Bringing Up Our Children to Love Jehovah

In the meantime, Ekaterini and I were busy with the challenging job of bringing up our four children in line with godly principles.  Happily, we have seen all of them, with Jehovah's help, become mature Christians, devoting their lives fully to the important work of Kingdom preaching. Our three sons, Christos, Lakes, and Gregory have all graduated from the Ministerial Training School and we are now serving in various assignments, visiting and strengthening  congregations.  Toula, our daughter works as  a volunteer at the headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in New York.   Our hearts were touched as we saw all of them sacrifice promising careers and high-paying jobs in order to serve Jehovah. 

Lakes: 
My father despised hypocrisy. He tried very hard not to be hypocritical, especially in setting the right example for his family. He often said to us:  "If you dedicate your life to Jehovah, that means something. You should be willing to make sacrifices to Jehovah. That is what  being a Christian is all about."  These words have stuck with me and have enabled  me to follow his example in making sacrifices for Jehovah.

Christos:
I have greatly appreciated my parents' whole-souled loyalty  to Jehovah and their strong commitment to their responsibility as parents. As a family, we did everything together-from our service to our vacations. Although they could have become involved in so many other things, my parents kept their life simple and focused on the ministry. Today, I know I am truly  happiest when I am fully engrossed in Jehovah's service.

Gregory:
More than my parents' words of encouragement to me to expand  my ministry, their example and the evidence of their joy in Jehovah's service moved me to reevaluate my circumstances, push aside any  worries and concerns about starting full-time service, and apply myself more fully to Jehovah's work.  I thank my parents for helping me find the joy that comes from exerting myself. 

Toula:
My parents always emphasized that our relationship with Jehovah is the most precious thing that we could ever possess and that the only  way we can ever be truly happy is by giving Jehovah our best.  They made  Jehovah very real to us. My father often told us that there is  an indescribable feeling about being able to go to bed at night with a clean conscience, knowing that you have tried your best to make Jehovah happy. 

Next time: Conclusion of Bringing Up Our Children to Love Jehovah

From the Watchtower magazine, 2000