press was to be installed.I put in my name for consideration, and Iwas excited to be chosen. Three other Cana-dian Bethelites were also chosen—DennisLeech, Bill McLellan, and Ken Nordin. We weretold that we would receive one-way tickets!

I phoned my mother: “Mom, I have newsfor you. I’m going to South Africa!” Mymother was a quiet woman but a woman offaith and of deep spirituality. She didn’t saymuch, but I knew I had her support. Neithershe nor my father ever objected to the deci-sion I made, though they were saddenedthat I would be so far away.

OFF TO SOUTH AFRICA!At Brooklyn Bethel, the four of us broth-

ers received three months of training inhot-lead typesetting for letterpress printing.Then we boarded a cargo ship bound forCape Town, South Africa. I had just turned20. It was evening when we began the longtrain journey from CapeTown to Johannes-burg. The first stop at dawn was at a littletown in the Karoo, a semidesert area. It wasdusty, smoky, and hot. The four of uspeered out the window and wondered whatkind of place this was. What were we gettingourselves into? In later years, we would re-visit this area and come to appreciate thosecharming little towns and their peaceful wayof life.

My assignment for a few years was to op-erate the amazing and intricate Linotypemachine, setting lines of lead type for print-ing the Watchtower and Awake! magazines.The branch office printed the magazines inmany African languages not only for SouthAfrica but for many countries to the north.That new rotary printing press that broughtus halfway around the world was being well-used!

Later, I worked in the Factory Office,which cared for various aspects of the print-ing, shipping, and translation work. Life forme was busy, satisfying, and meaningful.

LIFE STORY

My Happy Life inJehovah’s ServiceAS TOLD BY JOHN KIKOT

MY FIRST job at Bethel in Canadawas to sweep the floor of thebuilding where the printing wasdone. It was 1958, and I was 18years old. Life was good, and soonI was operating a machine thattrimmed the magazines as theycame off the press. I was so happyto be at Bethel!

MARRIAGE AND A NEW ASSIGNMENTIn 1968, I married a pioneer sister, Laura

Bowen, who lived near Bethel. She also didtyping for the Translation Department. Inthose days, there was no arrangement fornewly married couples to stay at Bethel, sowe were given a special pioneer assign-ment. I was a little concerned. After tenyears at Bethel with food and shelter alwaysbeing provided, how would we manage onthe special pioneer allowance? We wouldeach receive 25 rand (back then worth $35,U.S.) every month—if we reached the re-quired hours, return visits, and literatureplacements. With that money, we wouldneed to pay for our rent, food, and trans-portation as well as for medical and otherpersonal expenses.

We were assigned to a little group nearthe city of Durban, on the Indian Ocean.There was a huge population of Indian peo-ple, many of them descendants of inden-tured laborers originally contracted for thesugar industry in the late 1800’s. Now theywere engaged in other occupations, thoughthey still retained their culture and cuisine,including delicious curries. And they spokeEnglish, which made it easy for us.

Special pioneers were expected to spend150 hours each month in the ministry, soLaura and I scheduled six hours for the firstday. It was hot and humid. We had no returnvisits and no Bible studies—just six hoursof door-to-door preaching. A while after westarted, I looked at my watch—only 40 min-utes had passed! How, I wondered, were wegoing to get through this?

Soon, we got ourselves organized. Eachday, we prepared sandwiches and put soupor coffee in a thermos. When we needed abreak, we parked our little Volkswagen un-der the shade of a nearby tree—sometimessurrounded by beautiful little Indian chil-dren studying us curiously! Within a fewdays, we realized that after the first two or

three hours, the rest of the day went by veryquickly.

What a joy it was to bring Bible truth tothe hospitable people in that territory! Wefound the Indian people to be respectful,gracious, and God-fearing. Many Hindus re-sponded to the message we brought them.They loved to learn about Jehovah, Jesus,the Bible, the future new world of peace,and the hope for the dead. After a year, wehad 20 Bible studies. Every day, we enjoyedour main meal with one of the families withwhom we studied. We were so happy.

All too soon we received another assign-ment—circuit work along the coast of thebeautiful Indian Ocean. Each week, we wereguests in a family’s home while we visited andworked with the publishers in the congrega-tion to encourage them. We became a part oftheir family, enjoying their children and pets.Two wonderful years passed by. Then sud-denly a phone call came from the branch of-fice. The message, “We’re thinking of bring-ing you back to Bethel.” My response was,“You know, we’re really very happy out here.”But, of course, we were willing to be usedwherever we were assigned.

BACK TO BETHELMy assignment at Bethel was with the

Service Department, where I had the privi-lege of working along with many mature, ex-perienced brothers. In those days, eachcongregation received a letter in responseto a report from the circuit overseer afterhis visit. The letters were meant to encour-age and to give any direction that might beneeded. This involved much work for oursecretaries who translated correspondencefrom Xhosa, Zulu, and other languages intoEnglish and then from English into the Afri-can languages. I appreciated those hard-working translators who also gave me in-sight into the difficulties that our blackAfrican brothers and sisters faced.

JULY 2021 27

28 THE WATCHTOWER

At that time, South Africans lived underthe apartheid system of government. Eachracial group had designated living areas,so there wasn’t much socializing betweenpeople of different races. Our black Africanbrothers spoke their own languages,preached in their own languages, andattended their own language congrega-tions.

I did not know many black Africans,since my congregation territory assign-ments had always been English-speaking.Now, though, I had a chance to learn aboutthe black Africans and their culture and cus-toms. I learned of the challenges our broth-ers faced in dealing with local traditions andreligious beliefs. How courageous theywere in breaking free from unscriptural tra-ditions and in facing severe opposition fromtheir family and village when refusing to fol-low spiritistic practices! In rural areas, therewas much poverty. Many had little in theway of a formal education, but they respect-ed the Bible.

I had the privilege of working on somelegal cases involving freedom of worshipand neutrality. It was so faith-strengtheningto observe the loyalty and courage of youngWitness children who had been expelledfrom school for refusing to join in prayersand hymns.

The brothers faced another challenge inthe little African country that was thencalled Swaziland. When King Sobhuza IIdied, all citizens were required to carry outcertain mourning rites. Men were to shaveoff their hair, and women were to cut theirhair short. Many brothers and sisters werepersecuted for refusing to participate in thispractice that was related to ancestor wor-ship. How their loyalty to Jehovah warmedour hearts! We learned a lot about faithful-ness, loyalty, and patience from our Africanbrothers, and that built up our faith.

BACK TO THE PRINTERYIn 1981, I was assigned to assist with

the development of computerized printing

A. On a train traveling from Cape Town to Johannesburgwith Dennis Leech, Ken Nordin, and Bill McLellan in 1959

B. The four of us at a 60-year reunion at the South Africabranch in 2019

C. Laura and me, serving as special pioneers in 1968

A B

C

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methods. So back to the Printery I went.What an exciting time it was! The printingworld was changing. A local sales represen-tative gave the branch a phototypesetter totry out, without any obligation. This resultedin replacing the nine Linotype machineswith five new phototypesetters. A new ro-tary offset printing press was also installed.Things were speeding up!

Computerization led to devising newcomposition methods using MEPS, theMultilanguage Electronic Publishing Sys-tem. What a long way we had come from thecumbersome, slow Linotype machines andhot-lead printing presses that had broughtus four Canadian Bethelites to South Africa!(Isa. 60:17) By then all of us had marriedgood, spiritually-minded pioneer sisters. Billand I were still serving at Bethel. Ken andDennis had started raising families nearby.

Branch activities were increasing. Bibleliterature was being translated and printedin an increasing number of languages, andit was being shipped to other branches. Con-sequently, a new Bethel complex was needed.The brothers built one in a beautiful areawest of Johannesburg, and it was dedicatedin 1987. It was a pleasure to be part of all thatexpansion and to serve on the Branch Com-mittee in South Africa for many years.

ANOTHER NEW ASSIGNMENT!A great surprise came in 2001 when I was

invited to serve on the newly formed UnitedStates Branch Committee. Although wewere sad to leave our work and friends inSouth Africa, we were excited to begin anew life as part of the United States Bethelfamily.

We were, however, concerned about leav-ing behind Laura’s aging mother. We couldnot do much for her from New York, butLaura’s three sisters offered to help herphysically, emotionally, and financially. Theysaid, “We can’t be in full-time service our-

selves, but if we look after Mom’s needs, itwill assist you in continuing in your assign-ment.” We are deeply grateful to them.

In the same spirit, my brother and hiswife, who lived in Toronto, Canada, were car-ing for my widowed mother. At that time,she had been part of their family for morethan 20 years. We really appreciate the loveand care they gave her until her death soonafter our arrival in New York. What a bless-ing to have supportive family members whoare willing to adjust their lives in order totake on a responsibility that can at times bequite challenging!

For some years, my work assignmentin the United States was in literature pro-duction, which has become even more mod-ernized and simplified. More recently, I havebeen working in the Purchasing Depart-ment. What a pleasure it has been for thepast 20 years to be part of this hugebranch, now numbering some 5,000 Bethelfamily members along with about 2,000commuter workers!

Sixty years ago, I would not have thoughtthat this is where I would be. Laura has giv-en me her wholehearted support through allthese years. What a rich life it has been! Wetreasure the variety of assignments we havehad and all the wonderful people we haveworked with, including those in the manybranches we have visited on branch assign-ments in so many parts of the world. Nowthat I am over 80 years old, I have been giv-en a reduced workload, as there are manycapable younger brothers who can care forthe work.

The psalmist wrote: “Happy is the nationwhose God is Jehovah.” (Ps. 33:12) Howtrue that is! I am so very grateful that I havebeen able to share in the joy of Jehovah’shappy people.

ˇ Jehovah certainly wants two people whomarry to be happy and to enjoy a lastingand close bond with each other. (Matt. 19:4-6) If you wish to marry, how can you find agood marriage mate? As our Creator, Jeho-vah knows what will lead to success incourtship and marriage. Therefore, if youapply the principles he has given us, you willget the best results. Consider some of thoseprinciples.

First, we have to understand this aboutourselves: “The heart is more treacherousthan anything else and is desperate.” (Jer.17:9) As a person attempts to find and at-tract a prospective marriage mate, intenseemotions can build up quickly and overridesound reasoning. When people base a deci-sion to marry primarily on emotion, they of-ten end up devastated. (Prov. 28:26) Thatis why it is not wise for two people to ex-press intimate feelings early on in a relation-ship or to make commitments before theyreally get to know each other.

Proverbs 22:3 says: “The shrewd one seesthe danger and conceals himself, but the in-

experienced keep right on going and sufferthe consequences.” What could be danger-ous about using matchmaking websites?Sadly, some have learned through bitter ex-perience that they were taken advantage ofemotionally by the strangers they met on-line. Also, dishonest people have set up fakeaccounts to scam naive people out of theirmoney. At times, those who were behind thecruel deceptions claimed to be Witnesses.

Consider an additional risk. Some match-making sites use mathematical algorithms,or calculations, that are supposed to matchcompatible people. However, there is no evi-dence that such methods really work. Wouldit be wise to put trust in a man-made formu-la to ensure the success of something asimportant as marriage? How can mathemat-ical formulas even begin to compare with Bi-ble principles?—Prov. 1:7; 3:5-7.

A principle found at Proverbs 14:15 states:“The naive person believes every word, butthe shrewd one ponders each step.” Beforeconsidering someone as a potential mar-riage mate, you want to get to know the

QUESTIONS FROM READERS

How should Jehovah’sWitnesses view usingmatchmaking websitesto find a marriagemate?

30 THE WATCHTOWER

person well. But meeting online can makethat hard to accomplish. Even if you shareprofiles and spend considerable time ex-changing messages, can you really say thatyou know the person? Some who thoughtthey had found their true love were shockedat what they learned when they finally metthe individual in person.

The psalmist said: “I do not associatewith deceitful men, and I avoid those whohide what they are.” (Ps. 26:4) Many con-sider it a common practice to lie on their on-line dating profiles to make themselves ap-pear more desirable. They may conceal theirreal character or just not manifest it whenpresenting themselves online. While somepeople may identify themselves as Jehovah’sWitnesses, are they really baptized Chris-tians? Are they spiritually mature? Do theyhave a personal relationship with Jehovah?Are they respected in their congregation? Ormight they be poor examples or even “badassociations”? (1 Cor. 15:33; 2 Tim. 2:20, 21)And are they Scripturally free to marry? Youneed to know these things, but they are dif-ficult to discern without some sort of corro-boration from other Witnesses who knowthe person well. (Prov. 15:22) And, of course,a loyal servant of Jehovah would not evenconsider being “unevenly yoked” with an un-believer.—2 Cor. 6:14; 1 Cor. 7:39.

In view of the risks associated with usingmatchmaking websites, there are betterways to look for a mate and to develop a re-lationship that may lead to an honorablemarriage. How can you find opportunities tomeet a potential mate? When public gather-ings are not prohibited, Jehovah’s Witness-es can get acquainted in person while at-tending congregation meetings, assemblies,conventions, and other gatherings.

When these public gatherings are notpossible, such as during the COVID-19 pan-demic, we use electronic tools to attendcongregation meetings, where there are

opportunities to get acquainted with othersingle Witnesses. You can see how they par-ticipate in the meetings and hear their per-sonal expressions of faith. (1 Tim. 6:11, 12)You may also be able to visit with eachother in a breakout room after the meet-ings. Through virtual social gatherings withgroups of Witnesses, you can observe howthe person you are interested in interactswith other people, and that can reveal theperson’s true character. (1 Pet. 3:4) In time,as you get better acquainted, you can deter-mine whether your goals and values aresimilar and whether the two of you arecompatible.

When single people look for a potentialmarriage mate in ways that harmonize withBible principles, they are more likely to expe-rience the truth of the proverb that says:“The one who finds a good wife [or hus-band] has found something good, and he[or she] receives Jehovah’s favor.”—Prov. 18:22.

As you spend time together, you willsee more clearly whether your goalsand values are similar

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The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) July 2021 is published by Watchtower

Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.; Harold L. Corkern, Pres-

ident; Mark L. Questell, Secretary-Treasurer; 1000 Red Mills Road, Wallkill,

NY 12589-3299, and by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada,

PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. ˘ 2021 WatchTower Bible and Tract

Society of Pennsylvania. Printed in Canada.

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July 2021 � Vol. 142, No. 9 ENGLISH

This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwideBible educational work supported by voluntary donations. To makea donation, please visit donate.jw.org.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from themodern-language New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

COVER PICTURE:Jesus’ disciples were drawn to him because henever assumed a superior attitude. He enjoyedassociation with his friends (See study article29, paragraph 12)

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YOUNG PEOPLE ASKHow Resilient Am I?Adversity is inevitable. That is why it isimportant for you to build resilience,no matter how trivial or how seriousyour problems may be.

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IN THIS ISSUE��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 26: August 30–September 5 2Can You Help in the Disciple-Making Work?��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 27: September 6-12 8Imitate Jehovah’s Endurance��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 28: September 13-19 14Avoid Stirring Up Competition—Promote Peace��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Study Article 29: September 20-26 20Rejoice in Your Own Progress!��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

LIFE STORY 26My Happy Life in Jehovah’s Service��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

QUESTIONS FROM READERS 30