DECEMBER 2016 34567

34567DECEMBER 2016

STUDY ARTICLES FOR:JANUARY 30–FEBRUARY 26, 2017

The Watchtower (ISSN 0043-1087) Issue 18 December 2016 is published monthly with an ad-ditional issue published in January, March, May, July, September, and November by Watch-tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.; L. Weaver, Jr., President; G. F. Simonis,Secretary-Treasurer; 1000 Red Mills Road, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299, and by Watch Tower Bibleand Tract Society of Canada, PO Box 4100, Georgetown, ON L7G 4Y4. Periodicals PostagePaid at Brooklyn, NY, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Watchtower, 1000 Red Mills Road, Wallkill, NY 12589-3299. � 2016 Watch Tower Bible andTract Society of Pennsylvania. Printed in Canada.

TABLE OF CONTENTS��

3 LIFE STORYBecoming “All Thingsto People of All Sorts”

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8 WEEK OF JANUARY 30–FEBRUARY 5By Undeserved KindnessYou Were Set Free

13 WEEK OF FEBRUARY 6-12‘Setting Your Mind on the SpiritMeans Life and Peace’

In Romans chapters 6 and 8, we find vitalinformation related to our life as Christians.Studying that material can help us to benefitfrom God’s undeserved kindness and tomaintain our focus on what will result in oureverlasting good.

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18 DO YOU REMEMBER?

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19 WEEK OF FEBRUARY 13-19Throw All Your Anxiety on Jehovah

24 WEEK OF FEBRUARY 20-26Jehovah Rewards ThoseWho Earnestly Seek Him

The first of these two articles discusses how wecan throw all our anxiety on God. The second articleexplains how we can strengthen our faith by beingfirmly convinced that God rewards those whoearnestly seek him. It also shows how the hopeof a reward benefits us.

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29 A Mild Temper—The Way of Wisdom

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32 SUBJECT INDEXFOR THE WATCHTOWER 2016

34567˙December 2016

Vol. 137, No. 18 ENGLISH

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PORTUGALMany tourists come to the city of Aveiro in northernPortugal to see the interesting salt evaporationponds. Local Witnesses make sure to offer the goodnews to those who sell the locally produced salt

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Unless otherwiseindicated, Scripturequotations are fromthe modern-languageNew World Translationof the Holy Scriptures.

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MY INTEREST in Bible truth had alreadybeen aroused earlier. My mother had ob-tained Bible publications, and I became en-grossed in their contents, particularly theillustrations. My father did not want mymother to talk to me about what she waslearning. However, I was curious and askedquestions, so she studied with me when myfather was out of the house. As a result, Itoo decided that I wanted to dedicate mylife to Jehovah. I was baptized in Black-pool, England, in 1943 at the age of ten.

GETTING STARTED IN SERVING JEHOVAHFrom that time on, my mother and I

shared regularly in the field service to-gether. To introduce the Bible’s message,we used phonographs. These were rath-er bulky and weighed about ten pounds(4.5 kg). Just imagine me, a young boy,lugging one of those!

By the time I was 14 years old, I wantedto pioneer. My mother said that I shouldfirst speak to the servant to the breth-ren (now called a circuit overseer). He

LIFE STORY

Becoming“All Thingsto Peopleof All Sorts”AS TOLD BYDENTON HOPKINSON

“If you get baptized, I will leave you!” My father threatenedmy mother with those words in 1941. Despite his threat,she decided to go ahead and get baptized in symbol of herdedication to Jehovah God. Making good on his threat,my father left. I was only eight years old at the time.

suggested that I try to get some kind of skillto support me in the pioneer service. So Idid that. After working for two years, Iconsulted another circuit overseer aboutpioneering. He said, “Go for it!”

Thus, in April 1949, my mother and I dis-posed of the furniture in our rented houseand moved to Middleton, near Manchester,where we began pioneering. After fourmonths, I selected a brother as my pioneerpartner. The branch office suggested thatwe move to a newly established congrega-tion in Irlam. My mother pioneered with asister in another congregation.

Although I was only 17 years old, mypartner and I were given the responsibilityof conducting meetings because there werefew qualified brothers in the new congrega-tion. Later, I was invited to transfer to theBuxton Congregation, which had very fewpublishers and needed help. I have alwaysviewed those early experiences as trainingfor future assignments.

In 1951, I filled out an application to at-tend the Watchtower Bible School of Gile-ad. However, in December 1952, I wascalled to report for military service. Isought an exemption on the basis of beinga full-time minister, but the court wouldnot acknowledge that I was a minister and

From top to bottom:Advertising a public lecture with othersin Rochester, New York, 1953Missionary companion Raymond Leachand I traveled 47 days by ship to the PhilippinesDelivering a public lecture at a Bicol-languagecircuit assembly

DECEMBER 2016 5

sentenced me to six months in prison.While there, I received my invitation to the22nd class of Gilead. So it was that inJuly 1953, I was on board the ship calledGeorgic, heading toward New York.

Upon arrival, I was able to attend the1953 New World Society Assembly. I thentraveled by train to South Lansing, NewYork, where the school was located. Freshout of prison, I had littlemoney.When I gotoff the train, a shuttle bus was to take meto South Lansing, and I had to borrow the25-cent fare from a fellow passenger.

A FOREIGN ASSIGNMENTGilead School provided wonderful train-

ing to help us to “become all things to peo-ple of all sorts” in the missionary work.(1 Cor. 9:22) Three of us—Paul Bruun, Ray-mond Leach, and I—were assigned to thePhilippines. We had to wait several monthsfor our visas; then we were on our way byship via Rotterdam, the Mediterranean Sea,the Suez Canal, the Indian Ocean, Malay-sia, and Hong Kong—47 days at sea! Wefinally reached Manila on November 19,1954.

Then started the adjustment to a newpeople, a new land, and even a new lan-guage. However, the three of us were ini-tially assigned to a congregation in QuezonCity, wheremanyof the residents spoke En-glish. Thus, after six months, we knew onlya few words of Tagalog. Our next assign-ment would help solve that problem.

One day in May 1955 when we arrivedhome from field service, Brother Leachand I found a pack of letters in our room.We learned that we were being assigned ascircuit overseers. I was only 22 years old,but this assignment gave me the opportuni-

ty to “become all things to people of allsorts” in new ways.

For example, I gave myfirst public talk asa circuit overseer in front of a village storeout in the open. I soon learned that it wasthe custom in the Philippines in those daysfor a public talk to be really public! As I vis-ited different congregations in the circuit,I delivered talks in public gazebos, at mar-kets, in front of municipal halls, on basket-ball courts, in parks, and often on citystreet corners. Once in San Pablo City, adownpour prevented me from giving a talkat a public market, so I suggested to theresponsible brothers that it be given inthe Kingdom Hall. Afterward, the brothersasked whether this could be reported as apublic meeting, since it was not held in apublic place!

Accommodations were always in broth-ers’ homes. Even though the homes weresimple, they were always clean. Mybed wasoften awoven mat on awooden floor. Bath-ing facilities lacked privacy, so I learned tobathe modestly out in the open. I traveledby jeepney and bus and sometimes by boatwhen going to other islands. Through allmy years of service, I have never owned acar.

Working in the field ministry and visitingcongregations helped me to learn Tagalog.I never had a formal language course, but Ilearned by listening to brothers in the fieldservice and at the meetings. The brotherswanted to help me learn, and I appreciatedtheir patience and honest comments.

As time went by, new assignmentsprompted me to make more adjustments.In 1956 when Brother Nathan Knorr vis-ited, I was assigned to care for public

relations at the national convention. I hadno experience, so others willingly helpedme learn. Less than a year later, anoth-er national convention was arranged andBrother Frederick Franz from world head-quarters visited. While serving as con-vention overseer, I learned from Broth-er Franz’s willingness to adjust to thepeople. The local brothers were pleased tosee Brother Franz wearing the barong Ta-galog, traditional Filipino attire, when giv-ing the public talk.

I needed to make more adjustmentswhen I was assigned as a district overseer.At that time, we showed the film The Happi-ness of the New World Society, almost alwaysoutdoors in public places. At times, wewere bothered by insects. They were at-tracted by the projector light and got stuckin the projector. It was quite a job cleaningthe projector afterward! It was not easy ar-ranging these showings, yet it was satisfy-ing to see the fine response of the people asthey got acquainted with the internationalaspect of Jehovah’s organization.

Catholic priests pressured some local au-thorities not to give us permits for assem-blies. Or they would try to drown out ourprogram by ringing the church bells when-ever talks were held near their churches.

From top to bottom:With Janet on one of the many islandsin the PhilippinesWe make sure that we have a regularshare in the ministryThe increase in the number ofWitnesses brings us constant joy

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Still, the work progressed, and many inthose areas are now worshippers of Jeho-vah.

ASSIGNMENTS THAT CALLEDFOR MORE ADJUSTMENTS

In 1959, I received a letter informing methat I had been assigned to serve at thebranch office. This resulted in many morelearning experiences. In time, I was askedto make zone visits to other countries. Onone of these trips, I got acquainted withJanet Dumond, a missionary in Thailand.We corresponded for some time and lat-er married. We have enjoyed 51 years ofsatisfying service together as a marriedcouple.

In all, I have had the pleasure of visitingJehovah’s people in 33 countries. Howthankful I am that my earlier assignmentshelped prepare me for the unique chal-lenges of dealing with such a diversity ofpeople! These visits broadened my view-point even more and helped me to see

how Jehovah’s love embraces people of allkinds.—Acts 10:34, 35.

STILL ADJUSTINGWhat a delight it has been to serve with

our brothers in the Philippines! The num-ber of publishers is now about ten timeswhat it was when I began serving here.Janet and I continue to serve together atthe Philippines branch office in QuezonCity. Even after more than 60 years in thisforeign assignment, I still need to be readyto adjust to what Jehovah asks. Recent or-ganizational changes have required that weremain flexible in our service to God and toour brothers.

We have endeavored to accept whateverwe perceived to be Jehovah’s will, and thishas been a most satisfying way to live. Wehave also tried to make the necessary ad-justments and serve our brothers well. Yes,we are determined, for as long as Jehovahwills, to be “all things to people of allsorts.”

We still serve atthe branch office

in Quezon City

IMAGINE you wanted to list Bible verses that Jehovah’s Wit-nesses know well and use often. Would Romans 5:12 be highon your list? Think about how often you have referred to thestatement: “Just as through one man sin entered into theworld and death through sin, and so death spread to all menbecause they had all sinned.”

2 That verse is repeatedly used in the book What Does theBible Really Teach? As you study this book with your childrenor others, you will likely read Romans 5:12 when you discussGod’s purpose for the earth, the ransom, and the conditionof the dead—chapters 3, 5, and 6. But how often do you thinkof Romans 5:12 with regard to your own standing before Je-hovah, your actions, and your future prospects?

3 All of us, of course, must face the reality that we are sin-ners. We make mistakes every day. Yet, we are assured thatGod remembers that we are made of dust, and he is willing toshow us mercy. (Ps. 103:13, 14) Jesus included in the modelprayer the request to God: “Forgive us our sins.” (Luke 11:

1, 2. Why is Romans 5:12 of interest to Jehovah’s Witnesses?3. We ought to face what fact about sin?

By Undeserved KindnessYou Were Set Free“Sin must not be master over you, seeing that youare . . . under undeserved kindness.”—ROM. 6:14.

SONGS: 46, 127

HOW WOULD YOUANSWER?��

Why is God’s provision ofthe ransom an undeservedkindness?

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How is it that we canconsider ourselves “deadwith reference to sin”?

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Why does appreciation forGod’s undeserved kindnessmove us to avoid more thanjust serious sins?

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DECEMBER 2016 9

2-4) Hence, we have no reason to dwellon mistakes that God has forgiven. Still,we can benefit from thinking about howhe could—and did—forgive us.

FORGIVEN THROUGHUNDESERVED KINDNESS

4 We find important information inthe chapters surrounding the apostlePaul’s words at Romans 5:12, especiallyin chapter 6. This will help us to under-stand how Jehovah can forgive us. Inchapter 3, we read: “All have sinned . . . ,and it is as a free gift that they are beingdeclared righteous by his undeservedkindness through the release by the ran-som paid by Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 3:23,24) What did Paul mean by saying “un-deserved kindness”? He used a Greekword that, according to one referencework, has the sense of “a favour freelydone,without claim or expectation of re-turn.” It is unearned and unmerited.

5 Scholar John Parkhurst noted:“When spoken of God or Christ, it [thatGreek word] very often particularly re-fers to their free and undeserved favour orkindness in the redemption and salvation ofman.” Thus, the rendering “undeservedkindness” in the New World Translation isfitting. But how did God manifest thisundeserved kindness? And what does ithave to do with your hope and your rela-tionship with him? Let us see.

6 Adam was the “one man” throughwhom sin and death “entered intothe world.” Thus “by the trespass ofthe one man death ruled as king.”Paul added that “the abundance of

4, 5. (a) What sheds light on the sense of Ro-mans 5:12? (b) What is the “undeserved kind-ness” that is mentioned at Romans 3:24?6. To what extent can individuals benefit fromGod’s undeserved kindness?

[God’s] undeserved kindness” cameabout “through the one person, JesusChrist.” (Rom. 5:12, 15, 17) And that un-deserved kindness has resulted in goodfor all mankind. “Through the obedi-ence of the one person [Jesus] many willbe made righteous.” Actually, God’s un-deserved kindness can lead to “everlast-ing life through Jesus Christ.”—Rom. 5:19, 21.

7 Jehovah was not obliged to have hisSon come to earth to provide the ran-som. Moreover, imperfect, sinful hu-mans did not of themselves merit, ordeserve, what God and Jesus did in pro-viding a ransom by which forgivenesswas possible. So our being forgiven andoffered the prospect of living forever istruly a kindness that is undeserved. Weshould highly value the gift of God’s un-deserved kindness and let it affect ourlife daily.

APPRECIATION FOR GOD’SUNDESERVED KINDNESS

8 Being imperfect descendants ofAdam, we are inclined to err, to do whatis bad, to sin. Still, it would be a seri-ous mistake to presume on God’s un-deserved kindness, such as by thinking:‘Even if I do something wrong—some-thing that God views as sin—I do nothave to worry about it. Jehovah will for-give me.’ Sadly, some Christians feltthat way evenwhile some of the apostleswere still alive. (Read Jude 4.) We our-selves might never voice such a thought;yet, the seeds of this wrong viewpointmight be in us or they could be plantedin us and start to grow.

7. Why was God’s provision of the ransom bothkind and undeserved?8. What mistaken view might some peoplehave of their sins?

10 THE WATCHTOWER

9 Paul stressed that we must stronglyreject the view: ‘Oh, God understands.He will overlook my wrong deeds or ac-tions.’ Why? Because, as Paul writes,Christians have “died with reference tosin.” (Read Romans 6:1, 2.)While theywere still alive on earth, how could it besaid of them that they had “died withreference to sin”?

10 God applied the ransom to Paul andothers of his day. Thus Jehovah forgavetheir sins, anointed them with holy spir-it, and called them to be his spiritualsons. Then they had the heavenly hope.If they proved faithful, they would liveand rule with Christ in heaven. But Paulcould speak of themwhile they were stillalive and serving God on earth as having“diedwith reference to sin.” He used theexample of Jesus, who died as a humanand then was raised up as an immortalspirit in heaven. Death was no longermaster over Jesus. It was similar withanointed Christians, who could consid-er themselves “dead with reference tosin but living with reference to God byChrist Jesus.” (Rom. 6:9, 11) Their wayof life was not as it once was. They wereno longer obeying the dictates or im-pulses of their sinful desires. They haddied to that previous way of life.

11 What of us? Well, before we be-came Christians, we often sinned, per-haps not realizing how wrong or bad ouractions were in God’s eyes. We were like“slaves to uncleanness and lawlessness.”It could be said that we “were slaves ofsin.” (Rom. 6:19, 20) Then we came toknow Bible truth, made changes in our

9, 10. How were Paul and others set free fromsin and death?11. In what sense have we who hope to live for-ever in Paradise “died with reference to sin”?

lives, dedicated ourselves to God, andgot baptized. Since then, it has been ourdesire to be “obedient from the heart”to God’s teachings and standards. Evenif we might not have spoken of it in thoseterms, we “were set free from sin” andwe “became slaves to righteousness.”(Rom. 6:17, 18) So we too could be saidto have “died with reference to sin.”

12 Now think of yourself in the light ofPaul’s words: “Do not let sin continue torule as king in yourmortal bodies so thatyou should obey their desires.” (Rom. 6:12) We could “let sin continue to rule”by doing whatever our imperfect bodymoves us to do. Because we can “let” sinrule or refuse to let it rule, the questionis, What do we really want at heart? Askyourself: ‘At times, do I let my imperfectbodyor mind point me in a bad directionand then go there? Or am I dead withreference to sin? Am I living with refer-ence to God by Christ Jesus?’ It reallycomes down to how much we appreciatethe undeserved kindness God has shownby forgiving us.

A FIGHT THAT YOU CAN WIN13 Jehovah’s people have turned their

back on “the fruit that [they] used toproduce” before they came to know,love, and serve God. Their past way oflife may have included “things of which[they] are now ashamed” and that wouldhave merited death. (Rom. 6:21) Thenthey changed. That was true of many inCorinth to whom Paul wrote. Some hadbeen idolaters, adulterers, homosexu-als, thieves, drunkards, and the like.Yet,

12. What choice does each of us have tomake?13. What evidence gives us confidence that itis possible to turn our back on sin?

they were “washed clean” and “sancti-fied.” (1 Cor. 6:9-11) That was likely alsotrue of some in the Roman congrega-tion. Paul was inspired to write to them:“Neither go on presenting your bodiesto sin as weapons of unrighteousness,but present yourselves to God as thosealive from the dead, also your bod-ies to God as weapons of righteous-ness.” (Rom. 6:13) Paul was sure thatthey could remain spiritually clean andthus continue to benefit from God’s un-deserved kindness.

14 It is similar today. Some broth-ers and sisters may at one time havebeen like those in Corinth. But they toochanged. They left their sinful past andwere “washed clean.” To whatever ex-tent that may be true in your case,what is your situation before God at thistime? Now that God’s undeserved kind-ness and resulting forgiveness are avail-able, are you determined no longer ‘topresent your body to sin’? Will you in-stead ‘present yourself to God as alivefrom the dead’?

15 For us to do that, we must certain-ly avoid choosing to practice the se-rious sins that some in Corinth hadbeen guilty of. That is vital if we are tosay that we have accepted God’s un-deserved kindness and that ‘sin is notmaster over us.’ However, are we alsodetermined to be “obedient from theheart” by doing our best to avoid sinsthat some would view as less serious?—Rom. 6:14, 17.

16 Think of the apostle Paul.We can be

14, 15. What should we ask ourselves aboutbeing “obedient from the heart”?16. How do we know that being a Christian in-volves more than leaving behind the practiceof serious sins?

sure that he was not sharing in the grosswrongs mentioned at 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Nonetheless, he confessed that hewas still guilty of sin. He wrote: “I amfleshly, sold under sin. For I do not un-derstand what I am doing. For I do notpractice what I wish, but I do what Ihate.” (Rom. 7:14, 15) This shows thatthere were other things that Paul viewedas sins, and hewas fighting against thosewrongs too. (Read Romans 7:21-23.)May that also be true of us as we striveto be “obedient from the heart.”

17 Consider, for example, thematter ofbeing honest. Honesty is basic to Chris-tianity. (Read Proverbs 14:5; Ephe-sians 4:25.) Satan is “the father of thelie.” And Ananias and his wife lost theirlives because of lying. We do not wantto imitate such ones—we avoid lying.(John 8:44; Acts 5:1-11) Is that, though,as far as our honesty goes? Actually,our honesty should reflect our deepappreciation for God’s undeserved kind-ness.

18 To lie is to say something untruth-ful. However, Jehovah wants his peopleto go beyond not telling outright lies.He urged the ancient Israelites: “Youshould be holy, because I, Jehovah yourGod, am holy.” Then he gave examplesof being holy. In part, God said: “Youmust not steal, you must not deceive, andyou must not deal falsely with one an-other.” (Lev. 19:2, 11) Sadly, a personwho makes it a point never to tell out-right lies might still resort to deceivingothers, dealing falsely with them.

19 For instance, a man tells his boss or

17. Why do you want to be honest?18, 19. How does being honest go beyondsimply not telling outright lies?

DECEMBER 2016 11

fellowworkers that he cannot be at workthe next day or that he must leave earlybecause he has a “medical” appoint-ment. In fact, his “medical” appoint-ment is merely a brief stop at a pharma-cy or a quick visit to the doctor’s officeto pay a bill. His real reason for not be-ing at work is so that he can get a headstart on a trip or so that he can take hisfamily to the beach. There may havebeen a grain of truth in his mention-ing a “medical” appointment, but wouldyou say that he was being honest? Orwas he being deceptive? You may knowof similar instances of deliberate de-ception. Perhaps this is done to avoidpunishment or to profit at others’ ex-pense. Even if no outright lie is told,what of God’s direction: “You must notdeceive”? Think, too, of Romans 6:19,which says: “Present your members asslaves to righteousness leading to holi-ness.”

20 The point is that our appreciationfor God’s undeserved kindness involvesmore than avoiding adultery, drunken-ness, or other sins that some in Cor-inth had been guilty of. Accepting God’sundeserved kindness means not onlyavoiding sexual immorality but alsofighting any tendency to enjoy lewd en-tertainment. Presenting our membersas slaves to righteousness will not onlykeep us from drunkenness but alsomove us to shun drinking to the point ofalmost being drunk. It may require con-siderable effort for us to fight againstsuch wrong practices; still, it is a fightthat we can win.

21 Our goal should be to avoid grosssins as well as wrongs that are not as fla-grant.We will not be able to do that per-fectly. Nevertheless, we should strive todo so, even as Paul did. He urged hisbrothers: “Do not let sin continue torule as king in your mortal bodies sothat you should obey their desires.”(Rom. 6:12; 7:18-20) As we fight againstsin in all its forms, we show true appre-ciation for God’s undeserved kindnessthrough Christ.

22 By means of God’s undeserved kind-ness, our sins have been forgiven andcan continue to be forgiven. In apprecia-tion, let us work at overcoming any ten-dency to give in to what others mightconsider minor sins. Paul emphasizedthe reward that then awaits us: “Nowthat you were set free from sin and be-came slaves to God, you are producingyour fruit in the way of holiness, and theend is everlasting life.”—Rom. 6:22.

20, 21. God’s undeserved kindness shouldmove us to what extent?22. What awaits those who prove their appre-ciation for God’s undeserved kindness?

Are we determined to avoidboth lying and deception?

(See paragraph 19)

IN CONNECTION with the annual commemoration of Jesus’death, have you read Romans 8:15-17? Probably so. That keypassage explains how Christians know that they are anointed—holy spirit bears witness with their spirit. And the openingverse in that chapter refers to “those in union with Christ Je-sus.” But does Romans chapter 8 applyonly to anointed ones?Or does it also speak to Christians who hope to live on earth?

2 Anointed Christians are those principally addressed inthat chapter. They receive “the spirit” as ones “waiting foradoption as sons, the release from [their fleshly] bodies.”(Rom. 8:23) Yes, their future is to be sons of God in heaven.That is possible because they became baptized Christians,and God applied the ransom in their behalf, forgave theirsins, and declared them righteous as spiritual sons.—Rom. 3:23-26; 4:25; 8:30.

3 However, Romans chapter 8 is also of interest to thosewho have the earthly hope because God in a sense views

1, 2. Why is Romans chapter 8 of special interest to anointed Chris-tians?3. Why do we conclude that Romans chapter 8 should be of interest tothose with the earthly hope?

‘Setting Your Mind on theSpirit Means Life and Peace’“Those who live according to the spirit, [set their minds]on the things of the spirit.”—ROM. 8:5.

SONGS: 45, 36

HOW WOULD YOUANSWER?��

No matter which hope wehave, why can we benefitfrom considering Romanschapter 8?

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How might a Christian beginto ‘set his mind on the flesh’?

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Setting our minds on thespirit involves our doingwhat?

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them as righteous. We see an indicationof that in what Paul wrote earlier in hisletter. In chapter 4, he discussed Abra-ham. That man of faith lived before Je-hovah gave the Law to Israel and longbefore Jesus died for our sins. Still,Jehovah noted Abraham’s outstandingfaith and counted him as righteous.(Read Romans 4:20-22.) Jehovah canin a similar way consider as righteousthe faithful Christians today who havethe Bible-based hope of living foreveron earth. Accordingly, they can benefitfrom the counsel found in Romans chap-ter 8 that is given to righteous ones.

4 At Romans 8:21, we find a guaranteethat the new world will definitely come.This verse promises that “the creationitself will also be set free from enslave-ment to corruption and have the glori-ous freedom of the children of God.”The question iswhether wewill be there,whether we will gain that reward. Doyou have confidence that you will? Ro-mans chapter 8 offers advice that willhelp you to do so.

4. Romans 8:21 should lead us to reflect onwhat question?

“SETTING THE MIND ON THE FLESH”5 Read Romans 8:4-13. Romans

chapter 8 speaks of those who walk “ac-cording to the flesh” in contrast withthose who walk “according to the spir-it.” Some might imagine that this is acontrast between those who are not inthe truth and those who are, betweenthose who are not Christians and thosewho are. However, Paul was writing to“those who are in Rome as God’s be-loved ones, called to be holy ones.” (Rom.1:7) Thus, Paul was contrasting Chris-tians who walked according to the fleshwith Christians who walked accordingto the spirit. What was the contrast?

6 Consider first the term “flesh.” Towhat was Paul referring? The Bible uses“flesh” in different ways. At times, it ap-plies to the actual flesh of our physicalbody. (Rom. 2:28; 1 Cor. 15:39, 50)It can also signify kinship. Jesus was“from the offspring of David according

5. At Romans 8:4-13, what serious matter didPaul address?6, 7. (a) What are some ways in which theterm“flesh” is used in the Bible? (b) At Romans8:4-13, in what sense did Paul use “flesh”?

to the flesh,” and Paul saw the Jewsas “relatives according to the flesh.”—Rom. 1:3; 9:3.

7 However, what Paul wrote in chap-ter 7 gives us a clue as to the “flesh” spo-ken of at Romans 8:4-13. He linked “liv-ing according to the flesh” with “thesinful passions” that were then “at workin [their] bodies.” (Rom. 7:5) This shedslight on the meaning of the expression“those who live according to the flesh,”who Paul said, “set their minds on thethings of the flesh.” He was referring topeople who are ruled by or focused ontheir desires and leanings as imperfecthumans. In the main, these are oneswho follow their cravings, impulses, andpassions, whether sexual or otherwise.

8 But you may wonder why Paul wouldstress to anointed Christians the dangerof living “according to the flesh.” Andcould a similar danger today threatenChristians, whom God has accepted ashis friends and views as righteous? Sad-ly, any Christian could begin to walk ac-

8. Why was it appropriate to warn even anoint-ed Christians about walking “according to theflesh”?

cording to the sinful flesh. For example,Paul wrote that some among the broth-ers in Romewere slaves “of their own ap-petites,” which could have been sexualappetite or appetite for food, drink, orother things. Some of themwere ‘seduc-ing unsuspecting ones.’ (Rom. 16:17, 18;Phil. 3:18, 19; Jude 4, 8, 12) Recall,too, that for a time, a brother in Cor-inth was “living with his father’s wife.”(1 Cor. 5:1) It is understandable, then,why God used Paul to warn Christiansabout “setting the mind on the flesh.”—Rom. 8:5, 6.

9 That warning is equally valid now.After serving God for years, a Christiancould begin to set his or her mind on thethings of the flesh. That does not referto a Christian who occasionally thinksabout food, employment, recreation, oreven romance. Those are aspects of lifefor the average servant of God. Jesusenjoyed food, and he fed others. Hesaw the need for refreshment. And Paulwrote about the proper place for pas-sion or intimacy within marriage.

9. To what does Paul’s warning at Romans 8:6not apply?

Do your conversationsshow that your mindis set on the spiritor on the flesh?(See paragraphs 10, 11)

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16 THE WATCHTOWER

10 What, then, was Paul saying about“setting themind on the flesh”? TheGreekword that Paul used means “to set one’smind or heart upon something, to em-ploy one’s faculty for thoughtful plan-ning, w[ith] the emphasis upon the un-derlying disposition or attitude.” Thosewho live according to the flesh allowtheir life course to be determined basi-cally by their sinful human nature. Onescholar says about that word at Ro-mans 8:5: “They set their minds on—aremost deeply interested in, constantlytalk about, engage and glory in—thethings pertaining to the flesh.”

11 It was fitting for Christians in Rometo analyze what their focus in life reallywas. Could it be that their lives weredominated by or centered on “things ofthe flesh”? And it is fitting for us to con-sider the same about our lives. Whatis of greatest interest to us, and towhat does our speech gravitate? Whatdo we really pursue day in and day out?Some may find that they are focusingon trying different types of wine, dec-orating the home, finding new cloth-ing styles, making investments, plan-ning vacation trips, and the like. Suchmatters are not bad in themselves; theycan be normal aspects of life. For exam-ple, Jesus once made wine, and Paultold Timothy to take “a little wine.”(1 Tim. 5:23; John 2:3-11) But did Jesusand Paul “constantly talk about, engageand glory in” wine? Was it their passion,what they ‘constantly talked’ about? No.What about us? What is our key interestin life?

10. At Romans 8:5, 6, the expression “set theirminds on” implies what?11. What sort of things might we include whenasking ourselves, ‘What is my key interest?’

12 Self-examination is important.Why? Paul wrote: “Setting the mindon the flesh means death.” (Rom. 8:6)That is serious—spiritual death now andphysical death in the future. Still, Pauldid not mean that if someone beganto ‘set the mind on the flesh’ his endunavoidably would be death. Changeis possible. Think of the immoral manin Corinth who went after “the flesh”and had to be disfellowshipped. Yet, hecould and did change. He ceased to walkafter the flesh and returned to a straightpath.—2 Cor. 2:6-8.

13 If it was possible for that person tochange, it is possible for a Christian to-day to change, especially one who hasnot gone after the flesh as far as the manin Corinth had. Certainly, Paul’s warn-ing about the possible final outcome forsomeone who ‘sets his or her mind onthe flesh’ should be a stimulus to Chris-tians to make any needed changes!

“SETTING THE MIND ON THE SPIRIT”14 After the apostle warned us against

“setting the mind on the flesh,” he of-fered this positive assurance: “Settingthe mind on the spirit means life andpeace.” What a result or reward that is—life and peace! How can we gain thatreward?

15 “Setting the mind on the spirit”does not imply that a person has to livewith his head in the clouds, so to speak.He does not need to think and talk ofnothing other than the Bible or his lovefor God and his hope for the future. Letus recall that Paul and others in the first

12, 13. Why is what we set our mind on a seri-ous issue?14, 15. (a) What alternative is there to “set-ting the mind on the flesh”? (b) What is notmeant by “setting the mind on the spirit”?

century who pleased God were livingrather normal lives in many respects.They consumed food and drink. Manymarried and enjoyed family life, work-ing to support themselves.—Mark 6:3;1 Thess. 2:9.

16 However, those servants of God didnot allow such normal aspects of life tobecome the center of their lives. Aftershowing that Paul worked as a tentmak-er, the record reveals what his life wascentered on: He regularly gave attentionto the Christian preaching and teachingwork. (Read Acts 18:2-4; 20:20, 21,34, 35.) And those were the activitiesthat he recommended to his brothersand sisters in Rome. Yes, Paul’s life cen-tered on spiritual provisions and activi-ties. The Romans needed to imitate him,and so do we.—Rom. 15:15, 16.

17 What is the outcome if we maintaina spiritual focus? Romans 8:6 answersclearly: “Setting the mind on the spiritmeans life and peace.” That implies let-ting our mind be influenced by anddominated by holy spirit and being inharmony with God and his thoughts.Wecan trust that by making “the spirit” thereal center of our existence, we will havea satisfying, meaningful life now. Andthe lasting result is everlasting life, bethat in heaven or on earth.

18 Let us reflect on the assurance that“setting the mind on the spirit means . . .peace.” Many people struggle to findpeace of mind. While they desperatelysearch for inner peace, we already enjoy

16. Though sharing in many normal aspects oflife, on what was Paul focused?17. If we ‘set our mind on the spirit,’ what sortof life can we have?18. In what way does peace result from “set-ting the mind on the spirit”?

it. One aspect of having such peace isthat we strive to be at peace with thosein our family and those in the congrega-tion. We have the good sense to real-ize that both we and our brothers andsisters are imperfect. Because of this,problems may occasionally arise, and ifthat happens, we have been taught tofollow Jesus’ advice: “Make your peacewith your brother.” (Matt. 5:24) This ismade easier when we recall that theother brother or sister is also serving“the God who gives peace.”—Rom. 15:33; 16:20.

19 And there is another peace that is ofincalculable value. By our “setting themind on the spirit,” we enjoy peacewith our Maker. Isaiah recorded wordsthat applied in his day but have aneven greater fulfillment now: “You [Je-hovah] will safeguard those who fullylean on you; you will give them continu-ous peace, because it is in you that theytrust.”—Isa. 26:3; read Romans 5:1.

20 Accordingly, whether we are spiritanointed or we hope to live permanent-ly in a paradise on earth, we can bethankful for the inspired counsel in Ro-mans chapter 8. How grateful we can befor the encouragement not to let “theflesh” become the principal thing in ourlife! Instead, we see the wisdom of livingin line with the inspired assurance: “Set-ting the mind on the spirit means lifeand peace.” The reward of doing sowill be everlasting, for Paul wrote: “Thewages sin pays is death, but the gift Godgives is everlasting life by Christ Jesusour Lord.”—Rom. 6:23.

19. Depending on what we set our mind on,what special peace can we enjoy?20. Why are you thankful for the counsel in Ro-mans chapter 8?

DECEMBER 2016 17

What type of sin was Jesusspeaking of in the counseloutlined at Matthew 18:15-17?He was speaking of matters thatcan be settled between thosedirectly involved. But the sin isserious enough to merit disfel-lowshipping if the matter is notsettled. For example, the sinmight be slander, or it might in-volve fraud.—w16.05, p. 7.What can you do to makeBible reading more beneficial?You can do the following: Readwith an open mind, seeking les-sons that you can apply; askyourself such questions as ‘Howcan I use this to help others?’;and use available tools to doresearch on the material youjust read.—w16.05, pp. 24-26.Is it wrong for a Christian togrieve even while believing inthe resurrection?Faith in the resurrection doesnot eliminate the deep loss aChristian may feel. Abrahammourned the death of Sarah.(Gen. 23:2) In time, the griefwill soften.—wp16.3, p. 4.Whom do the man with thesecretary’s inkhorn, men-tioned in Ezekiel chapter 9,and the six men with weap-ons symbolize?We understand them to pictureheavenly forces that were

involved in the destruction ofJerusalem and that will be in-volved in bringing destructionat Armageddon. In the modern-day fulfillment, the man withthe inkhorn represents JesusChrist, who marks those whowill survive.—w16.06, pp. 16-17.The Bible survived what sortsof threats?It survived (1) the threat ofdecay of the materials used towrite on, such as papyrus andparchment; (2) opposition bypolitical and religious leaderswho tried to destroy it; and(3) attempts by some to alterits message.—wp16.4, pp. 4-7.What are ways in whicha Christian might simplifyhis life?Identify your actual needs, andeliminate unnecessary expenses.Prepare a realistic budget. Dis-pose of things you do not use,and pay off debts. Cut back onyour employment, and plan howto expand your ministry.—w16.07, p. 10.The Bible identifies whatas more valuable than goldor silver?Job 28:12, 15 shows that divinewisdom is better than gold orsilver. As you seek it, strive toremain humble and strong infaith.—w16.08, pp. 18-19.

Is it proper for a brother todayto have a beard?In some cultures, a neat beardmay be acceptable and may notdetract from the Kingdom mes-sage. Still, some brothers mightdecide not to have a beard.(1 Cor. 8:9) In other culturesand localities, beards are notconsidered acceptable for Chris-tian ministers.—w16.09, p. 21.

Why can we trust theBible record of Davidversus Goliath?The height given for Goliath isjust six inches (15 cm) tallerthan that of the tallest man doc-umented in modern times. Davidwas a real person, as confirmedby an ancient inscription thatmentions the house of Davidand by what Jesus said. Therecorded geographic detailsmatch known facts.—wp16.5,p. 13.

How do knowledge,understanding, andwisdom differ?A person who has knowledgetakes in information, or facts.Someone who has understand-ing can see how one fact relatesto another. But a person whohas wisdom is able to combineknowledge with understandingand use them well.—w16.10,p. 18.

DO YOU REMEMBER?

Have you carefully read the recent issues of The Watchtower?Well, see if you can answer the following questions:

18 THE WATCHTOWER

http://wol.jw.org/wol/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=2016361&srcdocid=2016928&srcid=TL&srctype=PDF












WE LIVE in very stressful times. Satan the Devil is bitterly an-gry and “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devoursomeone.” (1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:17) Therefore, it is not surpris-ing that at times even we, God’s servants, experience somefeelings of anxiety. After all, on occasion, God-fearing ser-vants of Jehovah in the past, such as King David, had “anx-ious concern.” (Ps. 13:2) Recall, too, that the apostle Paul ex-perienced “anxiety for all the congregations.” (2 Cor. 11:28)But what can we do when we are overwhelmed by feelings ofanxiety?

2 Our loving heavenly Father came to the aid of his servantsin the past, and today he makes it possible for us to gain con-siderable relief from distress or anxiety. The Bible urges us:“Throw all your anxiety [“cares; worries,” ftn.] on him, be-cause he cares for you.” (1 Pet. 5:7) How, though, can you dothat? Let us consider four ways that you can do so—by meansof heartfelt prayer, by reading God’s Word and meditating on

1, 2. (a) Why should we not be surprised when we experience someanxiety? (See opening picture.) (b) What will we consider in this arti-cle?

Throw All Your Anxietyon Jehovah

“Throw all your anxiety on [Jehovah], because he cares for you.”—1 PET. 5:7.

SONGS: 38, 7

CAN YOU EXPLAIN?��

How can God’s Wordrelieve our anxiety?

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How can you experience“the peace of God”?

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How can the congregationhelp you to reduce anxiety?

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20 THE WATCHTOWER

it, by tapping into Jehovah’s holy spirit,and by sharing your feelingswith a trust-ed confidant. As we examine these fourways, see if you can identify practicalsteps that you want to take.

“THROW YOUR BURDEN ON JEHOVAH”3 Afirst stepwe can take is to approach

Jehovah in earnest prayer.Whenyou areconfronted by situations that cause un-easiness, apprehension, or anxiety, pourout your heart to your loving heavenlyFather.The psalmist David begged Jeho-vah: “Listen to my prayer, O God.” Thenin the same psalm, he said: “Throw yourburden on Jehovah, and he will sustainyou.” (Ps. 55:1, 22) After you have doneall you can to solve a problem, heartfeltprayer will certainly accomplish morethanworry. But how can prayer help youto avoid becoming overwhelmed by dis-quieting thoughts and anguish?—Ps. 94:18, 19, ftn.

4 Read Philippians 4:6, 7. Jehovahcan respond to our earnest, heartfelt,and persistent supplications. How? Bygiving us inner calm that can free ourmind and heart of disturbing emotions.Many can testify to this, based on theirown experience. In place of anxiety,a distressing sense of foreboding, Godhelped them to gain a profound sense ofpeace and tranquillity that actually sur-passed human understanding. That canbe your experience too. Thus “the peaceof God” can triumph over any challengeyou may face. You can fully trust Jeho-vah’s compassionate promise: “Do notbe anxious, for I am your God. I will

3. How can you “throw your burden on Jeho-vah” by means of prayer?4. When we are anxious, why is prayer so im-portant?

fortify you, yes, I will help you.”—Isa.41:10.

INNER PEACE FROM GOD’S WORD5 A second way to gain inner peace is

by reading Bible texts and meditating onthem. Why is this important? The Bi-ble contains practical spiritual guidancethat can help you to avoid, reduce, ordeal with anxiety. Do not overlook thefact that God’s Word is helpful and re-freshing because it contains the Creator’sown words of wisdom. As you reflect onGod’s thoughts—day or night—and con-sider how best to use the Bible’s practicalguidance, you will be greatly strength-ened. Jehovah specifically linked readinghis Word with being “courageous andstrong” and not being “struck with terroror fear.”—Josh. 1:7-9.

6 In God’s Word, we find Jesus’ sooth-ing sayings. His words and teachingswere a source of refreshment to his lis-teners. Multitudes were drawn to himbecause he calmed troubled hearts,strengthened the weak, and consoledthe depressed. (Read Matthew 11:28-30.)He showed loving consideration forothers’ spiritual, emotional, and physi-cal needs. (Mark 6:30-32) Jesus’ prom-ise of support still applies. It can proveto be as true for you as it was for theapostles traveling with Jesus.You do nothave to be in Jesus’ physical presence tobenefit. As heavenly King, Jesus contin-ues to have and show empathy. Thus,when you are anxious, he can mercifully‘come to your aid’ and ‘help you at theright time.’ Yes, Jesus can help you tocope with distress, and he can fill your

5. How can God’s Word bring us inner peace?6. Jesus’ words can have what positive effecton you?

DECEMBER 2016 21

heart with hope and courage.—Heb. 2:17, 18; 4:16.

GODLY QUALITIESPRODUCED BY GOD’S SPIRIT

7 Jesus promised that our Father inheaven will not fail to give holy spirit tothose asking Him. (Luke 11:10-13) Thisputs at your disposal a third, powerfulmeans to alleviate anxiety—the fruitageof the spirit.These positive qualities thatare produced by God’s active force re-flect the very personality of the almightyGod. (Read Galatians 5:22, 23; Col. 3:10) As you cultivate the fruitage of thatspirit, your relationship with others willimprove. Thus, you will find that manysituations that could otherwise causeanxiety do not arise. Reflect briefly onhow the fruitage of the spirit will helpyou.

8 “Love, joy, peace.” Whenyou strive todeal respectfully with people, you willlikely find that you are better able to dealwith your own negative emotions. Howis that so? Well, as you show brotherlylove, tender affection, and honor, youwill avoid situations that could causeanxiety.—Rom. 12:10.

9 “Patience, kindness, goodness.” Youpromote peaceful relationships by heed-ing the admonition: “Become kind toone another, tenderly compassionate,freely forgiving one another.” (Eph. 4:32) In so doing, you prevent situationsfrom developing that could otherwisecause anxiety. Also, you can deal moreeffectively with situations that arise be-cause of human imperfection.

7. How will you benefit as God responds whenyou ask for holy spirit?8-12. How can the fruitage of God’s holy spir-it help you to deal with or avoid stressful situa-tions?

10 “Faith.” Today, our anxiety is oftenrelated to concern over money and ma-terial possessions. (Prov. 18:11) Accord-ingly, strong faith in Jehovah’s lovingcare can help you to cope with or avoidsuch anxiety. How is that? You can avoidmuch anxiety by heeding the apostlePaul’s inspired counsel to be “contentwith the present things.” Paul adds: “For[God] has said: ‘I will never leave you,and I will never abandonyou.’ So that wemay be of good courage and say: ‘Jeho-vah is my helper; I will not be afraid.What canmando tome?’”—Heb. 13:5, 6.

11 “Mildness, self-control.” Think howpractical and effective it is for you to dis-play those qualities. Thus, you will like-ly avoid actions that could cause anxietyfor you personally, and you will benefitbyavoiding “malicious bitterness, anger,wrath, screaming, and abusive speech.”—Eph. 4:31.

12 Admittedly, you will need humilityto yield to “the mighty hand of God”and to “throw all your anxiety on him.”(1 Pet. 5:6, 7) But as you cultivate humil-ity, you will be on a path that results inGod’s favor and support. (Mic. 6:8) Bymaintaining a realistic estimate of yourphysical, mental, and emotional abili-ties, you will be less likely to becomeoverwhelmed by anxiety, for you will berelying on God.

“NEVER BE ANXIOUS”13 At Matthew 6:34 (read), we find

Jesus’ profound advice: “Never be anx-ious.” It may, however, seem difficult tofollow that advice.What did Jesus meanwhen he said: “Never be anxious”? Ob-viously, he could not have meant that

13. What did Jesus mean when he said: “Nev-er be anxious”?

22 THE WATCHTOWER

a servant of God would not at somepoint in life experience anxiety; we havealready noted the words of David and ofPaul on this matter. But Jesus was help-ing his disciples to realize that undue, orextreme, anxiety does not solve prob-lems. Each dayhas its own challenges, soChristians do not need to add anxiousthoughts about the past or the future tothe concerns of the present. How canyou apply Jesus’ advice and experiencerelief from debilitating anxiety?

14 Some anxiety may be caused by aperson’s past actions or failings. He maybe plagued with guilt about somethinghe did in the past, even many years ago.At times, King David felt that his ‘errorsloomed over his head.’ He admitted:“My anguished heart makes me groanaloud.” (Ps. 38:3, 4, 8, 18) In that situa-tion, what was the wise thing for Da-vid to do? What did he do? He trust-ed in Jehovah’s mercy and forgiveness.With conviction he said: “Happy is theone whose transgression is pardoned.”—Read Psalm 32:1-3, 5.

15 At other times, you may becomeanxious about the present. For instance,when David wrote Psalm 55, he feared

14. How can you deal with anxiety about yourpast?15. (a) Why should you not be anxious aboutthe present? (b) What practical steps can youtake to reduce anxiety? (See the box “SomePractical Ways to Reduce Anxiety.”)

for his life. (Ps. 55:2-5) Nevertheless, hedid not allow anxiety to destroy hisconfidence in Jehovah. David made hisproblems a subject of fervent prayer, buthe also understood the value of takingpractical steps to deal with the cause ofthe anxiety. (2 Sam. 15:30-34) Learn alesson from David. Instead of allowinganxiety to overwhelm you, take whatsteps you can to deal with the situationand then confidently leave matters in Je-hovah’s hands.

16 Unwarranted anxiety often results ifa Christian agonizes over possible futureproblems. However, you need not beconsumed by anxiety, or worry, overevents that you do not know anythingabout. Why not? Because things oftendo not turn out to be as bad as we fearedthey might be. Moreover, there is no sit-uation beyond the control of the God onwhom you can throw all your anxiety.His very name is understood to mean“He Causes to Become.” (Ex. 3:14) Theprofoundmeaning of the divine name as-sures us that God is fully capable of see-ing to it that his purposes in behalf of hisservants are carried out. You can be cer-tain that God can reward his faithfulones and help them deal with anxietyabout the past, the present, and the fu-ture.

16. How can the meaning of God’s namestrengthen your faith?

Some PracticalWays to ReduceAnxiety

Set appropriatepriorities.PHILIPPIANS 1:10, 11

Have realisticexpectations.ECCLESIASTES 7:16

Make room in yourschedule for somequiet time each day.MATTHEW 14:23

HEARTFELT COMMUNICATION17 A fourth way to help you cope with

anxiety is good communication, sharingyour feelings with a trusted confidant. Amarriage mate, a close friend, or a con-gregation elder may be able to help youto put your anxiety into perspective.“Anxiety in aman’s heart weighs it down,but a good word cheers it up.” (Prov. 12:25) Frank and honest communicationcan do much to help you to understandand deal with your concerns. The Bibletells us: “Plans fail when there is no con-sultation, but there is accomplishmentthrough many advisers.”—Prov. 15:22.

18 Jehovah also helps Christians todeal with anxieties by means of week-ly congregation meetings. There youcan associate with fellow believers whoare concerned about you and who wantto encourage one another. (Heb. 10:24,25) Such “an interchange of encourage-ment” will help to replenish your spiritu-al resources and make it easier for youto deal with any anxiety.—Rom. 1:12.

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD—YOUR GREATEST STRENGTH

19 Consider how a congregation elderin Canada learned the value of throwinghis anxiety on Jehovah. He has a high-

17, 18. How can good communication helpyou to cope with anxiety?19. Why can you be confident that your rela-tionship with God will strengthen you?

stress job as a schoolteacher and coun-selor, and he also has had to deal with ananxiety disorder. How has this brothercoped? “Above all,” he explains, “I findthat working hard to fortify my relation-ship with Jehovah gives me the greateststrength to copewith emotional difficul-ties. The support of true friends andspiritual brothers is vital in times of dis-tress. I am open and honest with mywife about my feelings. Fellow eldersand our circuit overseer were invaluablein helping me put things into perspec-tive. I also sought medical help, madechanges in the way I managed my time,and set aside time to relax and exercise.Gradually, I began to feel more in con-trol.When there are things that I cannotcontrol, I leave matters in Jehovah’shands.”

20 In summary, we have noted the val-ue of throwing our anxiety on God bymeans of heartfelt prayer and by read-ing his Word and meditating on it. Wealso considered the value of cultivat-ing the fruitage of his spirit, sharingour feelings with a trusted confidant,and drawing strength from upbuildingChristian association. The next articlewill discuss how Jehovah further sus-tains us by providing uswith the hope ofa reward.—Heb. 11:6.

20. (a) How can we throw our anxiety onGod? (b) What will we discuss in the followingarticle?

Enjoy Jehovah’screation.PSALM 104:24, 25

Keep a senseof humor.PROVERBS 17:22

Get regularexercise.1 TIMOTHY 4:8

Get sufficientsleep.ECCLESIASTES 4:6

DECEMBER 2016 23

WE LOVE Jehovah “because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)As one expression of his tender love, Jehovah has taken theinitiative to bless his loyal servants. The more we love ourGod, the stronger our faith becomes, not only that he exists,but that he unfailingly rewards those whom he loves.—ReadHebrews 11:6.

2 Being a rewarder is an integral part of who Jehovah is andwhat he does. Our faith is not complete unless we are firmlyconvinced that Godwill reward those who earnestly seek him,for “faith is the assured expectation of what is hoped for.”(Heb. 11:1) Yes, faith involves the certain expectation ofGod’s promised blessings. How, though, does the hope of a re-ward benefit us? How has Jehovah rewarded his servants,both in the past and in the present? Let us see.

JEHOVAH PROMISES TO BLESS HIS SERVANTS3 Jehovah God has obligated himself to reward his faithful

servants, so he invites us to reach out for his blessing. We

1, 2. (a) How are love and faith connected? (b) What questions will weconsider?3. What promise is found at Malachi 3:10?

Jehovah Rewards ThoseWho Earnestly Seek Him

“Whoever approaches God must believe that he is and that hebecomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.”—HEB. 11:6.

SONGS: 136, 139

CAN YOU EXPLAIN?��

How can we be surethat Jehovah rewardshis servants?

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How did Jehovah blesshis servants in the past?

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What rewards do wereceive from Jehovah?

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read: “‘Test me out, please, . . .’Jehovahof armies says, ‘to see whether I will notopen to you the floodgates of the heav-ens and pour out on you a blessinguntil there is nothing lacking.’” (Mal.3:10) We show our deep appreciationand gratitude when we accept Jehovah’sgenerous offer.

4 Jesus assured his disciples that ifthey would put the Kingdom first, Godwould support them. (ReadMatthew6:33.) The certainty of Jesus’ promisewas based on Jehovah’s perfect rec-ord of trustworthiness. Jesus knew thatGod’s promises never fail. (Isa. 55:11)We, in turn, can be certain that if wemanifest heartfelt faith in Jehovah, he

4. Why can we have confidence in Jesus’ as-surance recorded at Matthew 6:33?

will keep his promise: “I will never leaveyou, and I will never abandon you.”(Heb. 13:5) We can link that inspiredstatement with what Jesus said aboutseeking first the Kingdom and God’srighteousness.

5 The apostle Peter once asked Jesus:“We have left all things and followedyou; what, then, will there be for us?”(Matt. 19:27) Instead of rebuking Peterfor asking that question, Jesus told hisdisciples that they would be rewardedfor their sacrifices. The faithful apostlesand others will rule with him in heaven.But even now there are rewards. Jesussaid: “Everyone who has left houses orbrothers or sisters or father or mother

5. Why is Jesus’ reply to Peter faith-strengthening?

Jesus showed that his disciples would be rewarded for their sacrifices(See paragraph 5)

26 THE WATCHTOWER

or children or lands for the sake of myname will receive a hundred times asmuch and will inherit everlasting life.”(Matt. 19:29) His disciples would gainblessings far in excess of any personalsacrifices they might make. Are not spir-itual fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters,and children much more valuable thananything we have renounced or given upfor the sake of the Kingdom?

“AN ANCHOR FOR THE SOUL”6 By promising his worshippers a re-

ward, Jehovah helps to sustain themduring tests of integrity. Besides enjoy-ing rich spiritual blessings now, JehovahGod’s faithful servants eagerly look for-ward to even greater blessings in the fu-ture. (1 Tim. 4:8) Yes, our being firmlyconvinced that Jehovah “becomes therewarder of those earnestly seeking him”will help us to stand firm in the faith.—Heb. 11:6.

7 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesussaid: “Rejoice and be overjoyed, sinceyour reward is great in the heavens, forin that way they persecuted the prophetsprior to you.” (Matt. 5:12) Aside fromthose who will receive a reward in heav-en, the prospect of everlasting life on aparadise earth is indeed reason to “re-joice and be overjoyed.” (Ps. 37:11; Luke18:30) Whether heavenly or earthly, ourhope can serve as “an anchor for thesoul, both sure and firm.” (Heb. 6:17-20)Just as an anchor keeps a ship steadyduring a storm, the sure hope of a re-ward can help us to maintain our emo-tional, mental, and spiritual stability. Itcan help us to have the strength to en-dure hardships.

6. Why does Jehovah promise his worshippersa reward?7. How does hope serve as an anchor?

8 Our Bible-based hope has the powerto reduce present anxiety. God’s promis-es act like spiritual balm that soothesour anxious heart. How comforting it isfor us to ‘throwourburden on Jehovah,’knowing that ‘he will sustain us’! (Ps. 55:22) We can have full confidence thatGod can do “more than superabundant-ly beyond all the things we ask or con-ceive.” (Eph. 3:20) Imagine that—notjust abundantly and not superabundant-ly but “more than superabundantly”!

9 To receive the reward, we need to ex-ercise full faith in Jehovah and be obe-dient to his directions. Moses told thenation of Israel: “Jehovah will surelybless you in the land that Jehovah yourGod is giving you to possess as an inher-itance, but only if you strictly obey thevoice of Jehovah your God and careful-ly observe all this commandment that Iam giving you today. For Jehovah yourGod will bless you just as he has prom-ised you.” (Deut. 15:4-6) Do you havefull confidence that Jehovah will blessyou if you continue to serve him faith-fully? You certainly have good reasonfor such confidence.

JEHOVAH WAS THEIR REWARDER10 The Bible was recorded for our ben-

efit. It contains many accounts of howGod did indeed reward faithful servants.(Rom. 15:4) Joseph was an outstandingexample. As a result of a conspiracy byhis brothers and the later treachery ofhis master’s wife, he found himself in anEgyptian prison. Was he cut off from hisGod? Not at all! “Jehovah continued

8. How does hope have the power to reduceanxiety?9. How sure can we be of Jehovah’s blessing?10, 11. How did Jehovah reward Joseph?

DECEMBER 2016 27

with Joseph and kept showing loyal loveto him . . . Jehovah was with Joseph andJehovah made whatever he did success-ful.” (Gen. 39:21-23) Joseph, throughthose trialsome times, waited patientlyon his God.

11 Years later, Pharaoh released Jo-seph from prison and made this humbleslave second ruler in Egypt. (Gen. 41:1,37-43) When his wife bore him two sons,“Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh,for he said, ‘God has made me forget allmy trouble and all the house of my fa-ther.’ And he named the second oneEphraim, for he said, ‘God has mademe fruitful in the land of my afflic-tion.’” (Gen. 41:51, 52) Because Josephremained loyal to God, he was rewardedwith blessings that resulted in the pres-ervation of life both for the Israelitesand for the Egyptians. The point is, Jo-seph recognized that it was Jehovahwho had rewarded him and blessed him.—Gen. 45:5-9.

12 Jesus Christ likewise remained obe-dient to God through various tests of hisfaith, and he was rewarded.What helpedhim to cope? God’s Word explains: “Forthe joy that was set before him he en-dured a torture stake, despising shame.”(Heb. 12:2) Jesus certainly found joyin being able to sanctify God’s name.Furthermore, he was rewarded with hisFather’s approval and many wonderfulprivileges.The Bible reports that he “hassat down at the right hand of the throneof God.” And elsewhere we read: “Godexalted him to a superior position andkindly gave him the name that is aboveevery other name.”—Phil. 2:9.

12. How did Jesus remain faithful when undertrial?

JEHOVAH DOES NOTFORGET WHAT WE DO

13 We can be sure that Jehovah appre-ciates every effort that we make to servehim. He understands any insecurities orself-doubts that we may have. He showsus compassion iffinancial burdensweighus down or our health or emotions tendto limit our sacred service. And we canhave full confidence in Jehovah’s ten-der regard for what his servants do tostay faithful to him.—Read Hebrews 6:10, 11.

14 Bear in mind, too, that we can ap-proach the “Hearer of prayer” with theconfidence that he will give attention toour concerns. (Ps. 65:2) “The Fatherof tender mercies and the God of allcomfort” will unstintingly give us theemotional and spiritual support that weneed, perhaps doing so by means of ourfellowworshippers. (2 Cor. 1:3) It touch-es Jehovah’s heart when we show com-passion toward others. “The one show-ing favor to the lowly is lending toJehovah, and He will repay him for whathe does.” (Prov. 19:17; Matt. 6:3, 4)Hence, when we unselfishly help thosewho are in difficulty, Jehovah views ourgood deed as a loan made to Him. Andhe promises to reward that kindness.

REWARDS NOW AND FOREVER15 Spirit-anointed Christians are sus-

tained by the prospect of receiving “thecrown of righteousness, which the Lord,the righteous judge, will give . . . as a re-ward in that day.” (2 Tim. 4:7, 8) Youwill, however, not be shortchanged if

13, 14. How does Jehovah feel about what wedo for him?15. What rewards do you look forward to? (Seeopening picture.)

28 THE WATCHTOWER

God has given you a different prospect.Millions of Jesus’ “other sheep” eagerlyanticipate the future reward of everlast-ing life on a paradise earth. There “theywill find exquisite delight in the abun-dance of peace.”—John 10:16; Ps. 37:11.

16 At times, we may feel that we are ac-complishing little, or we might wonderwhether Jehovah is pleased with our ef-forts. We may even doubt that we quali-fy to receive any kind of reward. Let usnever forget, though, that “God is great-er than our hearts and knows all things.”(Read 1 John 3:19, 20.) He rewardsevery expression of sacred service thatsprings from a heart motivated by faithand love, no matter how insignificant itmight seem to the giver of the sacrifice.—Mark 12:41-44.

17 Even in these dark last days of Sa-tan’s wicked systemof things, Jehovah isblessing his people. He makes sure thattrueworshippers flourish in their spiritu-al estate, which is unprecedented in itsspiritual abundance. (Isa. 54:13) As Je-sus promised, Jehovah rewards us nowby letting us be part of a loving family ofspiritual brothers and sisters, a familythat is international in scope. (Mark 10:29, 30) Furthermore, those who earnest-ly seek God are rewarded with the in-comparable blessings of peace of mind,contentment, and happiness.—Phil. 4:4-7.

18 Jehovah’s servants around theworld can testify to the wonderful re-wards they receive from him. For exam-ple, Bianca from Germany says: “I can-

16. What comfort do we find at 1 John 3:19, 20?17. What are some of the rewards that we en-joy now?18, 19. How do Jehovah’s servants feel aboutthe rewards they receive?

not thank Jehovah enough for helpingme with my worries and for being at myside each day. The world out there ischaotic and bleak. But as I work closelywith Jehovah, I feel secure in his arms.Whenever I make personal sacrifices forhim, he gives me back a hundredfold inblessings.”

19 Or consider 70-year-old Paula inCanada who is severely restricted byspina bifida. “Reduced mobility does notnecessarily mean a reduced ministry,”she says. “I take advantage of differentforms of service, such as telephone andinformal witnessing. For my own en-couragement, I keep a notebook withscriptures and thoughts from our publi-cations that I can consult from time totime. I call it ‘My Survival Notebook.’Discouragement is temporary if we fo-cus on Jehovah’s promises. Jehovah isalways there to help us, regardless of ourcircumstances.” Your situation may bequite different from that of Bianca or ofPaula. Yet, you can likely think of waysin which Jehovah has rewarded you andthose around you. How good it is to re-flect on howJehovah is rewarding you atthis time and how he will reward you inthe future!

20 Never forget that your heartfeltprayers and freeness of speech with God“will be richly rewarded.” You can becertain that “after you have done thewillof God, you [will] receive the fulfillmentof the promise.” (Heb. 10:35, 36) So letus now continue to strengthen our faithand towork whole-souled as to Jehovah.We can do this, knowing that it is fromJehovah that we will receive the due re-ward.—Read Colossians 3:23, 24.20. What can we look forward to if we contin-ue to serve Jehovah whole-souled?

DECEMBER 2016 29

ON THE following visit, the womanlashed out at Toni again. How did shereact? “It was a very difficult situation,”she admitted. “Her verbal abuse was un-justified.” Nonetheless, Toni apologizedagain and told the woman that she un-derstood the suffering she was experi-encing.

Had you been Toni, how do you thinkyou would have reacted? Would youhave tried to display a mild temper?Would it have been a struggle for you tocontrol your temper? Undeniably, it may

not be easy to maintain composure insituations such as the one describedabove. When we are under stress orprovocation, it is a real challenge to re-main mild-tempered.

The Bible, however, encourages Chris-tians to be mild-tempered. In fact, God’sWord associates that disposition withwisdom. “Who is wise and understand-ing among you?” asks James. “Let himby his fine conduct demonstrate worksperformed with a mildness that comesfrom wisdom.” (Jas. 3:13) In what way is

A Mild TemperTheWay of WisdomToni, a professional caregiver, rang the doorbell,and a middle-aged woman answered. The woman insultedToni and berated her for not arriving earlier to care for thewoman’s elderly mother. Toni was not late for work. Yet, shecalmly apologized to the woman for the misunderstanding.

a mild temper evidence of the wisdomfrom above? And what can help us tocultivate this godly trait?

THE WISDOM OF AMILD-TEMPERED SPIRIT

A mild temper can defuse tension.“A mild answer turns away rage, but aharsh word stirs up anger.”—Prov. 15:1.

An angry reaction can make an un-pleasant situationworse because it addsfuel to the fire. (Prov. 26:21) In contrast,a mild-tempered reply often has a calm-ing effect. It can even soften the attitudeof a person who is hostile.

Toni saw that occur. Noting Toni’smild-tempered response, the womangave way to tears. She explained thatshe was beset by personal and fami-ly problems. Toni gave a fine witness,and a Bible study was started—all as aresult of her calm and peaceable de-meanor.

A mild temper can make us happy.“Happy are the mild-tempered, sincethey will inherit the earth.”—Matt. 5:5.

Why are mild-tempered ones happy?By clothing themselves with mildness,many individuals who were once aggres-sive are now happy. Their life has im-proved, and they know that a wonderfulfuture awaits them. (Col. 3:12) Adolfo, acircuit overseer in Spain, recalls what hislife was like before he came into thetruth.

“My life was going nowhere,” saysAdolfo. “My temper always used to getthe better of me, so much so that evensome of my friends feared my arrogant,

violent reactions. Finally came a turningpoint. In a brawl, I received six stabwounds and almost bled to death.”

Now, however, by word and exam-ple, Adolfo teaches others to be mild-tempered. Many are drawn to his warmand pleasant personality. Adolfo says heis happy for the changes he has beenable to make. And he is grateful to Jeho-vah for helping him to cultivate a mildtemper.

A mild temper makes Jehovah happy.“Be wise, my son, and make my heart re-joice, so that I can make a reply to himwho taunts me.”—Prov. 27:11.

Jehovah is, in effect, being taunted byhis archenemy, the Devil. God has everyreason to be wrathful over such deliber-ate insults, yet the Bible describes Jeho-vah as being “slow to anger.” (Ex. 34:6)When we strive to imitate God’s slow-ness to anger and his mildness, we fol-low a course of wisdom that pleases Je-hovah greatly.—Eph. 5:1.

The present world is often a hostile en-vironment. We may run into people whoare “boastful, haughty, blasphemers, . . .slanderers, without self-control, fierce.”(2 Tim. 3:2, 3) Still, that should not pre-vent a Christian from cultivating a mildspirit. God’s Word reminds us that “thewisdom from above is . . . peaceable,reasonable.” (Jas. 3:17) By displaying apeaceable and reasonable spirit, we giveevidence that we have acquired godlywisdom. Such wisdom will move us to re-spond mildly when provoked and willdraw us ever closer to the Source of in-finite wisdom, Jehovah.

30 THE WATCHTOWER

How to Cultivate a Mild TemperIf someone treats you harshly or unfairly, what can help you to keepyour emotions in check and to react in a way that brings joy to Jehovah?Why not meditate on the following valuable principles?

1 SHUN “THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD.”—1 Cor. 2:12.

Many people equate mildness with weakness. They reason thatto be strong, a person has to be assertive and aggressive.Such thinking reflects the spirit of this world—not the wisdomfrom above. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that a mild temperhas great strength. “By long forbearing and calmness of spirita . . . ruler is persuaded, and soft speech breaks down the mostbonelike resistance.”—Prov. 25:15, The Amplified Bible.

Questions for reflection:

Do I view a mild temperas a sign of strengthor of weakness?

Am I endeavoring toavoid “the works ofthe flesh,” such as fitsof anger and strife?—Gal. 5:19, 20.

2 TAKE TIME TO MEDITATE.

“The heart of the righteous one meditates before answering,but the mouth of the wicked blurts out bad things.” (Prov. 15:28) If we speak in the heat of the moment, we may blurtout words that we will later regret. However, by meditatingor thinking before we speak, we will be able to collect ourthoughts, respond mildly, and encourage a favorable reaction.


How will a quick temperaffect me?

Can I, for the sake ofpeace, overlook theinjustice?—Prov. 19:11.

3 PRAY OFTEN.

Pray for holy spirit, the most powerful force in the universe.(Luke 11:13) Remember that the fruitage of God’s holy spirit in-cludes mildness and self-control. “Incessant prayer to Jehovahhas been an invaluable help to me, particularly when situationshave been tense,” recalls Adolfo. Jehovah will likewise answerour fervent pleas for holy spirit if we “persevere in prayer.”—Rom. 12:12.


Do I regularly praythat Jehovah examine myheart and my motives?

Do I ask him for hisholy spirit and thewisdom to act in a waythat pleases him?—Ps. 139:23, 24; Jas. 1:5.

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BIBLEChapters and Verses, No. 2Lefevre d’

´Etaples (translator), No. 6

Story of Survival, No. 4

BIBLE CHANGES LIVESI Failed Many Times (J. Mutke), No. 4I Learned to Respect Women (J. Ehrenbogen),

No. 3I Was Bitter and Violent (A. De la Fuente),

No. 5One Year of Peace and Happiness (A. Broggio),

No. 1

CHRISTIAN LIFE AND QUALITIESBetter Than Gold (divine wisdom), Aug.Defending Good News Before Officials, Sept.Do Not Be Anxious, No. 1Help in Your Congregation, Mar.Imitate Spirit of the Prophets, Mar.Keep On Serving Jehovah With Joy, Feb.Mild Temper—Way of Wisdom, Dec.More Precious Than Diamonds (honesty), JuneOvercoming Insecurity, No. 1“Safeguard Practical Wisdom,” Oct.Using Your Imagination Wisely, Apr.Why Be Honest? No. 1Worship at Shrines? No. 2Your Ministry Like the Dew? Apr.

JEHOVAH“Cares for You,” June“Do Not Be Afraid. I Will Help You,” JulyName, No. 3

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSESBenefit From Jehovah’s Guidance

(experiences), Sept.“Kingdom Publishers in Britain—Wake Up!!”

(1937), Nov.Offered Selves in Ghana, JulyOffered Selves in Oceania, Jan.“Reaping Fruit to Jehovah’s Praise”

(Germany, World War I), Aug.Sound Car Known to Millions (Brazil), Feb.“The Work Is Great” (contributions), Nov.“To Whom the Work Is Entrusted” (Cedar Point,

Ohio, U.S.A., convention), May

JESUS CHRISTDealings With Lepers Unusual, No. 4Joseph’s Father, No. 3Why Suffer and Die? No. 2

LIFE STORIESBecoming “All Things to People of All Sorts”

(D. Hopkinson), Dec.Embracing Bible Truth Without Hands and

Arms (B. Merten), No. 6Endeavoring to Mirror Fine Examples

(T. McLain), Oct.I Found Happiness in Giving (R. Parkin), Aug.Jehovah Has Given Me Success

(C. Robison), Feb.Nuns Become True Spiritual Sisters

(F. and A. Fernandez), Apr.

MISCELLANEOUS“Battle Belongs to Jehovah” (David), No. 5Chief Priests in Christian Scriptures, No. 1David Versus Goliath—Really Happen? No. 5Freedom Rome Granted Jews in Judea, Oct.God Answer All Prayers? No. 6Grounds on Which Jewish Religious Leaders

Granted Divorce, No. 4Heeding Warnings, No. 2“I Am Willing to Go” (Rebekah), No. 3Lessons From Birds, No. 6Most Useful Comparison (beliefs with Bible),

No. 4Necessary to Belong to a Religion? No. 4Pray in Special Position? No. 6Religion Man-Made? No. 4Scrolls in Bible Times, No. 1Textiles and Dyes in Bible Times, No. 3Visions of Spirit Realm, No. 6What Happens When We Die? No. 1What Is the Kingdom of God? No. 5When Loved One Dies, No. 3Where Can You Find Comfort? No. 5Who Is the Devil? No. 2Word That Meant So Much! (“daughter”), Nov.World Free of Violence Possible? No. 4Would Someone Oversow a Field With

Weeds? Oct.

QUESTIONS FROM READERSExpressing joy over reinstatement, MayGiving gifts or tips to government

employees, MayJoining together of two sticks (Eze 37), JulyMan with secretary’s inkhorn and six men with

weapons (Eze 9:2), JunePool of Bethzatha “stirred up” (Joh 5:7), MaySatan physically take Jesus to temple? (Mt 4:5;

Lu 4:9), Mar.“Token” and “seal” that anointed receive

(2Co 1:21, 22), Apr.What is “the word of God”? (Heb 4:12), Sept.When were God’s people captive to Babylon

the Great? Mar.Why Handwashing an Issue? (Mr 7:5), Aug.

STUDY ARTICLESAppreciating Jehovah as Our Potter, JuneBe Compelled by God’s “Indescribable Free

Gift,” Jan.Be Determined to “Let Your Brotherly Love

Continue”! Jan.Being Faithful Leads to God’s Approval, Apr.Benefit Fully From Jehovah’s Provisions, MayBy Undeserved Kindness You Were Set

Free, Dec.Called Out of Darkness, Nov.Does Your Style of Dress Glorify God? Sept.“Do Not Forget Kindness to Strangers,” Oct.Do Not Let the Faults of Others Stumble

You, June“Do Not Let Your Hands Drop Down,” Sept.Do You Highly Esteem Jehovah’s Own Book?

Nov.Do You Let the Great Potter Mold You? June

Do You See the Need to Make SpiritualProgress? Aug.

Do You See the Need to Train Others? Aug.Exercise Your Faith in Jehovah’s Promises, Oct.“Go, . . . and Make Disciples of People

of All the Nations,” MayGrateful Recipients of God’s Undeserved

Kindness, JulyHow Do You Make Personal Decisions? MayImitate Jehovah’s Close Friends, Feb.Is the Bible Still Changing Your Life? MayJehovah Called Him “My Friend,” Feb.Jehovah Guides His People in the

Way of Life, Mar.“Jehovah Our God Is One Jehovah,” JuneJehovah Rewards Those Who Earnestly Seek

Him, Dec.Keep Contending for Jehovah’s Blessing, Sept.“Keep On Encouraging One Another Each

Day,” Nov.Learn From Jehovah’s Loyal Servants, Feb.“Let Endurance Complete Its Work,” Apr.Maintain Your Neutrality in a Divided

World, Apr.Maintain Your Spiritual Health While Serving

in a Foreign Field, Oct.Making Christian Marriage a Success, Aug.Marriage—Its Origin and Purpose, Aug.Organized in Harmony With God’s Own

Book, Nov.Parents, Help Your Children Build Faith, Sept.Prove Yourself Loyal to Jehovah, Feb.Seek the Kingdom, Not Things, July‘Setting Your Mind on the Spirit Means Life

and Peace,’ Dec.Settle Differences in a Spirit of Love, MaySpread the Good News of Undeserved

Kindness, JulyStrengthen Your Faith in What You Hope

For, Oct.The Spirit Bears Witness With Our Spirit, Jan.They Broke Free From False Religion, Nov.Throw All Your Anxiety on Jehovah, Dec.“We Want to Go With You,” Jan.Why Must We “Keep on the Watch”? JulyWhy Should We Meet Together for

Worship? Apr.Working Together With God—A Cause for

Rejoicing, Jan.You Can Share in Strengthening Our Christian

Unity—How? Mar.Young Ones—Are You Ready to Get

Baptized? Mar.Young Ones—How Can You Prepare for

Baptism? Mar.Young Ones, Strengthen Your Faith, Sept.

SUBJECT INDEX

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