guard against jealousy. Envy is sinister. It can slip into one’s unconscious mind. One does not need to say to himself, “Well, I’m jealous of that person,” before he shows envy by his actions. You know what the manifestations of jealousy are, such as coldness, unfriendliness, belittling others. If you detect these manifestations in yourself at any time, stop and think. Think deep enough to pull out any roots of jealousy that may have found fertile soil in the unconscious mind. Said Jesus: “Be on the alert and on guard against every kind of covetousness.”—Luke 12:15, NW.

The way to guard against jealousy is to “put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct” and to “put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loving-kindness.” (Eph. 4:22-24, NW) Then you will be armed with the right mental attitude, the kind one. Says Romans 12:16 (NW): “Be minded the same way toward others as to yourselves.” You do not begrudge yourself abilities or success. So do not begrudge others what you enjoy and appreciate in yourself. Really, “be minded the same way toward others as to yourselves.”

Guard further against jealousy by doing, as the apostle says, “nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with lowliness of mind considering that the others are superior to you.” (Phil. 2:3, NW) This does not mean that a Christian should speak slightingly of his own abilities, always disparaging himself. That kind of humbleness lacks sincerity; usually it is nothing but a cover for vanity. But what the apostle means is that a Christian should look to the larger good, leaving himself entirely out of account, “with lowliness of mind considering that the others are superior to you.” True humility, like love, guards against envy.

Envy profits nobody. The Devil envied Jehovah; the Devil will lose everything. Envy brings one to ruin. So why be envious of one another? Even right now the envious are in a sad state of affairs: they are tormented not only by troubles that the old world brings but also by all the good that happens to others. What a miserable existence! So let us not envy one another. Show real maturity. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Encourage others to greater success in Jehovah’s service. That is the way of true Christian love.

Jamaican Youth Teaches Schoolmates

● “So keep strict watch that how you walk is not as unwise but as wise persons, buying out the opportune time for yourselves, because the days are wicked.” That those who heed this admonition of Paul as found at Ephesians 5:15, 16 (NW) are blessed in their doing so is apparent from the following experience of a Jamaican youth: “I am a student in secondary school where there are classes in religious knowledge. During my first attendance at one of these classes the subject of the trinity came up. Right away some of the students put up their hands and told the teacher that I was one of Jehovah’s witnesses and that I did not believe in a trinity. I was asked to explain and so stood up and from the Bible showed why Jehovah’s witnesses do not believe the trinity teaching. The students were so convinced of the correctness of our position on the trinity that when the teacher tried to defend the trinity, using a Catholic publication to back him up on the trinity, the students jeered him. He was dismayed and dismissed the class. I explained to him afterward that that Catholic book was without support, whereas the Bible was authentic. He then said to me, ‘In the future when you hear me say anything contrary to the Bible, you let me know and I will let you explain it to the students.’”