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A Youth Asks, Why Attend Christian Meetings?

“I HAVE a problem.” Thus began a letter from a sixteen-year-old girl in Georgia.

Her mother was regularly attending the meetings at the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the daughter was expected to attend also. But she did not want to be “forced” to do so. The girl wrote: “I feel that I’m old enough to make decisions as far as the religion I want to be involved with, if any.” So, she asked, ‘Why must I attend these meetings?’

Whether you are in a similar situation or not, what about the query, ‘Why attend the meetings at the Kingdom Hall?’

DESIRE TO BE INDEPENDENT

The teen-ager in Georgia commented: “I feel I am too old to hang on mom’s skirt tail.” But is it so?

A teen-ager may feel like an adult, and may even have certain legal rights and privileges, such as being able to obtain an automobile driver’s license. But in many areas one does not obtain full legal rights as an adult until twenty-one years of age. Why is that the case? The experience of millions of youths over many generations has proved that, with a view to their own lasting welfare and that of society, it usually is still best for them to have some parental guidance. So if one is still a minor, would it not be modest and sensible to bear in mind what the experience of millions of young persons has shown? And might it not be that you too could still profit from your parents’ experience and counsel, especially if the law of the land says that they have the right to guide you and are responsible to do so?

Also, do you know what might develop in many places if parents leave a youth at home unattended? If a question of neglect comes up, there could be court action and the youth might be put in an institution.

Did you notice, though, what the girl in Georgia wrote about ‘hanging on to her mom’s skirt tail’? Does that not reflect the common yearning among teen-agers to be independent? To a degree such a feeling is understandable, for as they become adults they will basically be expected to stand on their own. That is part of becoming an adult, is it not? But ask yourself, ‘Is anyone ever completely independent?’ For instance, we are dependent on the air we breathe. Who created it? Jehovah did, just as he provided the sun and rain that we need to grow food. (Acts 14:16, 17) Would it be a sane course if our desire for independence led us to reject the air, sunshine and food that we get from God? If you knew a friend who got it into his mind that he never needed food, would you not be doing him a kindness to urge him to eat enough to keep alive?

Extending this matter, the One who created the means for us to sustain life also offers counsel as to how we can find the greatest happiness​—and do we not all want to be happy? For example, he assures us that lasting happiness does not come from drunkenness, fornication or homosexuality. (Prov. 23:29, 30; 1 Cor. 6:9) Perhaps from your own observations in life you already realize the wisdom of that counsel. But the Creator’s wise advice does not stop there. His Word contains the best counsel on living that has ever been written, covering “the entire course of what is good.” (Prov. 2:9) Why, some men and women who are unaware of this, study at universities for years or travel the globe seeking wisdom and knowledge that can bring true happiness. So if one’s parents, based on careful study, assure a young person that such sought-after wisdom and knowledge are available at the Kingdom Hall, would it not be wise to investigate carefully?

WHY THEY WANT YOU TO ATTEND

Now, if you are a young person who has a natural desire to be happy, do you not believe that your parents want that for you too? Think back. How many sleepless nights did your mother spend caring for you when you were sick? (1 Thess. 2:7) Did not your father work hard over the years to supply food and clothing for your family? Undoubtedly you feel gratitude for such love. If, then, your parents are urging you to accompany them to Christian meetings on a few occasions each week, might this not be another display of their loving concern? They have for many years observed life and its meaning and have evaluated the importance of God and his Word. Thus is there not real reason to cooperate with their efforts to bring to you the lasting benefits that they know you can obtain from accepting and following Godly wisdom?

Also, youths should consider the consistency of the matter. The Bible informs us that God directs youths to be obedient to their parents, to observe the commandments of their father and mother. (Eph. 6:1; Prov. 6:20-22) So your parents could simply command you to go off to the Kingdom Hall meetings. Is that what they do? You may know of many families where the parents make their children attend Sunday-school classes at a church, while the parents laze around at home. But is that so in your case? Are you being told to do something your mother or father or both are not doing? No. Though they may sometimes be tired or busy, they discipline themselves to attend the Kingdom Hall meetings, knowing how immensely profitable they are. Thus they are not asking you to do what they are not doing. Rather, they urge you to benefit along with them.

At the Kingdom Hall you can enjoy fellowship with persons who will not try to cheat or “use” you. Rather, the members of the congregation are pleased when you attend. While there you can learn about what many professors acknowledge to be some of the world’s greatest literature, the Bible. Are you interested in being able to express your feelings and thoughts clearly, to get your point across? Young men and women attending the Theocratic Ministry School at the Kingdom Hall get outstanding help along these lines. And if you do, in time, conclude that the Bible’s promise of eternal life in paradise for those serving God is true, the benefits of attending the meetings may be yours eternally.

Hence, there are quite a number of sound reasons why you should attend meetings at the Kingdom Hall. Realizing this and acting accordingly, you can contribute to peace in the family and can find personal contentment.