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00:00:07 I was born to two Christian parents; 00:00:10 they always tried to instill in us a love for Jehovah. 00:00:15 But I felt quite lonely growing up, 00:00:17 and I felt like I didn’t have people who wanted to do the same things 00:00:22 —the lifestyle, the way they spoke, the music they were listening to— 00:00:26 and so for me, the real struggle was where do I stand? 00:00:30 Where are my boundaries going to be set? 00:00:32 It’s really hard because it could mean 00:00:34 the difference between having a friend and not having a friend. 00:00:37 Over the years, I have talked to several 00:00:39 who’ve perhaps drifted a little bit in the truth. 00:00:43 And that unfortunately happened to some of my friends. 00:00:47 Nobody is immune to the pressures of the world. 00:00:51 I was born and raised by Christian parents, 00:00:54 so all through my childhood and teenage years, 00:00:57 I was happy serving Jehovah, 00:01:01 but it got a little bit harder when I started to work. 00:01:05 People at work would ask me 00:01:07 to do social activities with them, go for a drink and things, 00:01:10 but there were men who would ask me to go out with them. 00:01:15 It’s flattering when someone shows interest in you, so it was nice, 00:01:19 but it was hard to have to constantly remind myself, 00:01:23 ‘Well, you know that this is not going to be successful; 00:01:26 you know this person doesn’t love Jehovah.’ 00:01:29 I remember one day I drove into a parking lot, 00:01:33 and I just prayed to Jehovah with tears in my eyes, and I said: 00:01:35 “This is too hard. This is just too hard. 00:01:38 “The people that are my friends are starting to leave the truth. 00:01:42 I feel quite lonely, but I want to serve you.” 00:01:45 After that prayer I went home, I spoke to my mom, 00:01:48 and she got really quiet, and she just looked at me and said, 00:01:51 “Anything Jehovah tells you is to benefit yourself.” 00:01:54 And it clicked in that moment that Jehovah was saying to me: “I love you. 00:01:58 “I will carry you through this time, and you’ll see 00:02:02 “that there will be all these blessings that’ll open up to you, 00:02:04 “and you’ll have a really wonderful, colorful life, 00:02:06 but you have to hang in there.” 00:02:09 Even though it was hard, I resisted the temptation, 00:02:13 but someone close to me who faced the same pressure 00:02:16 gave in and ended up leaving Jehovah. 00:02:19 When I heard 00:02:21 that she was disfellowshipped, 00:02:28 it just completely hit me so hard 00:02:32 because you really are just worried 00:02:35 about what is going to happen with their future. 00:02:38 After a while, she did come back to Jehovah. 00:02:42 She’s raising a child on her own. 00:02:45 One day we were having a video chat 00:02:47 with the little one just playing in the background, 00:02:49 and she suddenly turned around and said, 00:02:53 “Mummy, why did you marry someone who doesn’t love Jehovah?” 00:02:58 She understood that we need to live according to Jehovah’s standards. 00:03:02 As elders, we can help people to get up and get back on the path to life, 00:03:07 and it’s a real pleasure. 00:03:09 I’m reminded about the account of David. 00:03:11 Eventually he was forgiven by Jehovah because he had a good heart; 00:03:16 however, there were consequences all through his life. 00:03:22 I’ve received so many blessings for sticking to Jehovah. 00:03:25 I found a lovely brother to marry in the Christian congregation, 00:03:29 and we’re very happy together. 00:03:31 The thing to do is to just stick with Jehovah. 00:03:33 “Taste and see that Jehovah is good,” 00:03:35 and when you do that, you will appreciate 00:03:38 that there is absolutely no need 00:03:40 to go anywhere else. 00:03:42 Having observed what has happened to people who have left the truth 00:03:47 and the baggage they sometimes end up carrying 00:03:50 when they come back in the truth makes me feel that it’s just not worth it. 00:03:53 Really, Jehovah is like a parent; he wants to protect us and care for us. 00:03:58 Things will always work out for the best if you do things Jehovah’s way. 00:04:02 I feel my family has had many blessings. 00:04:04 As a husband and a father, 00:04:07 I’ve got four children who have all grown up in the truth. 00:04:09 They’ve all gone on to have good theocratic lives, 00:04:12 where they’ve enjoyed many privileges of service. 00:04:15 So for me, it’s been a real blessing to do things Jehovah’s way. 00:04:19 I think when you test out the world, 00:04:22 Satan will give you immediate satisfaction, 00:04:25 but when you serve no purpose to him anymore, that’s it. 00:04:29 One of the most beautiful blessings I’ve received is people 00:04:32 —people around you who love Jehovah 00:04:35 and who want to serve him the way you do. 00:04:38 I really strongly believe that Jehovah 00:04:41 not only gives us a lot of blessings 00:04:44 but gives us blessings that he’s handpicked for us. 00:04:49 My observation would be 00:04:51 that experience is not the best teacher; Jehovah is the best Teacher.
00:00:07 I was born to two Christian parents; 00:00:10 they always tried to instill in us a love for Jehovah. 00:00:15 But I felt quite lonely growing up, 00:00:17 and I felt like I didn’t have people who wanted to do the same things 00:00:22 —the lifestyle, the way they spoke, the music they were listening to— 00:00:26 and so for me, the real struggle was where do I stand? 00:00:30 Where are my boundaries going to be set? 00:00:32 It’s really hard because it could mean 00:00:34 the difference between having a friend and not having a friend. 00:00:37 Over the years, I have talked to several 00:00:39 who’ve perhaps drifted a little bit in the truth. 00:00:43 And that unfortunately happened to some of my friends. 00:00:47 Nobody is immune to the pressures of the world. 00:00:51 I was born and raised by Christian parents, 00:00:54 so all through my childhood and teenage years, 00:00:57 I was happy serving Jehovah, 00:01:01 but it got a little bit harder when I started to work. 00:01:05 People at work would ask me 00:01:07 to do social activities with them, go for a drink and things, 00:01:10 but there were men who would ask me to go out with them. 00:01:15 It’s flattering when someone shows interest in you, so it was nice, 00:01:19 but it was hard to have to constantly remind myself, 00:01:23 ‘Well, you know that this is not going to be successful; 00:01:26 you know this person doesn’t love Jehovah.’ 00:01:29 I remember one day I drove into a parking lot, 00:01:33 and I just prayed to Jehovah with tears in my eyes, and I said: 00:01:35 “This is too hard. This is just too hard. 00:01:38 “The people that are my friends are starting to leave the truth. 00:01:42 I feel quite lonely, but I want to serve you.” 00:01:45 After that prayer I went home, I spoke to my mom, 00:01:48 and she got really quiet, and she just looked at me and said, 00:01:51 “Anything Jehovah tells you is to benefit yourself.” 00:01:54 And it clicked in that moment that Jehovah was saying to me: “I love you. 00:01:58 “I will carry you through this time, and you’ll see 00:02:02 “that there will be all these blessings that’ll open up to you, 00:02:04 “and you’ll have a really wonderful, colorful life, 00:02:06 but you have to hang in there.” 00:02:09 Even though it was hard, I resisted the temptation, 00:02:13 but someone close to me who faced the same pressure 00:02:16 gave in and ended up leaving Jehovah. 00:02:19 When I heard 00:02:21 that she was disfellowshipped, 00:02:28 it just completely hit me so hard 00:02:32 because you really are just worried 00:02:35 about what is going to happen with their future. 00:02:38 After a while, she did come back to Jehovah. 00:02:42 She’s raising a child on her own. 00:02:45 One day we were having a video chat 00:02:47 with the little one just playing in the background, 00:02:49 and she suddenly turned around and said, 00:02:53 “Mummy, why did you marry someone who doesn’t love Jehovah?” 00:02:58 She understood that we need to live according to Jehovah’s standards. 00:03:02 As elders, we can help people to get up and get back on the path to life, 00:03:07 and it’s a real pleasure. 00:03:09 I’m reminded about the account of David. 00:03:11 Eventually he was forgiven by Jehovah because he had a good heart; 00:03:16 however, there were consequences all through his life. 00:03:22 I’ve received so many blessings for sticking to Jehovah. 00:03:25 I found a lovely brother to marry in the Christian congregation, 00:03:29 and we’re very happy together. 00:03:31 The thing to do is to just stick with Jehovah. 00:03:33 “Taste and see that Jehovah is good,” 00:03:35 and when you do that, you will appreciate 00:03:38 that there is absolutely no need 00:03:40 to go anywhere else. 00:03:42 Having observed what has happened to people who have left the truth 00:03:47 and the baggage they sometimes end up carrying 00:03:50 when they come back in the truth makes me feel that it’s just not worth it. 00:03:53 Really, Jehovah is like a parent; he wants to protect us and care for us. 00:03:58 Things will always work out for the best if you do things Jehovah’s way. 00:04:02 I feel my family has had many blessings. 00:04:04 As a husband and a father, 00:04:07 I’ve got four children who have all grown up in the truth. 00:04:09 They’ve all gone on to have good theocratic lives, 00:04:12 where they’ve enjoyed many privileges of service. 00:04:15 So for me, it’s been a real blessing to do things Jehovah’s way. 00:04:19 I think when you test out the world, 00:04:22 Satan will give you immediate satisfaction, 00:04:25 but when you serve no purpose to him anymore, that’s it. 00:04:29 One of the most beautiful blessings I’ve received is people 00:04:32 —people around you who love Jehovah 00:04:35 and who want to serve him the way you do. 00:04:38 I really strongly believe that Jehovah 00:04:41 not only gives us a lot of blessings 00:04:44 but gives us blessings that he’s handpicked for us. 00:04:49 My observation would be 00:04:51 that experience is not the best teacher; Jehovah is the best Teacher.
