1. What feeling may some faithful servants of Jehovah struggle with?

 HOW reassuring it is to know that Jehovah approves of his people as a group! The Bible says: “Jehovah takes pleasure in his people.” (Ps. 149:4) At times, however, some get so discouraged that they may wonder, ‘Does Jehovah approve of me personally?’ A number of Jehovah’s faithful worshippers in Bible times had moments when they struggled with such thoughts.​—1 Sam. 1:6-10; Job 29:2, 4; Ps. 51:11.

2. Who have Jehovah’s approval?

² The Bible clearly shows that imperfect humans can gain Jehovah’s approval, or goodwill. How? We must exercise faith in Jesus Christ and get baptized. (John 3:16) We thus demonstrate publicly that we have repented of our sins and made a promise to God to do his will. (Acts 2:38; 3:19) Jehovah is delighted when we take these steps to cultivate a relationship with him. As long as we continue to do our best to live up to our dedication vow, Jehovah approves of us and considers us his close friends.​—Ps. 25:14.

3. What will we now discuss?

³ Why, though, might some at times feel that God does not approve of them? How does Jehovah express his approval? And how can a Christian strengthen his confidence that he does have God’s approval?

WHY SOME MAY FEEL THAT JEHOVAH DOES NOT APPROVE OF THEM

4-5. Despite feelings of low self-worth, of what can we be sure?

⁴ A number of us have battled feelings of low self-worth since childhood. (Ps. 88:15) A brother named Adrián says: “I have always felt worthless. Some of my earliest memories are of praying that my family would make it into Paradise, although I was sure that I was not good enough to be there.” Tony, who did not grow up in a Christian home, says: “My parents never told me that they loved me or were proud of me. The message was that I could always do better.”

⁵ If we at times struggle with feelings of worthlessness, we can remember that in his own way, Jehovah drew us to him. (John 6:44) He sees the good in us that we may not see in ourselves, and he knows our heart. (1 Sam. 16:7; 2 Chron. 6:30) So we can trust him when he says that we are precious.​—1 John 3:19, 20.

6. How did the apostle Paul feel about his past sins?

⁶ Before learning the truth, some of us did things that may still fill us with guilt. (1 Pet. 4:3) Even faithful Christians battle against sinful inclinations. Does your heart condemn you? If so, take comfort in knowing that faithful servants of Jehovah have struggled with similar feelings. For example, the apostle Paul felt miserable when reflecting on his imperfections. (Rom. 7:24) Of course, Paul had repented of his sins and got baptized. Still, he referred to himself as “the least of the apostles” and the “foremost” sinner.​—1 Cor. 15:9; 1 Tim. 1:15.

7. What should we keep in mind about our past sins?

⁷ Our heavenly Father promises to forgive us if we are repentant. (Ps. 86:5) So if we are truly sorry for the sins we have committed, we can take Jehovah at his word​—he has forgiven us.​—Col. 2:13.

8-9. How can we overcome the feeling that we can never do enough to please Jehovah?

⁸ We all want to serve Jehovah as fully as possible. However, some feel that they can never do enough to gain his approval. A sister named Amanda says: “I tend to equate giving Jehovah my best with the constant need to do more. I often expect more of myself than I can give. When I ‘fail,’ I assume that Jehovah is as disappointed with me as I am with myself.”

⁹ How can we overcome the feeling that we can never do enough to please Jehovah? Remember that Jehovah is not rigid, or inflexible. He never demands more of us than we can reasonably do. He appreciates whatever we do for him as long as we are doing our best. Also, reflect on Bible examples of those who served Jehovah whole-souled. Think of Paul. He exerted himself zealously for years, traveling thousands of miles and establishing many congregations. Yet, when circumstances limited his share in the preaching work, did he lose God’s approval? No. He continued to do what he could, and Jehovah blessed him. (Acts 28:30, 31) Similarly, what we can give to Jehovah may vary at times. But what matters to him is why we do it. Let us now consider some ways that Jehovah expresses his approval of us.

HOW DOES JEHOVAH EXPRESS HIS APPROVAL?

10. How can we “hear” Jehovah express his approval of us? (John 16:27)

¹⁰ Through the Bible. Jehovah loves to express warm approval of those for whom he has affection. The Scriptures report two occasions when He told Jesus that he was His beloved, approved Son. (Matt. 3:17; 17:5) Would you like to hear Jehovah reassure you of his approval? Jehovah does not speak to us audibly, but he speaks to us through the pages of his Word. We can “hear” Jehovah’s voice of approval when we read Jesus’ words in the Gospels. (Read John 16:27.) Jesus perfectly reflected his Father’s personality. So when we read that Jesus expressed his approval of his imperfect but faithful followers, we can picture Jehovah saying those words to us.​—John 15:9, 15.

11. Why does experiencing hardships not mean that we have lost Jehovah’s approval? (James 1:12)

¹¹ Through his actions. Jehovah is eager to help us, such as by providing for our material needs. At times, Jehovah may allow us to suffer hardships, as he did righteous Job. (Job 1:8-11) Trials do not mean that we have lost God’s approval. Rather, they provide us with opportunities to prove the depth of our love for God and our trust in him. (Read James 1:12.) We will experience his loving care and support as he helps us to endure.

12. What can we learn from Dmitrii’s experience?

¹² Consider a brother in Asia named Dmitrii. He lost his job and could not find work for many months. So he decided to increase his share in the ministry, thus showing his trust in Jehovah. Months dragged on, and he still could not find work. Then he experienced health problems to the point that he became bedridden. He began to doubt his worth as a husband and father, and he wondered if he had lost Jehovah’s approval. Then one evening his daughter printed on a sheet of paper the words found at Isaiah 30:15: “Your strength will be in keeping calm and showing trust.” She brought it to his bedside and said, “Daddy, when you feel bad, you can remember this scripture.” Dmitrii realized that, thanks to Jehovah, his family still had adequate food, clothing, and shelter. “What I needed to do,” he says, “was stay calm and continue trusting in my God.” If you are facing a similar trial, you can trust that Jehovah cares about you and will help you to endure.

13. Whom may Jehovah use to express his approval of us, and how?

¹³ Through fellow worshippers. Jehovah uses our brothers and sisters to express his approval of us. For example, he may move others to speak encouraging words at the right time. A sister in Asia experienced this during a time of great stress. She had lost her job and had become seriously ill. Then her husband committed a serious sin and was removed as an elder. “I could not figure out why this was happening,” she said. “I thought that perhaps I had done something wrong and had lost Jehovah’s approval.” Our sister begged Jehovah to reassure her of his approval. How did he do so? She notes, “The congregation elders talked with me and reassured me of Jehovah’s love.” Later she again asked Jehovah for help. “That same day I received a letter from a group of brothers and sisters in the congregation,” she says. “As I read their comforting words, I felt that Jehovah had heard me.” Yes, Jehovah often expresses his approval through the kind words of others.​—Ps. 10:17.

14. What is another way that Jehovah expresses his approval of us?

¹⁴ Jehovah also expresses his approval of us by using fellow believers to give us counsel when we need it. For example, in the first century, Jehovah used the apostle Paul to write 14 inspired letters to fellow believers. Those letters included firm but loving counsel. Why did Jehovah inspire Paul to include such counsel? Jehovah is a good Father, and he disciplines his children “in whom he delights.” (Prov. 3:11, 12) So if we receive Bible-based counsel, we can see it as evidence that we have God’s approval, not that we have lost it. (Heb. 12:6) What are other indications that we have Jehovah’s approval?

OTHER EVIDENCE THAT JEHOVAH APPROVES OF US

15. To whom does Jehovah give his holy spirit, and why can this give us confidence?

¹⁵ Jehovah gives his holy spirit to those whom he approves of. (Matt. 12:18) We can ask ourselves, ‘Have I been able to display some aspect of the fruitage of God’s spirit in my life?’ Do you notice that you are more patient with others than you were before you came to know Jehovah? Actually, the more you learn to display the fruitage of God’s spirit, the more evident it will be to you that you have Jehovah’s approval!​—See the box “The Fruitage of the Spirit Is . . .”

16. Whom does Jehovah use to preach the good news, and how does that make you feel? (1 Thessalonians 2:4)

¹⁶ Jehovah is pleased to entrust the good news to those whom he approves of. (Read 1 Thessalonians 2:4.) Note how a sister named Jocelyn benefited from sharing the good news with others. One day, Jocelyn woke up feeling depressed. “I felt as if I had nothing to give,” she says. “But I was pioneering, and it was my service day. So I said a prayer and went out in service.” That morning Jocelyn met Mary, a kind woman who accepted a Bible study. Some months later Mary mentioned that she had been praying to God for help when Jocelyn knocked on her door. Reflecting on this experience, Jocelyn says, “I felt as if Jehovah were telling me, ‘I approve of you.’” Of course, not everyone will respond positively to our preaching work. But we can be sure that Jehovah is pleased when we try our best to share the good news with others.

17. What do you learn from Vicky’s statements about the ransom? (Psalm 5:12)

¹⁷ Jehovah applies the value of the ransom to those whom he approves of. (1 Tim. 2:5, 6) But what if our heart resists the idea that Jehovah approves of us, even though we have faith in the ransom and are baptized? Remember, we cannot always trust our own feelings but we can trust Jehovah. He considers those who have faith in the ransom to be righteous in his eyes and promises to bless them. (Read Psalm 5:12; Rom. 3:26) Meditating on the ransom helped Vicky. One day, after thinking deeply about the ransom, she realized: “Jehovah had been patient with me for so long. . . . Yet, I was, in effect, saying to him: ‘Your love is not great enough to reach me. Your Son’s sacrifice is not enough to cover me.’” By meditating on this gift of the ransom, she began to feel loved by Jehovah. We too will feel loved by Jehovah and sense his approval as we reflect on the ransom.

18. Of what can we be confident if we continue loving our heavenly Father?

¹⁸ Although we may try hard to apply the above suggestions, we may at times get discouraged and wonder if we have Jehovah’s approval. If that happens, remember that he approves of “those who continue loving Him.” (Jas. 1:12) So continue to draw close to Jehovah and to take note of his approval of you. Always bear in mind that Jehovah “is not far off from each one of us.”​—Acts 17:27.