Jehovah exercises authority in a loving manner. In harmony with that, family heads and elders who love his sovereignty will not be demanding, as if exercising a small sovereignty of their own. Instead, they will imitate Jehovah. Paul was just such an imitator of God and his Son. Paul did not embarrass others or pressure them into taking a desired course of action. Rather, he appealed to them. (Rom. 12:1; Eph. 4:1;Philem. 8-10) That is Jehovah’s way of handling matters. Thus, that should be the way of all who love and uphold his way of ruling. What is our response to divinely authorized headship? By our respectful cooperation, we show our support for Jehovah’s sovereignty. Even if we do not fully understand or agree with a decision, we will still want to support theocratic order. That is quite different from the way of the world, but it is the way of life under Jehovah’s rulership.​—Eph. 5:22, 23; 6:1-3; Heb. 13:17. w17.06 30 ¶14-15

For many people today, money is the big issue. They are focused on accumulating wealth or on holding on to what they have. Others consider their big issue to be family, health, or personal accomplishments. However, a very big issue facing all of us is the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty. We need to guard against losing sight of this vital issue. How could that happen? We could become so absorbed in the demands of our day-to-day life that we forget just how important the vindication of God’s sovereignty really is. Or we could allow the weight of our personal trials to eclipse that great issue. On the other hand, the keener our appreciation for the vindication of Jehovah’s sovereignty, the better equipped we are to meet challenges in our daily lives. And such appreciation will draw us closer to Jehovah. w17.06 22 ¶1-2

Without a doubt, the primary source of consolation is our compassionate heavenly Father, Jehovah. (2 Cor. 1:3, 4) Another source of comfort to grieving ones is the Christian congregation. (1 Thess. 5:11) How can you strengthen and console those who have “a crushed spirit”? (Prov. 17:22) Bear in mind that there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.” (Eccl. 3:7) A widow named Dalene explains: “Bereaved ones need to express their thoughts and feelings. Therefore, the most important thing you can do for a bereaved person is to listen​—without interrupting.” Junia, whose brother took his own life, adds: “Even though you may not be able to grasp their grief completely, what counts is that you want to understand how they feel.” Remember, too, that not everyone experiences and expresses grief in the same way. w17.07 13 ¶3; 14 ¶11-13

Many Christians experienced happiness in their youth by serving as pioneers. If you are young, why not discuss your plans with some of them? Such spiritual people may tell you that the full-time ministry provides an education that benefits you throughout life. After having been instructed by his Father in heaven, Jesus continued to learn during his earthly ministry. For example, he learned the joy of reaching hearts with the good news and also the joy of keeping integrity under test. (Isa. 50:4; Heb. 5:8; 12:2) Jesus said: “Go . . . make disciples of people . . . teaching them.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) If you plan to be a disciple-maker, you will be choosing a most satisfying career, one that glorifies God. As with any career, you need time to become skilled. w17.07 23 ¶6-7

Perhaps there have been times in our life when we felt that we were following the leadings of God’s holy spirit, but then things did not turn out the way we expected. We came face-to-face with challenges or new circumstances that required massive changes in our life. (Eccl. 9:11) What can help us not to be anxious over anything and to experience “the peace of God”? Paul’s words to the Philippians show us that the antidote to worry is prayer. So when we are anxious, we need to turn our worries into prayers. (1 Pet. 5:6, 7) Pray to Jehovah in full faith, knowing that he cares for you. Pray to him “with thanksgiving,” remembering your blessings. Our confidence in him will be strengthened when we keep in mind that he can “do more than superabundantly beyond all the things we ask or conceive.”​—Eph. 3:20. w17.08 9 ¶4, 6; 10 ¶10

While in a prison hole in Egypt, did Joseph have any idea that he would be appointed to the second-highest position in the land or that he would be used by Jehovah to save his family from starvation? (Gen. 40:15, ftn.; 41:39-43; 50:20) No doubt Jehovah’s actions exceeded all of Joseph’s expectations. Did aged Sarah expect that Jehovah would allow her to give birth to a son? The birth of Isaac certainly exceeded all that Sarah could ever have imagined. (Gen. 21:1-3, 6, 7) Granted, we do not expect that Jehovah will miraculously take away all our problems before the promised new world; nor do we demand that spectacular things occur in our lives. But we do know that the God who helped his servants in amazing ways is our God, Jehovah. (Isa. 43:10-12) We know that he can do whatever is needed to empower us to accomplish his will fully. (2 Cor. 4:7-9) Yes, Jehovah can help us to conquer the seemingly unconquerable if we remain faithful to him. w17.08 11-12 ¶13-14

Our motive for clothing ourselves with the new personality must be to honor Jehovah, not to win praise from men. Remember that even a once perfect spirit creature sinned because he allowed himself to become filled with pride. (Compare Ezekiel 28:17.) How much more difficult it is for sinful humans to avoid improper pride and haughtiness! Still, it is possible to clothe ourselves with humility. What will help us to do so? To remain humble, we need to set aside time to meditate daily on what we read in God’s Word. (Deut. 17:18-20) In particular, we do well to reflect on Jesus’ teachings and his wonderful example of humble service. (Matt. 20:28) Jesus even washed the feet of his apostles. (John 13:12-17) We also need to pray frequently for God’s spirit to help us fight any tendency of feeling superior to others.​—Gal. 6:3, 4. w17.08 25 ¶11-12