Keepim Hapi Bilong Iu Long Service Bilong Jehovah

“Hapi evritaem long Lord. Wanfala taem moa mi bae sei, Hapi!”—PHILIPPIANS 4:4.

1, 2. Hao nao wanfala brata and famili bilong hem fit for keepim hapi bilong olketa nomata olketa lusim evri samting wea olketa ownim?

JAMES, wanfala Christian wea 70 year and wea stap long Sierra Leone, waka hard for full laef bilong hem. Tingim hapi bilong hem taem hem sevem inaf selen for baem wanfala smol haos witim fofala rum! Bat, bihaen James and famili bilong hem stap insaed, war hem start long datfala kantri, and haos bilong olketa hem bone evribit. Olketa lusim haos, bat olketa no lusim hapi bilong olketa. Why nao olsem?

² James and famili bilong hem tingim nomoa olketa samting wea stap yet, no olketa samting wea lus. James minim olsem: “Nomata long datfala nogud taem, mifala garem olketa meeting, readim Bible, prea tugeta, and sharem wanem mifala garem witim narawan. Mifala fit for keepim hapi bilong mifala bikos mifala tingim nomoa nambawan wei for fren wea mifala garem witim Jehovah.” From olketa tingim olketa blessing, wea wei for fren klos witim Jehovah hem winim evri narawan, olketa faithful Christian hia fit for “go ahed for hapi.” (2 Corinthians 13:11) Hem tru, olketa hard taem bilong olketa hem no isi samting for olketa. Bat olketa no enitaem stop for hapi long Jehovah.

3. Hao nao samfala first Christian keepim hapi bilong olketa?

³ Olketa first Christian kasem olketa test wea klosap semsem witim wanem James and famili bilong hem kasem. Bat, aposol Paul raetem toktok olsem long olketa Hebrew Christian: “Iufala hapi taem pipol stealim evri samting wea iufala ownim.” Then Paul minim wea nao hapi bilong olketa kam from: “From iufala savve iufala garem wanfala samting wea hem moabeta and stap for olowe.” (Hebrews 10:34) Yes, olketa first-century Christian garem strongfala hope. Olketa luk witim trust long future for kasem samting wea no eniwan savve tekem awe—datfala “kraon bilong laef” wea no savve finis long Kingdom bilong God long heven. (Revelation 2:10) Distaem, Christian hope bilong iumi—nomata long heven or long earth—savve helpem iumi for keepim hapi bilong iumi nomata taem iumi feisim olketa trabol.

“Hapi Long Hope”

4, 5. (a) Why nao advaes bilong Paul for “hapi long hope” hem barava fitim olketa bilong Rome? (b) Wanem nao maet mekem wanfala Christian forgetim hope bilong hem?

⁴ Aposol Paul encouragem olketa wea sem biliv long Rome for “hapi long hope” bilong laef olowe. (Romans 12:12) Datfala advaes barava fitim olketa bilong Rome. No kasem ten year bihaen Paul raet go long olketa, nogud persecution nao kasem olketa, and samfala dae followim order bilong Emperor Nero. Faith wea olketa garem long kraon bilong laef wea God promisim mas barava strongim olketa taem olketa safa. Waswe long iumi distaem?

⁵ Olsem olketa Christian, iumi tu expectim persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12) And tu, iumi luksavve hao “taem and samting wea iumi no expectim” kasem iumi evriwan. (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Wanfala accident savve finisim laef bilong samwan wea iumi lovem. Wanfala sik maet killim dae wanfala parent or klos fren bilong iu. Sapos iumi no tingting strong long Kingdom hope, iumi maet wikdaon long spiritual saed taem kaen trabol olsem kamap. Fitim diswan, hem gud for askem iumiseleva, ‘Waswe, mi “hapi long hope”? Haomas taem nao mi iusim for ting raonem hope hia? Paradaes hem olsem really samting long mi? Mi piksarem miseleva long there? Waswe, interest bilong mi for lukim end bilong disfala world hem sem olsem taem mi firstaem lanem truth?’ Hem fitim iumi for tingting strong long disfala last kwestin. Why? Bikos sapos iumi stap long wanfala ples long earth wea no really kasem trabol from war, short long kaikai, or olketa natural disaster, iumi maet—nomata for lelebet taem—forgetim need for niu world bilong God for kam.

6. (a) Taem Paul and Silas kasem trabol, long wanem nao olketa tingting strong long hem? (b) Hao nao example bilong Paul and Silas savve encouragem iumi distaem?

⁶ Paul talem tu for olketa bilong Rome “go ahed strong long taem bilong trabol.” (Romans 12:12) Paul lukim finis staka trabol. Wantaem, hem lukim long vision wanfala man wea invaetem hem for “muv kam long Macedonia” for helpem pipol long there for lane abaotem Jehovah. (Acts 16:9) Followim datwan, Paul, tugeta witim Luke, Silas, and Timothy, travel go long Europe. Wanem nao weitim olketa strong missionary hia? Trabol! Bihaen olketa preach long Philippi, wanfala taon long Macedonia, olketa whipim Paul and Silas and torowem olketa long prison. Hem showaot klia, samfala pipol long Philippi no just no interest nomoa—bat olketa barava againstim. Bat waswe, samting wea happen mekem olketa strong missionary lusim hapi bilong olketa? Nomoa. Bihaen olketa killim and torowem olketa long prison, “klosap long midol naet Paul and Silas prea and praisem God witim song.” (Acts 16:25, 26) Hem tru, pain from olketa killim Paul and Silas no givim hapi, bat tufala missionary no tingting strong long datwan. Tingting bilong tufala hem long Jehovah and olketa difren wei wea hem blessim olketa. Long wei wea olketa hapi for “go ahed strong long taem bilong trabol,” Paul and Silas showimaot wanfala nambawan example for olketa brata long Philippi and nara ples.

7. Why nao olketa prea bilong iumi shud garem thankiu toktok insaed?

⁷ Paul hem raet: “Go ahed for prea.” (Romans 12:12) Waswe, iu prea taem iu kasem wari? Wanem nao iu prea abaotem? Luk olsem iu talemaot problem bilong iu and askem help bilong Jehovah. Bat long semtaem hem gud sapos iu talem tu olketa thankiu toktok for olketa blessing wea iu enjoyim. Taem olketa problem kamap, ting raonem olketa gud samting wea Jehovah duim for mekem iumi “hapi long hope.” David, wea laef bilong hem fulap witim trabol, raet olsem: “Planti samting iuseleva nao duim finis, O Jehovah God bilong mi, nomata olketa nambawan waka bilong iu and tingting bilong iu long mifala; no eniwan hem olsem iu. Sapos mi laek for talem and tok abaotem olketa, olketa staka tumas for mi storyim.” (Psalm 40:5) Sapos, olsem David, iumi evritaem ting raonem olketa blessing wea iumi kasem from Jehovah, iumi kanduit for no hapi.

Tingim Gud Saed

8. Wanem nao bae helpem wanfala Christian for stap hapi taem hem kasem persecution?

⁸ Jesus encouragem olketa follower bilong hem for tingim gud saed taem olketa kasem olketa difren test. Hem sei: “Hapi nao iufala taem pipol tokspoelem iufala and persecutim iufala and laea for talem evri badfala samting againstim iufala for saed bilong mi.” (Matthew 5:11) Iumi garem wanem reason for hapi long taem olsem? Wei wea iumi stand strong taem olketa againstim iumi hem pruv hao spirit bilong Jehovah hem stap long iumi. Aposol Peter talem olketa Christian wea sem biliv long taem bilong hem: “Sapos olketa tok nogud long iufala bikos long nem bilong Christ, iufala hapi, bikos spirit bilong glory, spirit bilong God tu, hem stap long iufala.” (1 Peter 4:13, 14) Thru long spirit bilong hem, Jehovah bae helpem iumi tu for stand strong and, from diswan, iumi bae keepim hapi bilong iumi.

9. Wanem nao helpem samfala brata for faendem olketa reason for hapi taem olketa stap long prison from faith bilong olketa?

⁹ Nomata iumi kasem wanfala barava nogud taem, iumi savve faendem olketa reason for hapi. Wanfala Christian, Adolf, experiencem diswan. Hem stap long wanfala kantri wea for planti year olketa tambuim waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Olketa arrestim and givim longfala prison sentence long Adolf and samfala fren bilong hem from olketa nating willing for rejectim biliv bilong olketa wea kam from Bible. Laef long prison hem hard, bat olsem Paul and Silas, Adolf and olketa fren bilong hem faendem olketa reason for givim thankiu long God. Experience bilong olketa long prison, olketa talem, helpem olketa for strongim faith bilong olketa and for mekem grow olketa gudfala Christian fasin, olsem willing for give, tingim feeling bilong narafala man, and love for brata. Olsem example, taem wanfala prisoner kasem parcel from hom, hem sharem wanem insaed witim olketa wea sem biliv, and olketa tingim extra samting hia olsem hem kam from Jehovah, nambawan Man for givim “evri gudfala present and evri perfect present.” Kaenfala fasin olsem givim hapi long man wea share and man wea kasem. So disfala wei wea olketa stap long prison wea olketa minim for spoelem faith bilong olketa, hem mekem olketa moa strong long spiritual saed!—James 1:17; Acts 20:35.

10, 11. Hao nao wanfala sista deal witim wei wea olketa kwestinim hem evritaem and bihaen givim longfala prison sentence?

¹⁰ Olketa arrestim Ella, wea hem stap tu long wanfala kantri wea tambuim Kingdom waka for longfala taem, from hem sharem Kingdom hope bilong hem witim nara pipol. For full eitfala month, olketa go ahed for kwestinim hem. Gogo taem olketa kotem hem, hem kasem prison sentence for tenfala year long wanfala prison wea no eniwan worshipim Jehovah. Ella hem 24 year nomoa long datfala taem.

¹¹ Hem tru, Ella no luk forward long wei for stap long prison for bigfala haf long young laef bilong hem. Bat from hem no savve changem diswan, hem disaed for changem tingting bilong hemseleva. Fitim diswan, hem start for tingim prison hia olsem witnessing territory bilong hemseleva. “From staka preaching hem stap for duim,” hem sei, “olketa year go pas kwiktaem.” Bihaen winim faev year, olketa kwestinim Ella moa. From olketa luksavve prison hem no spoelem faith bilong hem, olketa man wea kwestinim hem sei: “Mifala no savve letem iu go, iu no change yet.” Ella hem tok strong: “Bat mi change finis!” “Tingting bilong mi hem moabeta distaem winim taem mi go long prison, and faith bilong mi hem moa strong winim bifor!” Hem talem tu: “Sapos iufala no laek letem mi go free, mi bae stap go kasem taem Jehovah tingting for letem mi go free.” Faev and haf year long prison no stealim hapi bilong Ella! Hem lane for satisfae long eni living wea hem kasem. Waswe, iu savve lanem eni samting from example bilong hem?—Hebrews 13:5.

12. Wanem nao savve givim peace long wanfala Christian long olketa hardfala taem?

¹² No sei Ella garem wanfala spesol fasin wea mekem hem fit for feisim kaen challenge olsem. Taem hem storyim wei wea olketa kwestinim hem for samfala month bifor hem kasem prison sentence, Ella talemaot: “Mi remember hao teeth bilong mi seksek fogud, and mi feel olsem smol bird wea fraet.” Bat, Ella garem strong faith long Jehovah. Hem lane for trustim hem. (Proverbs 3:5-7) From diswan God hem moa real long hem distaem winim bifor. Hem explainim: “Evritaem mi go insaed rum for olketa kwestinim mi, mi feelim peace nao kasem mi. . . . Taem trabol hem moa big, peace hem kamap moa deep.” Jehovah nao givim datfala peace. Aposol Paul explainim: “No wari long eni samting, bat long evri samting thru long prea and wei for barava askem witim wei for sei thankiu, talem evri samting long God; and peace bilong God wea winim evri tingting bilong man bae protectim heart and tingting bilong iufala thru long Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 4:6, 7.

13. Wanem nao mekem iumi sure hao sapos trabol hem kasem iumi, iumi bae garem strong for stand strong?

¹³ Ella, wea hem free distaem, keepim hapi bilong hem nomata hem kasem hardfala taem. Hem duim diswan no long strong bilong hemseleva, bat long strong wea Jehovah provaedem. Sem samting hem tru long aposol Paul, wea raet: “Dastawe, mi bae hapi tumas for tok praod abaotem olketa wik point bilong mi, mekem paoa bilong Christ savve stap olsem wanfala tent ovarem mi. . . . Bikos taem mi wik, hem nao taem wea mi garem paoa.”—2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.

14. Givim example long hao wanfala Christian savve garem gudfala tingting long wanfala trabol and wanem nao maet kamaot from datwan.

¹⁴ Olketa hevi wea iu kasem distaem maet difren from olketa hevi hia. Bat, nomata wanem kaen, olketa hevi hem hard for deal witim. Olsem example, boss bilong iu maet tokspoelem waka bilong iu—winim waka bilong olketa nara wakman bilong difren religion. Maet no eni wei for iu lukaotem nara ples for waka. Hao nao bae iu keepim hapi bilong iu? Tingim Adolf and olketa fren bilong hem, wea experience bilong olketa long prison teachim olketa for mekem grow olketa important fasin. Sapos iu trae hard for mekem boss bilong iu hapi—nomata wanfala wea “hard for mekem hapi”—iu bae mekem grow Christian fasin olsem for stand strong and patient for safa. (1 Peter 2:18) And tu, iu maet kamap wanfala wakman wea moabeta, wea maet helpem iu for faendem waka wea moa fitim long future. Distaem iumi bae storyim samfala nara wei wea iumi savve keepim hapi bilong iumi long service bilong Jehovah.

Wei for Mekem Living Simpol Lead Go Long Hapi

15-17. Wanem nao wanfala hasband and waef lanem wea savve katem daon hevi, nomata olketa no savve finisim evribit samting wea kosim?

¹⁵ Maet iu no savve chusim kaen waka for selen wea iu duim or wea for duim, bat maet iu savve kontrolem samfala nara part long laef bilong iu. Lukim experience long daon.

¹⁶ Wanfala Christian hasband and waef invaetem wanfala elder for kam kaikai long haos bilong olketa. Long datfala evening tufala talemaot hao for lelebet taem nao tufala feel wikdaon from olketa hevi bilong living. Nomata tufala evriwan garem hardfala full-taem waka, tufala no fit for lukaotem difren waka moa. Olketa no sure hao long nao olketa bae fit for deal witim datwan.

¹⁷ Taem olketa askem advaes, elder hia hem ansa, “Mekem living simpol.” Hao? Disfala hasband and waef iusim kasem thri hour evriday for go and kam from waka. Datfala elder, wea savve gud long tufala, givim idea for olketa tingting for muv klosap long waka, mekem olketa savve katem daon haomas taem olketa iusim evriday for go and kam from waka. Taem wea olketa sevem hem gud for iusim for lukaftarem samfala important samting—or just for rest nomoa. Sapos olketa hevi bilong living hem stealim samfala hapi bilong iu, then lukluk gud sapos iu savve free from diswan long wei for mekem samfala change.

18. Why nao hem important for tingting gud firstaem bifor iumi mekem eni disison?

¹⁸ Wanfala nara wei for katem daon hevi hem for tingting gud bifor iu mekem eni disison. Olsem example, wanfala Christian disaed for buildim wanfala haos. Hem chusim wanfala hard plan tumas, nomata hem nating buildim haos bifor. Distaem hem luksavve hem fit for missim samfala problem sapos hem bin “ting raonem gogo bilong hem” bifor hem chusim plan for haos bilong hem. (Proverbs 14:15) Wanfala nara Christian agree for saportim wanfala brata for garem wanfala kaon. Followim datfala agreement, sapos man wea tekem kaon no savve changem bak, then narawan wea saportim hem nao bae changem. Firstaem, evri samting go ahed gud, bat gogo brata wea tekem kaon hem no changem bak. Man wea givim kaon start for wari and talem nara brata wea saportim brata wea tekem kaon for changem bak full kaon. Diswan putim bigfala hevi long datfala brata. Waswe, hem fit for missim disfala hevi sapos hem tingting gud long evri samting bifor hem agree for helpem disfala brata for garem kaon?—Proverbs 17:18.

19. Wanem nao samfala wei wea iumi savve katem daon hevi long living bilong iumi?

¹⁹ Taem iumi taed, no garem tingting wea sei wei for katem daon hevi and kasem bak hapi hem for katdaon long Bible reading, study seleva, field service, and olketa meeting. Yes, no duim olsem, from olketa samting olsem nao wei wea iumi kasem holy spirit bilong Jehovah, wea wanfala frut bilong hem nao hapi. (Galatians 5:22) Olketa Christian waka evritaem mekem iumi feel gud and klosap evritaem no mekem iumi feel taed tumas. (Matthew 11:28-30) Luk olsem waka for selen or hapitaem nao maet mekem iumi feel taed, no olketa spiritual waka. For lane hao for sleep early maet helpem iumi for gud bak. Lelebet extra rest savve help fogud. N. H. Knorr, wea serve olsem member bilong Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses go kasem taem hem dae, savve talem olketa missionary: “Taem iu feel wikdaon, first samting for duim hem for rest. Bae iu sapraes for lukim hao problem hia hem no luk big tumas bihaen iu garem gudfala sleep long naet!”

20. (a) Storyim samfala wei wea iumi savve keepim hapi bilong iumi. (b) Wanem olketa reason nao iu savve tingim for hapi? (Lukim box long page 17.)

²⁰ Olketa Christian garem privilege for servem “disfala hapi God.” (1 Timothy 1:11) Olsem iumi lukim, iumi savve keepim hapi bilong iumi nomata taem iumi kasem olketa serious problem. Hol strong long Kingdom hope front long iumi, taem need hem kamap changem tingting, and garem simpol living. Then, nomata wanem trabol nao kasem iumi, iumi bae followim toktok bilong Paul: “Hapi evritaem long Lord. Wanfala taem moa mi bae sei, Hapi!”—Philippians 4:4.

Tingting Gud Raonem Olketa Kwestin Hia:

• Why nao wanfala Christian shud tingting strong long Kingdom hope?

• Wanem nao savve helpem iumi for keepim hapi bilong iumi taem iumi kasem olketa hard taem?

• Why nao iumi shud trae for mekem living simpol?

• Wanem nao samfala wei wea samfala mekem living bilong olketa simpol?

[Box/​Olketa Piksa long page 17]

Samfala Reason Moa for Hapi

Olsem olketa Christian, iumi garem planti reason for hapi. Tingim olketa long daon:

1. Iumi savve long Jehovah.

2. Iumi lanem truth bilong Word bilong God.

3. Thru long faith long sakrifaes bilong Jesus iumi savve kasem forgiveness for olketa sin bilong iumi.

4. Kingdom bilong God hem rul—niu world hem klosap kam!

5. Jehovah tekem iumi insaed long wanfala spiritual paradaes.

6. Iumi enjoyim gudfala Christian kaban.

7. Iumi garem privilege for share insaed long preaching waka.

8. Iumi stap laef, and iumi garem samfala strong.

Haomas reason moa for hapi nao iu savve talem?

[Piksa long page 13]

Paul and Silas hapi nomata long prison

[Olketa Piksa long page 15]

Waswe, iu tingting strong long hapi hope bilong niu world bilong God?