Reflect on your dedication and baptism. You took those steps because you wanted to stand on Jehovah’s side. Think back to what helped you to become convinced that you had found the truth. You took in accurate knowledge of Jehovah and grew to respect and love him as your heavenly Father. You developed faith and were motivated to repent. Your heart moved you to abandon wrong practices and to live in harmony with God’s will. You felt relief when you sensed God’s forgiveness. (Ps. 32:2) You attended Christian meetings and began to share with others the wonderful things you had learned. As a dedicated and baptized Christian, you are now walking on the road to life, determined not to lose your way. (Matt. 7:13, 14) May you stand firm, steadfast in your devotion to Jehovah and immovable in your obedience to his commands. w23.07 31:14, 19

By reflecting on your prayer of dedication to Jehovah, you will find the strength to resist any temptation. For example, would you start flirting with another person’s mate? Certainly not! You will have already said no to that. You will thus spare yourself the anguish of having to deal with improper feelings after they have taken root. You will “turn away” from “the path of the wicked.” (Prov. 4:14, 15) Recalling Jesus’ determination to please his Father, you will quickly and firmly reject anything that you know would displease the God to whom you are dedicated. (Matt. 4:10; John 8:29) The fact is that trials and temptations give you an opportunity to show that you are determined to keep following Jesus. As you do, you can be assured that Jehovah will help you. w24.03 10:8-10

Do you ever struggle to be obedient? King David did, so he prayed to God: “Stir within me a willingness to obey you.” (Ps. 51:12) David loved Jehovah. Still, David at times struggled to be obedient, and so do we. Why? First, we have inherited a tendency to be disobedient. Second, Satan constantly tries to incite us to rebel, as he did. (2 Cor. 11:3) Third, we are surrounded by this world’s rebellious attitude, “the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2) We must work hard not only to fight our tendency to sin but also to resist the pressure that the Devil and this world put on us to disobey. We must put forth effort to obey Jehovah and those whom he has appointed to a position of authority. w23.10 42:1