AVOID THE DARKNESS -Conclusion

 Satan wants us to associate with people who make it harder for us to stick to Jehovah's standards. Accordingly, Paul urged the Ephesians: "Do not be sharers with them," that is, with those who practice what is wrong in God's eyes. (Ephesians 5:7) We need to remember that our association is not limited to those we spend time with in person. It includes those we interact with on social media, a danger that the ancient Egyptians were not exposed to. Angela, who lives in Asia, found out how dangerous social media can be. She admits: "It can be a trap, subtly numbing your senses. I reached the point where it did not bother me to have 'friends' who did not respect Bible principles. Eventually, I started to think it was ok to pursue a lifestyle that displeased Jehovah." Thankfully, loving elders helped Angela to make needed changes. She says: "Now I fill my mind with spiritual things rather than with social media."

We must fight against the world's thinking that immoral conduct is acceptable. We know better. (Ephesians 4:19, 20) We do well to ask ourselves: 'Do I make it a point to avoid all unnecessary association with workmates, classmates, or others who do not respect Jehovah's righteous standards? Do I courageously uphold Jehovah's standards even though some may call me intolerant for doing so?' As indicated at 2 Timothy 2:20-22, we may also need to be careful when choosing our close associates within the Christian congregation. We bear in mind that some may not help us to remain faithful in our service to Jehovah. 

Next time: Walk "As Children of Light" 

From the jw.org publications