A Personal Decision

When Pablo, another youth who is serving Jehovah full-time, is asked what he considers to be the key to developing a love for the truth of God's Word, he says:  "I think there are two things: regular personal study and zeal for the preaching work.  I am grateful to my parents for having taught me the truth about Jehovah, and I feel that this is the best thing they could  have given me.  However, I need to be personally convinced of why  I love Jehovah.  For that, It is necessary to know 'the breadth and depth'   of Bible truth.  Only in this way do we come to feel a longing for Jehovah's Word, which builds  'a burning fire' within us to speak to others about it.  That zeal for the preaching work will keep our appreciation for the truth alive." -Ephesians 3:18; Jeremiah 20:9.

Jacob Emmanuel, mentioned earlier, also remembers the importance of making a personal choice to serve Jehovah.  He says that his parents never insisted on his getting baptized.  "I believe that this has been for the best because I see the good results.  For example, some youths with whom I associated a lot made the decision to get baptized together.  Although some did it our of emotionalism, and shortly thereafter, their zeal for Kingdom activities waned.  In my case my parents did not pressure me to take the decision to dedicate my self to Jehovah.  It was a personal decision."

Next time: The Role of the Congregation

The Watchtower, 2002