Surely we are eager to show our appreciation to Jehovah for the honor of being his people. We see the wisdom in acknowledging his ownership of us by voluntarily dedicating ourselves to him. We take a firm stand against badness. And we love and respect our fellow worshippers, recognizing that they too belong to Jehovah. (Rom. 12:10) The Bible promises: “Jehovah will not forsake his people.” (Ps. 94:14) This ironclad guarantee is binding despite any calamity that might befall us. Even death cannot stand in the way of Jehovah’s love for us. (Rom. 8:38, 39) “Both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah.” (Rom. 14:8) We eagerly look forward to the day when Jehovah will bring to life all his loyal friends who have died. (Matt. 22:32) Even now we enjoy many blessings. As the Bible says, “happy is the nation whose God is Jehovah, the people he has chosen as his own possession.”​—Ps. 33:12. w18.07 26 ¶18-19

Jesus did not say that it would be impossible. He also said: “Happy are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20) Yet, this did not mean that all poor people were specially blessed and responded to the teaching of Jesus. Many poor people did not respond. The point is, We simply cannot judge a person’s relationship with Jehovah by his material possessions. We are blessed to have many brothers and sisters, rich and poor, who love and serve Jehovah with a complete heart. The Scriptures instruct those who are rich “to place their hope, not on uncertain riches, but on God.” (1 Tim. 6:17-19) At the same time, God’s Word admonishes all of God’s people, rich and poor, to be careful not to love money. (1 Tim. 6:9, 10) Indeed, when we open our eyes and see our brothers as Jehovah sees them, we will not be tempted to judge them solely on what they have or do not have materially. w18.08 10-11 ¶11-12

Christian parents cooperate with Jehovah when they set theocratic goals before their children. Many who have done so have later seen their sons and daughters take up full-time service assignments far from home. Some are missionaries; others pioneer where the need for publishers is greater; still others serve at Bethel. Distance might mean that families cannot get together as often as they would like to. Nevertheless, the self-sacrificing parents encourage their children to persevere in their assignments. Why? They find great joy and satisfaction in knowing that their children are putting Kingdom interests first. Perhaps many of these parents feel like Hannah, who said that she “lent” her son Samuel to Jehovah. These parents rightly view such cooperation as a precious privilege. They would not want things any other way.​—1 Sam. 1:28. w18.08 24 ¶4

Because many in these “critical times” suffer from various degrees of emotional distress, countless individuals feel like just giving up. (2 Tim. 3:1-5) Estimates suggest that more than 800,000 people die every year from suicide​—about one death every 40 seconds. Sad to say, even some Christians have succumbed to such pressures and have taken their own life. Even if our brothers and sisters do not necessarily feel like giving up, many today deal with stressful situations and need to be built up in love. Some endure persecution and ridicule. Others are the victims of criticism or backbiting at their workplace. Or they are exhausted because of working overtime or having to meet relentless deadlines. Still others deal with strength-sapping domestic problems, perhaps being the target of criticism by an unbelieving mate. As a result of these and other pressures, many in the congregation feel physically and emotionally drained. w18.09 13 ¶3, 5

What did Jesus mean? He went on to say: “Rejoice and be overjoyed, since your reward is great in the heavens, for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you.” (Matt. 5:12) When the apostles were beaten and commanded to stop preaching, “they went out from before the Sanhedrin, rejoicing.” Of course, they did not relish the pain of being whipped. Yet, they rejoiced “because they had been counted worthy to be dishonored in behalf of [Jesus’] name.” (Acts 5:41) In our time, Jehovah’s people also endure with joy when they suffer in behalf of Jesus’ name or when they face difficult trials. (Jas. 1:2-4) Like the apostles, we do not take delight in any kind of suffering. But if we maintain our integrity to God during trials, Jehovah can help us to endure with fortitude. When we have the smile of approval of “the happy God,” we can be happy despite religious persecution or opposition at home.​—1 Tim. 1:11. w18.09 21 ¶18-20

We are not surprised, then, that Satan and his demons would influence men in powerful positions to “speak lies.” (1 Tim. 4:1, 2) Religious leaders who lie are especially guilty because they endanger the future life prospects of those who believe their lies. If an individual accepts a false teaching and practices something that is actually condemned by God, it can cost that person his eternal life. (Hos. 4:9) Jesus knew that the religious leaders in his day were guilty of such deception. He told them to their face: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you travel over sea and dry land to make one convert, and when he becomes one, you make him a subject for Gehenna [everlasting destruction] twice as much so as yourselves.” (Matt. 23:15; ftn.) Jesus condemned those false religious leaders in the strongest terms. They truly were ‘from their father the Devil, a murderer.’​—John 8:44. w18.10 7 ¶5-6

How do you feel when someone you know and respect forgets your name or, worse still, does not even recognize you? Such an experience can be very discouraging. Why? It is because each one of us has a natural desire to be accepted. The type of recognition we desire goes beyond being identified by others; we also want some acknowledgment of who we are and what we have accomplished. (Num. 11:16; ftn.; Job 31:6) Like many other natural desires, though, our desire to be appreciated can become unbalanced, distorted by our imperfections. It can make us crave inappropriate expressions of recognition. Satan’s world fuels a desire for fame and acknowledgment that distracts attention from the one who truly deserves to be recognized and worshipped, our heavenly Father, Jehovah God.​—Rev. 4:11. w18.07 7 ¶1-2

When we are faced with sudden changes, we might easily let worries about the future paralyze our life. This could have happened to Joseph. Instead, he evidently decided to make the best of his situation, thus giving Jehovah something to bless. Although in prison, Joseph worked hard to fulfill any task given him by the chief officer, just as he had done when working for Potiphar. (Gen. 39:21, 22) Like Joseph, we may find ourselves in a situation over which we have little or no control. However, if we remain patient and work hard at making the best of our circumstances, we will give Jehovah something to bless. (Ps. 37:5) True, we may at times feel “perplexed,” but we will never, as the apostle Paul put it, be “left in despair.” (2 Cor. 4:8; ftn.) These words of Paul will come true in our case, especially if we stay focused on our ministry. w18.10 29 ¶11, 13

To continue walking in the truth, we must not give in to pressure from others. When we started to walk in the truth, our relationship with non-Witness associates and family members changed. Some were tolerant; others became outright opposers. Family members, workmates, and schoolmates may try to get us to join them in their celebrations. How can we resist the pressure to conform to customs and holidays that do not honor Jehovah? We can do so by keeping Jehovah’s view of such practices clearly in mind. Reviewing discussions printed in our publications that show the origin of popular holidays can be helpful. When we remind ourselves of the Scriptural reasons for not participating in such holidays, we are convinced that we are walking in the way that “is acceptable to the Lord.” (Eph. 5:10) Trusting in Jehovah and his Word of truth will protect us from “trembling at men.”​—Prov. 29:25. w18.11 11 ¶10, 12

Parents endeavor to instill in their children good values. If the children choose to live within the values that they learned from their parents, they will be more likely to make decisions that they will not later regret. As a result, they will be free from many self-induced troubles and anxieties. Like a good parent, Jehovah wants his children to have the most fulfilling life possible. (Isa. 48:18) He therefore provides basic principles for moral conduct and for behavior toward others. In such matters he invites us to cultivate his very way of thinking and to share his values. Far from constraining us, this enhances, elevates, and expands our thinking ability. (Ps. 92:5; Prov. 2:1-5; Isa. 55:9) It helps us make choices that lead to happiness while still allowing us to blossom as individuals. (Ps. 1:2, 3) Yes, thinking like Jehovah is beneficial and desirable! w18.11 19-20 ¶7-8