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“Let us grow by love in all things” (EPHES. 4:15).
1. What things did you learn in your Bible course?
DO YOU REMEMBER how much you learned in your Bible course? She was probably surprised to learn that God has a name. And perhaps it reassured him to know that there is no hell where God torments people. Furthermore, he was surely excited to learn that the loved ones he lost will come back to life and he will be able to be with them in Paradise.
2. In addition to learning Bible truths, in what other ways did you show that you were making progress? (Ephesians 5:1, 2).
2 As he studied the Word of God, his love for Jehovah grew. And that love motivated him to put into practice what he learned. He began to make better decisions thanks to biblical principles. He also corrected his way of thinking and acting because he wanted to please God. Just as a child imitates his father, you began to imitate your loving heavenly Father (read Ephesians 5:1, 2).
3. What questions could we ask ourselves?
3 We might ask ourselves: “Do I love Jehovah more now than when I was baptized?” Is my way of thinking and acting more like Jehovah’s, especially when showing love to the brothers in the congregation?” If our love has cooled a little, let's not be discouraged. That already happened to the Christians of the first century. But Jesus didn't think they were a hopeless case, and he won't think that of us either (Rev. 2:4, 7). He knows we can rekindle the love we felt when we learned the truth.
4. What will we see in this article?
4 In this article, we will first look at how we can grow our love for Jehovah and our neighbors. And then we'll talk about how we and other people benefit when we do it.
LET US STRIVE TO GROW OUR LOVE FOR JEHOVAH
5, 6. a) What challenges did the apostle Paul face in his ministry? b) What motivated him to continue serving Jehovah?
5 The apostle Paul enjoyed many joys in his ministry, but he also faced many challenges. to). He often traveled long distances, even though the journeys were not easy. When traveling, he sometimes found himself “in danger from rivers” and “in danger from thieves.” At times his enemies mistreated him (2 Cor. 11:23-27). To make matters worse, his Christian brothers did not always appreciate his efforts to help them (2 Cor. 10:10; Philip. 4:15).
6 What motivated Paul to continue serving God? He had learned a lot about Jehovah's personality from the Scriptures and from his own experiences. He was convinced that Jehovah loved him (Rom. 8:38, 39; Eph. 2:4, 5). b). For his part, Pablo came to love him very much. He demonstrated that love by serving “the saints and continuing to serve them” (Heb. 6:10).
7. What will help our love for Jehovah grow?
7 In order for our love for God to grow, we have to study his Word with interest. When reading the Bible, we should try to discover what each passage teaches us about Jehovah. We must ask ourselves: “How do these verses show that Jehovah loves me? And what reasons do you give me to love Jehovah?”
8. How does prayer help develop the love we feel for God?
8 Opening our hearts to him in our daily prayers also helps develop our love for Jehovah .—Ps. 25:4, 5. Jehovah, for his part, will answer those prayers (1 John 3:21, 22). Khanh, a sister living in Asia, commented: “At first, I loved Jehovah only because of what I knew about him. But that love grew as I saw how he answered my prayers, and that awakened in me the desire to do the things that pleased him.”
LET US STRIVE TO GROW OUR LOVE FOR OUR NEIGHBOR
9. What example of love for the brothers did Timothy give?
9 A few years after becoming a Christian, Paul met an exemplary young man named Timothy. He loved Jehovah and he also loved people. Later, Paul commented to the Philippians about Timothy: “I don't have anyone else with an attitude like his, someone who sincerely cares about you” (Phil. 2:20). Paul did not highlight Timothy's ability to organize things or give speeches. It's obvious that what impressed her most about him was how much he loved his brothers. He was sure the congregations couldn't wait for Timothy to visit them (1 Cor. 4:17).
10. How did Anna and her husband show love for their siblings?
10 We also look for ways to help our brothers (Heb. 13:16). Do you remember Anna, who we talked about in the previous article? After a terrible storm, she went with her husband to visit a Witness family. They saw that the roof of their house had fallen. That's why the family didn't have clean clothes to wear. Anna explains what they did: “We took the clothes, washed them and returned them ironed and folded. What we did was nothing out of this world, but, thanks to this gesture, today we enjoy a beautiful friendship.” It was love that moved Anna and her husband to give practical help to her brothers (1 John 3:17, 18).
11. a) What effect do our displays of love usually have? b) According to Proverbs 19:17, how does Jehovah react when we show love to our neighbors?
11 When we treat others with love and kindness, we are imitating Jehovah's way of thinking and acting. And our efforts do not usually go unnoticed. We may never know how much others appreciate our acts of kindness. to). Khanh, the sister we talked about in paragraph 8, fondly remembers all the people who helped her: “I am very grateful to all the sisters who took me to preach. They were a love. They would come look for me, treat me to something simple or even lunch, and then leave me safely at home. “Now I understand that it was a great sacrifice, but they did it with great love.” Of course, not everyone is going to thank us for the favors we do them. Speaking of those who helped her, Khanh adds: “I wish I could return the favors to all of them, but in some cases I don't know where they live now. However, Jehovah does know and I ask him to reward them for me.” That's right, b). Jehovah notices even the smallest acts of kindness. He sees them as a valuable sacrifice and as a debt that he wants to repay (read Proverbs 19:17).
12. How can baptized men show love to the congregation? (See also images).
12 If you are a brother, how can you show your love in the congregation? Providing your help. A young man named Jordan asked an elder what he could do to help the brothers more. The old man congratulated him on all the progress he had already made and gave him some suggestions for improvement. For example, he recommended that she arrive early at the Kingdom Hall and greet others, offer her comments at meetings, go out to preach regularly with her group, and look for practical ways to help the brothers. By applying these tips, Jordan not only prepared himself to accept more responsibilities, but also developed his love for his brothers.He also learned that when a brother is appointed a ministerial servant, he does not begin to help others; rather, he continues to do so (1 Tim. 3:8-10, 13).
ILLUSTRATION
Images that show the spiritual progress of a brother. 1. The brother greets those who arrive at the Kingdom Hall. 2. he Comments in a meeting. 3. He preaches with the cart alongside a sister who is in a wheelchair. 4. he Visits an older brother who is sick. When we progress spiritually, we look for ways to help others. (See paragraph 12).
13. What helped Christian become an old man again?
13 Were you an elder or ministerial servant in the past? Jehovah does not forget the labors he performed nor the love with which he performed them (1 Cor. 15:58). And he is very aware of the love that you continue to show. A brother named Christian felt very bad about being discharged as an elder. But he did not give up, as he himself explains: “I decided that, even though I was no longer an old man, I was going to continue doing everything in my power for the love of Jehovah.” He eventually received his appointment again. “I wasn't entirely sure if I should accept it,” Christian admits. But I thought that if Jehovah was showing me mercy by allowing me to serve the congregation again, I was going to say yes out of love for him and my brothers.”
14. What do we learn from what a sister from Georgia said?
14 Jehovah's servants also show love to those who are not Witnesses (Matt. 22:37-39). For example, Elena, a sister from the republic of Georgia, says: “At first, the only reason she went out to preach was out of love for Jehovah. But, as my love for my heavenly Father grew, so did my love for people. I tried to imagine what problems they would have and what topics they might be interested in. With this change of focus, my desire to help them grew” (Rom. 10:13-15).
THE BENEFITS OF SHOWING LOVE TO OTHERS
15, 16. As depicted in the images, what benefits come from showing love to others?
15 When we show love to our brothers, there are other people who also benefit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Paolo and his wife helped many older sisters use their electronic devices to preach. One of them had a hard time using her device, but she finally learned and managed to invite her family to the Memorial. In total, 60 attended by videoconference. So both her sister and her relatives benefited from the efforts of Paolo and his wife. “Thank you for teaching us older people,” the sister wrote to Paolo. “I will never forget the interest that Jehovah showed and your patience.”
16 Thanks to experiences like this, Paolo learned a very valuable lesson. He was able to prove that love is more important than knowledge or natural talents. And this is how he acknowledged it: “For a time I was a circuit overseer. The brothers surely no longer remember my speeches, but they do remember the practical help I gave them.”
ILLUSTRATION
Series of images: 1. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a couple teaches an older sister how to use her tablet. They are outdoors and wear gloves and masks. 2. On the right are several smaller images showing many of the sister's relatives connected by video conference to the Memorial. A single token of love can benefit many people. (See paragraphs 15 and 16).
17. Who else benefits when we show love?
17 When we show love, we benefit ourselves in unexpected ways. This is confirmed by an experience from New Zealand. One Sabbath, Jonathan saw a pioneer preaching alone in the intense midday heat. He decided to accompany him on Saturday afternoons. At that time he was not aware that he himself was going to benefit greatly from that act of kindness. “Back then,” Jonathan confesses, “I didn't like preaching. But as I saw how well the pioneer taught and how successful he was, my love for the ministry began to grow. In addition, I gained a wonderful friend who has helped me a lot to mature spiritually, enjoy our work, and strengthen my friendship with Jehovah.”
18. What does Jehovah want us to do?
18 Jehovah wants us all to cultivate love for him and our neighbors. As we have seen, to develop love for Jehovah we must read his Word, meditate on it, and pray to him daily. And, to best express love for our brothers, we must help them in practical ways. As our love grows, we will strengthen our ties with Jehovah and our spiritual family. We will be able to enjoy his friendship for all eternity!
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
How can we grow our love for Jehovah?
In order for our love for God to grow, we have to study his word with interest. And when reading the Bible, we should try to discover what each passage teaches us about Jehovah. It is also important to open our hearts to Him in our daily prayers.
In what ways do we show our love for our brothers?
We can show love for our brothers in many ways, helping them with whatever they need, whether when they suffer a calamity, if they are older we can help them with technology, since sometimes it is difficult for them, and we also help with our prayers.
What benefits are obtained from showing love?
When we show love, we ourselves benefit in unexpected ways. As our love grows, we strengthen ties with Jehovah and our spiritual family. We will be able to enjoy his friendship for all eternity.
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