‘Remembering Their Creator’
How many young people keep spiritual interests to the fore? In some societies the custom may be to date early, marry early, get burdened early with family responsibilities or worldly careers. But should young Christians follow such a routine? There is so much more to be enjoyed by single youths who are willing to be self-sacrificing as they ‘remember their Grand Creator’ in their younger days.—Ecclesiastes 12:1.
For example, in Yokohama, Japan, there is Yutaka, who together with his younger brother Keisuke, studied with a pioneer Witness. He was nine years old at the time. After a few weeks their mother noticed a big improvement in the behavior of the two boys as they started to apply Christian principles. So she also began to study, along with her three other children. Seeing the joy his family was getting out of their Bible studies, the father next joined in, and in due course all were baptized.
At ten years of age, Yutaka entered the auxiliary pioneer service. This he has continued for more than seven years, through grade school, junior high school and now right through high school. He has devoted much time to Kingdom service early in the morning, witnessing to passersby at the local railway station. So as not to wake up the rest of the family with an alarm clock, he tied a string to his arm, dangling the other end of the string through a window. His auxiliary-pioneer partner would come by and give it a tug at the desired time. After more than seven years of auxiliary pioneering, Yutaka achieved his goal of regular pioneer service in September 1983. He graduates from high school in March 1984.
In Takatsuki, Japan, Yasuko is in her second year of junior high school. She conducts seven different home Bible studies each week—five with fellow students and two with her teachers. When Our Kingdom Ministry in Japan reported her experience, she showed the article to her teachers, reminding them that, now that this story was in print, they had better study well.
Those who ‘remember their Grand Creator’ while young, whether by pioneering or by other regular zealous service, are able to cultivate “the love of the Father,” which is far more desirable than anything the world can offer. Indeed, “the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:15-17.