The primary reason for setting spiritual goals is to show Jehovah how grateful we are for his love and for what he has done for us. As a young person, think of all you owe to Jehovah. Your life, your faith, the Bible, the congregation, and your wonderful hope for the future. Giving priority to spiritual matters is a way of showing gratitude to God for these blessings, and that brings you closer to him. Once you start working toward spiritual goals, you begin building a record of good works in Jehovah’s eyes. This brings you even closer to him. The apostle Paul promised: “God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name.” (Heb. 6:10) You are never too young to set goals. Why not consider which goals are important to you and then start working toward them?​—Phil. 1:10, 11. w18.04 26 ¶5-6

The foremost reason why we share in the preaching work is to glorify Jehovah and sanctify his name before mankind. (John 15:1, 8) Yet, we cannot make God’s name more sacred. It is already sacred, or holy, in the absolute sense. But note what the prophet Isaiah stated: “Jehovah of armies​—he is the One you should regard as holy.” (Isa. 8:13) We sanctify God’s name, among other ways, by regarding it as separate from all other names and by helping others to regard it as holy. For instance, by proclaiming the truth about Jehovah’s wonderful qualities and his unchangeable purpose for mankind, we defend God’s name against Satan’s lies and slander. (Gen. 3:1-5) Also, when we strive to help people in our territory to see that Jehovah is worthy “to receive the glory and the honor and the power,” we sanctify God’s name.​—Rev. 4:11. w18.05 18 ¶3-4

The apostle Paul likened our life as Christians to that of soldiers engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Of course, the war we fight is spiritual, not literal. Even so, our enemies are real. Satan and the demons are skilled warriors with vast experience. At first glance, our prospects may seem bleak. Young Christians in particular may appear to be vulnerable. How can they hope to win against superhuman, wicked spirit forces? The fact is, young ones can win, and they are winning! Why? Because they “go on acquiring power in the Lord.” But they do more than draw on God’s power. They are dressed for battle. Like well-trained soldiers, they have “put on the complete suit of armor from God.” (Eph. 6:10-12) When developing his illustration, Paul perhaps had in mind the armor worn by Roman legionnaires.​—Acts 28:16. w18.05 27 ¶1-2

Jesus’ story showed that a Samaritan could teach the Jews the meaning of true neighborly love. (Luke 10:25-37) To fulfill their commission, Jesus’ disciples needed to conquer the pride and prejudice they had. Before ascending to heaven, he assigned them to bear witness to “all Judea and Samaria, and to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Jesus had earlier prepared them for such an extensive assignment by drawing their attention to good qualities in foreigners. He praised a foreign army officer for his outstanding faith. (Matt. 8:5-10) In his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus spoke of how Jehovah had favored foreigners, such as the Phoenician widow from Zarephath and the Syrian leper Naaman. (Luke 4:25-27) And Jesus not only preached to a Samaritan woman but he spent two days in a Samaritan town because of the people’s interest in his message.​—John 4:21-24, 40. w18.06 10 ¶10-11

As you advance toward Christian maturity, you will find that principles become more important to you. That is because laws may apply to a specific situation, whereas principles are far broader in application. For example, a young child does not understand the dangers of bad associations, so a discerning parent will set rules to protect him. (1 Cor. 15:33) But as the child matures, his thinking ability develops, and he is able to reason on Bible-based principles. Thus, he can increasingly make wise decisions in choosing his associates. (1 Cor. 13:11; 14:20) When we reason on godly principles, our conscience increasingly becomes a more reliable guide, attuned to God’s thinking. Do we have everything we need to make wise decisions that please Jehovah? Yes. By making skilled use of the laws and principles found in God’s Word, we will be “fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.”​—2 Tim. 3:16, 17. w18.06 19 ¶14; 20 ¶16-17

When faced with frustrating situations or recurring personality conflicts, do we control our lips and our temper? (Prov. 10:19; Matt. 5:22) When provoked by others, we need to learn to “yield place to the wrath.” Whose wrath? Jehovah’s wrath. (Rom. 12:17-21) If we keep looking to Jehovah, we will show him due respect by yielding to his wrath, patiently waiting for him to take action when he deems it necessary. To do otherwise and avenge ourselves in some way would be tantamount to disrespecting Jehovah. Do we faithfully follow the latest directions that Jehovah has given us? If so, we will not rely on always doing things the way we have done them in the past. Rather, we will be quick to follow any new direction that Jehovah provides through his organization. (Heb. 13:17) At the same time, we will be careful that we “do not go beyond the things that are written.” (1 Cor. 4:6) In so doing, we keep our eyes fixed on Jehovah. w18.07 15-16 ¶17-18

One sense in which we are “brothers” is that all of us have descended from Adam. (Acts 17:26) But there is more. Jesus explained that his disciples were brothers and sisters because they recognized Jehovah as their heavenly Father. (Matt. 12:50) In addition, they had become members of one large spiritual family, united by love and faith. Thus in their letters, the apostles often referred to fellow disciples as ‘brothers and sisters.’ (Rom. 1:13;1 Pet. 2:17; 1 John 3:13) After making it clear that we should view one another as brothers and sisters, Jesus stressed the need for humility. (Matt. 23:11, 12) Undue pride among his apostles had led to some disunity. And pride of race could also have been a problem. Did the Jews have reason to be proud because they were descendants of Abraham? Many Jews had that deep-seated conviction. But John the Baptist told them: “God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.”​—Luke 3:8. w18.06 9-10 ¶8-9

Ask yourself: ‘Is my complete allegiance to Jehovah evident to others? Do I look for opportunities to identify myself as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?’ Jehovah would be deeply saddened if after he has selected us as his people, we were to hesitate to let others know that we belong to him. (Ps. 119:46; Mark 8:38) Sad to say, some individuals have blurred the distinction between their serving God and their not serving him by imitating “the spirit of the world.” (1 Cor. 2:12) That is a spirit that caters to ‘the desires of one’s flesh.’ (Eph. 2:3) For example, despite all the counsel that has been given on the subject, some still prefer styles of dress and grooming that are immodest. They wear tight-fitting and revealing clothing, even to Christian gatherings. Or they have adopted extreme haircuts and hairdos. (1 Tim. 2:9, 10) As a result, when they are in a crowd, it may be difficult to tell who belongs to Jehovah and who is “a friend of the world.”​—Jas. 4:4. w18.07 24-25 ¶11-12

Jehovah places no significance on racial, ethnic, national, tribal, or linguistic differences. Any man or woman who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him. (Gal. 3:26-28; Rev. 7:9, 10) No doubt, you acknowledge that this is true. But what if you have grown up in a land or in a home filled with prejudice? While you might see yourself as being impartial, deep inside, prejudice may linger. Even Peter, who had the privilege of revealing Jehovah’s impartiality, later manifested prejudice. (Gal. 2:11-14) How can we stop judging by the outward appearance? We need to examine ourselves carefully in the light of God’s Word to see if we are holding on to any prejudiced thoughts or feelings. (Ps. 119:105) We might also need loving help from others who may see prejudiced attitudes in us, even if we cannot see them in ourselves. (Gal. 2:11, 14) It could be that these attitudes are so ingrained in us that we are not conscious of them. w18.08 9 ¶5-6

It can be a challenge to maintain a generous spirit when we are surrounded by people who put their own interests ahead of those of others. However, Jesus stated that the two greatest commandments are to love Jehovah with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark 12:28-31) Those who love Jehovah imitate him. Jehovah gives to others, and so does Jesus. And they recommend that we do the same, for it will make us truly happy. If we strive to manifest this generous spirit in our dealings with both God and neighbor, we will bring honor to Jehovah and benefit ourselves and others. No doubt you are already striving to give of yourself to help others, especially fellow believers. (Gal. 6:10) If you continue to do so, you will surely be loved and appreciated, and you will be happy as a result. w18.08 22 ¶19-20