Good Conduct ‘Adorns the Teaching of God’

YOUNG Maria in Kransnoyarsk, Russia, sings so well that her teacher put her in the school chorus. Soon thereafter, Maria respectfully approached one of her teachers to explain that she could not sing certain songs. Why? Because singing songs with religious connotations conflicted with her Bible-based convictions. Taken aback, the teacher wondered, ‘What could be wrong with glorifying God in a song?’

To show why she would decline to sing a song about a Trinitarian God, Maria opened her Bible and explained that God and Jesus Christ are not one God and that the holy spirit is God’s active force. (Matthew 26:39; John 14:28; Acts 4:31) Maria relates: “My relationship with the teacher did not suffer. Overall, we have very good teachers in our school. They want us to be ourselves.”

Throughout the school year, Maria’s stand earned her the respect of teachers and classmates alike. Maria says: “Bible principles help me in my life. At the end of the school year, I received an award for honesty and orderliness, while my parents received an official thank-you letter from school for giving their daughter a good upbringing.”

Maria was baptized on August 18, 2001. She says: “I am happy that I can serve such a wonderful God as Jehovah!” Young Witnesses of Jehovah worldwide live up to the words of Titus 2:10, where we read: “Adorn the teaching of our Savior, God, in all things.”

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Letter of appreciation and certificate of merit

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Maria and her parents after her baptism