Watchtower Study, Week of February 16-22, 2026, Imitate Jehovah's Humility, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, February 16-22, 2026, Let Us Imitate Jehovah’s Humility, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Response

Light Yellow: Additional Response

Celeste: Additional Points

“Be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1).

1. Why is it so impressive to think that Jehovah is humble?

When we think about people who have power in the world, would we say that they are humble? Most likely not. However, Jehovah, who is the Almighty, is. (Ps. 113:5-8). Humility permeates his entire personality; there is not the slightest trace of pride in him. In this article, we will examine four aspects of Jehovah’s beautiful personality and discover how humility is reflected in each of them. We will also see how Jesus imitated this quality of his Father. All of this will help us to draw closer to Jehovah and to strive to be more humble.

JEHOVAH IS ACCESSIBLE

2. What does Psalm 62:8 teach us about Jehovah? (See also the picture.)

2 Proud people are usually unapproachable. They think they are so important that they act in such a way that other people don't dare approach them or even avoid them altogether. But how different Jehovah is! Because he is so humble, he invites us to approach him and tell him everything we feel and think. (it’s Psalm 62:8). Just as a loving father listens attentively to his children's concerns, our Heavenly Father listens attentively to the prayers of His servants. In fact, He recorded many of them in the Bible, demonstrating how easy it is to talk to Him and how open He is to hearing us. (Josh. 10:12-14; 1 Sam. 1:10-18). Even so, we may sometimes find it difficult to pray to Him because we feel unworthy. What can help us?

ILLUSTRATION

A father patiently listens to his son, who is explaining that he accidentally broke a vase of flowers while playing with a toy airplane.

A father imitates Jehovah’s humility and listens to his son without getting angry because he broke a vase while playing. (See paragraph 2.)

3. Why are you sure that Jehovah wants you to pray to him always?

3 We can pray to Jehovah even if we feel that we do not deserve his love. How do we know this? Through the parable of the prodigal son. In it, Jesus spoke of a compassionate father who had a son who felt unworthy to be part of the family again, because he had made many mistakes. How did the father react when his son returned home? As soon as he saw him, “he ran to meet him, embraced him, and kissed him tenderly” (Luke 15:17-20). Well, Jehovah is like that father. As soon as he hears the prayer of someone crushed by worries or guilt, his humility moves him to give it his full attention (Lam. 3:19, 20). And his compassion impels him to “run” to him to comfort him and to reaffirm his love and forgiveness. (Is. 57:15). How does it do it? He often uses the elderly, Witness family members, and other brothers. (Jas. 5:14, 15) Jehovah helps us because he wants us to be close to him.

4. How did Jesus demonstrate that he was approachable?

4 Jesus imitates his Father. Like Jehovah, Jesus is humble. That is why, while he was on earth, people felt confident approaching him. They asked him questions freely. (Mar. 4:10, 11). And when he asked them what they thought about a certain matter, they openly told him what they thought. (Matt. 16:13-16). If they made a mistake, they did not tremble with fear, because they knew that Jesus was good, merciful, and patient. (Matt. 17:24-27). Because Jesus perfectly imitated his Father, his followers came to know Jehovah better (John 14:9). They learned that Jehovah was nothing like the religious leaders of that time, who were harsh, proud, and insensitive. On the contrary, he is humble and approachable.

5. Why does humility help us to be more approachable?

5 How can we imitate Jehovah? Humility makes us more approachable. Why? On the one hand, it helps us avoid flaws that push others away, such as envy, pride, and resentment. On the other hand, it helps us cultivate qualities that attract others, such as kindness, patience, and forgiveness. (Col. 3:12-14). Elders, in particular, should strive to be accessible. Of course, for the brothers and sisters to feel comfortable approaching them, they first need to be able to see them. This means that the elders prefer to attend meetings in person rather than connect via videoconference unless absolutely necessary. And, as much as possible, they go out in the ministry from house to house with the brothers and sisters. This allows them to get to know the elders better and feel comfortable approaching them whenever they need to.

JEHOVAH IS REASONABLE

6, 7. Mention an occasion when Jehovah granted the requests of his servants.

6 Proud people are often inflexible and unreasonable. In contrast, Jehovah—who is always right and infinitely wise—is humble and willing to compromise. For example, consider how God reacted when Miriam, along with Aaron, began speaking out against her brother Moses, who was God’s representative. Jehovah was furious with her because she was disrespecting him. So he punished her with leprosy. Now, Aaron pleaded with Moses for help, and then Moses begged Jehovah to heal her. What did God do? Did he stick to his decision to punish her? That is what a proud person would have done. But Jehovah is humble, and so he granted Moses’ request and healed Miriam. (Numbers 12:1-15).

7 Let us consider another instance in which Jehovah demonstrated that he is humble. Through a prophet, God announced to the ailing King Hezekiah that he was going to die. Then the king, with tears in his eyes, begged the Lord to heal him. What was God's response? Moved by compassion, He added 15 years to his life. (2 Kings 20:1, 5, 6). As we can see, Jehovah's humility motivates him to be flexible and compassionate.

8. What examples demonstrate that Jesus is reasonable? (Mark 3:1-6).

8 Jesus imitates his Father. While on Earth, Jesus was reasonable and looked for ways to help people whenever possible. For example, he healed people on the Sabbath even though callous religious leaders objected. (Read Mark 3:1-6). And he continues to demonstrate this quality as head of the Christian congregation. For example, when someone commits a serious sin, Jesus is patient with him and gives him many opportunities to change. (Apoc. 2:2-5).

9. How can we imitate Jehovah and be reasonable? (See also the pictures.)

9 How can we imitate Jehovah? We need to humbly develop Jehovah’s very reasonable way of thinking and acting (Jas. 3:17). Reasonable parents are not permissive, but neither do they demand more of their children than they can give. A good example of this can be found in Genesis 33:12-14, where we read that Jacob was considerate of his sons. Furthermore, humble and reasonable parents avoid making unfair comparisons between their children. The elders must also be reasonable. Instead of insisting on their own opinion, they support the decision of the majority of the elders as long as it does not contradict biblical principles. (1 Tim. 3:2, 3). And we should all strive to understand the viewpoint of others, even if it differs from our own (Rom. 14:1). Each of us should try to follow this counsel: “Let everyone know that you are reasonable people.” (Phil. 4:5).

ILLUSTRATION

Pictures of a father happily preaching from house to house with his children. 1. He smiles as his son offers a man the brochure “Enjoy Life.” 2. Then, he smiles as his daughter gives a woman a jw.org contact card.

Parents are reasonable with their children by not demanding more of them in the preaching work than they can give. (See paragraph 9.)

JEHOVAH IS PATIENT

10. In what ways has Jehovah shown that he is patient?

10 We have probably noticed that proud people are impatient; they don't like to be kept waiting. How different Jehovah is! There is no one in the universe as patient as he is. In Noah's day, for example, it was said that he would wait 120 years to destroy the wicked (Gen. 6:3). Noah lived to raise his children and build the ark with his family. Later, Jehovah patiently listened to Abraham as he questioned him about his decision to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. A proud person might have said to Abraham, “Who do you think you are to question me?” But Jehovah did not do that. He is humble and patient. (Gen. 18:20-33).

11. According to 2 Peter 3:9, why is Jehovah being so patient today?

11 Today, Jehovah is also showing patience. He is waiting for the appointed time to destroy this wicked system. Why is he so patient with humans? “For he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but all to come to repentance.” (Read 2 Peter 3:9.) Has Jehovah’s patience been in vain? Not at all! Millions have come to know him, and we want millions more to do the same. However, God's patience has limits. He loves people, but He is not permissive. He will not let wickedness last forever (Hab. 2:3).

12. How does Jesus imitate Jehovah's patience?

12 Jesus imitates his Father. For thousands of years, he has imitated Jehovah's patience. He has seen how Satan has spread terrible lies about God and faithful humans. (Gen. 3:4, 5; Job 1:11; Rev. 12:10). Jesus has also seen people suffer terrible things. Can we imagine how much he wants to "undo the works of the Devil"? (1 John 3:8). What helps you to wait patiently until Jehovah tells you that it is time to put an end to the Devil's works completely? One of the main reasons is that Jesus is humble and recognizes that it is up to Jehovah to decide when the best time is to act. (Hebrews 1:7).

13. In what situation did Jesus demonstrate that he was patient with his apostles, and why?

13 When Jesus was on Earth, he was also patient with his apostles. Seeing them argue time and again about who was the most important, he didn't despair or become frustrated. On the contrary, he was very patient with them. (Luke 9:46; 22:24-27). He was sure that in time they would change. And what about us? Have we made the same mistake many times? If so, how grateful we are that our King is so humble and patient.

14. What will help us to be more patient?

14 How can we imitate Jehovah? To become more like him, we must develop “the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16) What will help us to think like Jesus? There are no shortcuts. We need to read the Gospels and take time to meditate on how Jesus' actions reflected his way of thinking. Furthermore, it is essential that we ask Jehovah to help us to be humble like his Son. As we learn to think like Christ, we will become more like God and more patient with ourselves and our brothers and sisters. (Matt. 18:26-30, 35).

JEHOVAH DIGNIFIES THE HUMBLE

15. How has Jehovah fulfilled the words of Psalm 138:6?

15 (Read Psalm 138:6). Isn't it an honor that the Sovereign of the universe gives special attention to those who often go unnoticed? Let us consider several examples of how he has done so throughout the centuries. Some of them may not be so familiar to us, but Jehovah had them included in the Bible. In the days of the patriarchs, there lived a nurse named Deborah, who loyally served the families of Isaac and Jacob for about 125 years. We don't know much more about this faithful woman, but Jehovah inspired Moses to record her name and a detail that shows how beloved she was. (Gen. 24:59; 35:8, footnote). Centuries later, Jehovah chose David, a simple shepherd boy, to become king of Israel (2 Sam. 22:1, 36). Shortly after Jesus was born, God granted some humble shepherds, through an angel, the honor of being the first to learn that the future Messiah had been born in Bethlehem. (Luc. 2:8-11). And when Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple, Jehovah dignified Simeon and Anna—two very old people—by giving them the opportunity to see his Son. (Luke 2:25-30, 36-38). Indeed, “though Jehovah is exalted, he looks upon the lowly.”

16. How did Jesus imitate his Father?

16 Jesus imitates his Father. Like Jehovah, Jesus dignified the humble. He taught “ordinary and uneducated” people the truth about God’s Kingdom. (Hebrews 4:13; Matthew 11:25). He also lovingly healed the sick, and in doing so he not only restored their health, but also their dignity. (Luc. 5:13). The night before he died, he washed the feet of his apostles, a task usually performed by servants. (Juan 13:5). And, before ascending to heaven, he gave his followers—which includes us—the honor of carrying out the most important task a human being could have: helping others achieve eternal life. (Matt. 28:19, 20).

17. How can we imitate Jehovah? (See also the picture.)

17 How can we imitate Jehovah? We follow his example in preaching. We give everyone the honor of hearing the good news, regardless of their culture, skin color, or level of education. We also follow their example in how we treat our brothers. We consider them superior to us regardless of our abilities or responsibilities. (Philippians 2:3). Jehovah is very happy to see that we are humble and take the initiative to honor one another in these and other ways (Sof. 3:12; Rom. 12:10).

ILLUSTRATION

Two sisters give Bible lessons to a woman who is in jail.

We imitate Jehovah’s humility when we preach to all sorts of people. (See paragraph 17.)

18. Why do you want to imitate Jehovah’s humility?

18 By doing our best to imitate the humility of our loving Heavenly Father, we will become more approachable, reasonable, and patient people. We will also treat others in a way that honors them, just as Jehovah does. Let us remember that every effort we make to imitate his humility makes us more precious in his eyes. (Is. 43:4).

HOW CAN HUMILITY HELP US IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS?

To be more accessible.

Humility helps us be more approachable because it helps us avoid flaws that push others away, such as envy, pride, and resentment. It also helps us cultivate qualities that attract others, such as kindness, patience, and forgiveness.

Elders, in particular, should strive to be accessible. This will give the brothers and sisters the confidence to approach them; to do so, they need to see them. That is, elders should prefer to attend meetings in person and go out preaching from house to house with the brothers and sisters. In this way, they allow the brothers and sisters to get to know them better and feel comfortable approaching them whenever they need to.

Be more reasonable.

Jehovah’s humility moves him to be flexible and compassionate. Similarly, Jesus, while on earth, was reasonable and sought ways to help people whenever possible. We should all strive to understand others’ viewpoints, even if they differ from our own. In this way, each of us will endeavor to follow this counsel: “Let everyone know that you are reasonable people.”

Be more patient.

Humility helps us to be patient because it reminds us that Jehovah also demonstrates patience and is waiting for the appointed time to destroy this wicked system, “because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but that all should come to repentance.”

It also helps to remember that when Jesus was on Earth, he was patient. For example, when he saw his apostles arguing about who was the greatest, he didn't despair or become frustrated, but was very patient with them.

One of the main reasons why Jesus is humble is that he recognizes that it is up to Jehovah to decide when the best time is to act.