becomes our responsibility to apply these in our daily lives. We individually must draw the line as to what things belong to Caesar and what things to God, to give but one illustration.—Matt. 22:21.

Additionally, every Christian has the responsibility to bear fruit, even as Jesus showed. (John 15:2) Among such fruitage is “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.” That includes helping our Christian brothers to the extent we have opportunity and means. We may not be like the priest and the Levite who tried to brush off their responsibility to the traveler who had been beaten and robbed by walking on the other side of the street. Rather, we must be like the good Samaritan who went out of his way to help the one in distress.—Gal. 5:22, 23; Luke 10:29-37.

And since Jesus came to earth for the very purpose of bearing “witness to the truth,” Christian fruit bearing includes preaching ‘this good news of God’s kingdom’ to the extent that one has knowledge and opportunity to do so. We may not be like the one-mina or one-talent slave of Jesus’ illustrations who refused to shoulder responsibility for his master’s goods but hid it away in the ground, when he could at least have put it out to interest and realized some increase. Rather, we must feel as did Paul, who exclaimed: “Really, woe is me if I did not declare the good news!” He recognized his responsibilities and shouldered them.—John 18:37; 1 Cor. 9:16.

Another sphere of Christian responsibility that it seems well to stress is that accruing from our sins and shortcomings. We should have a sensitive conscience regarding these and continually beg forgiveness of God on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice. But more than that, we must also shoulder moral responsibility for these. We may not blame God or our parents or our circumstances; neither may we blame the other fellow as did Adam, as did Eve and as did King Saul. To do so not only is unloving and shows a lack of maturity, but also indicates that we are not truly repentant and therefore not deserving of forgiveness.

Being free, we must shoulder our responsibilities. To do so requires a keen sense of justice as well as wisdom and love. As we mature we should increase in responsibility. Meeting its challenges, we will grow stronger, receive increasing satisfactions and joys and finally God’s approval and reward of everlasting life in his new world.

“Lord, Here Am I; Send Me!”

At a home in Sumatra, Indonesia, where she was conducting a Bible study, a Watch Tower missionary was asked if the witnesses sang songs. She replied that they did and then taught the family the song entitled “Lord, Here Am I; Send Me!” They thought the song truly beautiful, but one member of the family observed that the missionary was the only one who had a right to sing that song, as Jehovah had not sent them. The missionary then showed them how they too could share in serving Jehovah and be sent by him. Imagine her surprise when at the next call she found that, acting upon her suggestions, they had obtained seven subscriptions for the Watchtower magazine among their friends and expressed their desire to attend the coming congregational Watchtower study. They came the following Sunday and no one sang the song “Lord, Here Am I; Send Me!” more earnestly than did this family.—1958 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses.