from house to house, willingness to obey Jehovah can be shown when you are given theocratic assignments and responsibilities in the congregation. At first the assignments are small, but as you grow older they become bigger, with more responsibility attached to them. Shunning such responsibilities by rejecting the assignments reveals a wrong mental attitude, an unwillingness to use your strength and abilities fully in advancing the interests of God’s kingdom. This is not serving him with delight. It is not showing wholehearted devotion to him. Do not reject theocratic assignments but be grateful that you were found worthy of greater service privileges.

23. Why should children watch their conduct?

²³ In your relationship with schoolmates and worldly adults it is most important that you conduct yourself in a manner that is above reproach. You must remember that you are a servant of the Most High at all times, not just when in the field ministry. Improper conduct brings reproach upon his name because you bear that name as one of his witnesses. It is also a bad reflection upon the theocratic organization. If worldly people and schoolmates speak bad about you, let it be because of your devotion to Jehovah and not because of bad conduct. “However, let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a busybody in other people’s matters. But if he suffers as a Christian, let him not feel shame, but let him keep on glorifying God in this name.”—1 Pet. 4:15, 16.

24, 25. (a) How may children be faced with a test of integrity? (b) How can they gain the strength to stand firm?

²⁴ At times your integrity will be put to the test as efforts will be made by worldly persons to make you do things that are against the will of God. Your parents may not be present at the time to help you, but you will be on your own to decide whether to obey God or not. By putting obedience to him first you may become unpopular with your schoolmates and with worldly adults, but which is more important, popularity with worldly people or popularity with God? What they think about you is not as important as what Jehovah, your Creator, thinks about you. If you love him with all your heart and want him to love you, you will stand firm.

²⁵ Jesus set the example for you by faithfully obeying Jehovah at all times, no matter what others said or did to him. The world did not like him, but he was not trying to please the world. He was interested in pleasing Jehovah God. Do you have the same desire? Can you keep your integrity as he did? To do so, it is necessary to keep building up your spiritual strength by personal Bible study, by activity in the ministry and by asking for it in prayer.

26. Why is this a serious time for children?

²⁶ We are living in a momentous time in human history, not from the standpoint of the remarkable inventions man has produced, but from the standpoint of Jehovah’s purposes. It is the long-foretold time of the end for the present wicked world. Shortly Jehovah will terminate its existence in the battle of Armageddon and usher in a new world of righteousness. It is a serious time for children as well as adults, because children that do not obey Jehovah will not be among the survivors of that battle. God will not preserve them into his new world merely because they are children. This is evident from the fact that he did not preserve the young children through the flood of Noah’s day just because they were children. It is also shown in the book of Ezekiel that just because you are young is no reason for God’s keeping you alive. Ezekiel wrote: “Slay utterly the old man, the young man and the virgin, and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark.” (Ezek. 9:6, AS) Your being children who worship and serve Jehovah as he has commanded and who have the mark of protection—ah yes, that will mean preservation and life for you.

27. Why is the question, Do you obey Jehovah? important, and what should be done to give an affirmative answer?

²⁷ The question, Do you obey Jehovah? is so important that your continued existence and eternal welfare depend upon your being able to give an affirmative answer. If you cannot, then take immediate steps so that you can. Gain an extensive knowledge of Jehovah’s written Word and purposes and use that knowledge regularly in the ministry. Do not fail to be at congregational meetings of the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses. Be wise by walking the path of obedience to Jehovah before Armageddon, that you may be alive after Armageddon.

The Responsibility of Inciting Others to Life

1, 2. Where can we go for help, and what assurance is there that we will get it?

JEHOVAH is a helping God. We can readily go to him for assistance. We can use the same provisions that David used and that are still available to us for growing stronger. Certainly we too can say, as expressed at Psalm 121:2: “My help is from Jehovah.” And with positive assurance he told his people: “Do not be afraid. I myself will help you.”—Isa. 41:13.

² This same quality of helping runs through Jehovah’s entire organization today. The willingness to help others is found in His heavenly organization too. Did not Michael help a fellow angel? This angel said: “The prince of the royal realm of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days, and, look! Michael, one of the foremost princes, came to help me.” (Dan. 10:13) Have not angels traveled to earth to assist man? Yes! “Are they not all spirits for public service. sent forth to minister for those who are going to inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14) But the outstanding example is in Christ Jesus. “By this the love of God was made manifest in our case, because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him.”—1 John 4:9.

3, 4. What is required of those assisting others to maturity?

³ Is this quality to help found in you? Are you willing to help your brothers? Have you found that it takes much more strength to help others than it does to go along by yourself? However, we cannot “go it alone,” because Jehovah’s organization is one that works together and in unity magnifies Jehovah’s name universewide. Hebrews 12:22-24 makes that clear, saying to us as Christians: “But you have approached a Mount Zion and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, and myriads of angels, in general assembly, and the