Some of them grew up in cultures where plenty men them can treat women like they not too important. For example, one circuit overseer name Hans, who living in Bolivia, say: “Some men them grew up in cultures that encourage them to act very proud. They believe that they better pass women and because of that they can’t treat women with respect.” One elder in Taiwan name Shengxian, say: “The place I living, plenty men them feel that women must not tell men what they think about certain thing. If the man tell his friend them something that woman tell him, his friend them can’t respect him.” Other men can show that women not too important in other ways. For example, they can talk jokes that can’t show any respect for women.

Thank God, no matter what culture man grow up in, he can still change. He can learn that men and women equal. (Eph. 4:​22-24) He can do this one by following Jehovah example. In this article, we will talk about how Jehovah can treat women, how brothers can learn to treat women just like Jehovah, and how the elder them can take the lead in showing respect for sisters.

HOW JEHOVAH CAN TREAT WOMEN?

Jehovah set perfect example about how to treat women. He can show compassion and he love all his children them. (John 3:16) And sister them who faithful looking like precious daughters to him. Let look at some ways Jehovah can show that he love and respect women.

He can’t pick and choose. Jehovah made men and women in his image. (Gen. 1:27) He not make men clever pass women or give them talent more than women. He love men and women the same way. (2 Chron. 19:7) He made men and women to  be able to understand Bible truths and show his fine-fine quality them. Also, men and women who get faith in Jehovah important to Him the same way. He give men and women the hope to live on earth or the hope to be kings and priests in heaven. (2 Pet. 1:​1, ftn.) So it clear that Jehovah can’t treat men to be more important pass women.

He can listen to them. Jehovah care about how women feel and the problem them they going through. For example, he listen to and answer Rachel and Hannah prayers. (Gen. 30:22; 1 Sam. 1:​10, 11, 19, 20) Also, Jehovah use his holy spirit to make the Bible writer them to write story about men who listen to women. For example, Abraham follow Jehovah direction to listen to his wife, Sarah. (Gen. 21:​12-14) King David listen to Abigail. And he even feel that Jehovah was the one who sent her to him. (1 Sam. 25:​32-35) Jesus, who perfect and can show the same qualities his Pa get, listen to his ma, Mary. (John 2:​3-10) This example them show that one of the way Jehovah can respect women that by listening to them.

He trust them. For example, Jehovah trust Eve to help Adam take care of the whole earth. (Gen. 1:28) When he do it, he show that Eve was important helper to Adam, and her husband was not better pass her. Also, Jehovah use to trust Deborah and Huldah who were prophetess to advise his people way back, including one king and one judge. (Judg. 4:​4-9; 2 Ki. 22:​14-20) Today, Jehovah trust Christian women to do his work. Some of this faithful sister them serving as publishers, pioneers, and missionaries. They can help to design, build, and maintain Kingdom Halls and branch properties. Some of them serving to Bethel and some of them serving in remote translation offices. This sister them just like big army that Jehovah using to do his will. (Ps. 68:11) So it clear that Jehovah not look at women to be weak or not able to do anything.

HOW BROTHERS CAN LEARN TO TREAT WOMEN THE SAME WAY JEHOVAH CAN TREAT THEM?

Brothers, for us to know whether we treating our Christian sister them the way Jehovah can treat them, we must check the way we can think and act good-good. To do it, we need help. The same way the doctor can use machine to know whether somebody heart alright or sick, that the same way good friend and the Bible can help us to know whether we get any bad feelings deep down in our heart about women. Wetin we can do to get that help?

Ask the friend you trust. (Prov. 18:17) We can ask our friend who we trust, and who kind and reasonable. You can ask them questions like: “How you think I can treat sisters? You think they can feel I respect them? You think I can improve the way I can treat them?” If your friend show you some ways you can improve, don’t get vex or make excuse. But you must be willing to make any change.

Study the Bible. The best way for us to know whether we treating sisters the right way, that to use the Bible to help us check the way we can think and act. (Heb. 4:12) When we studying the Bible, we can learn about men who treated women good and men who treated them bad. We can compare their examples with the way we can treat women. Also, we must not just look at one scripture and use it to support the wrong thinking people get about women. But we must look at plenty Bible verse them that talk about the right way men must treat women. When we do it, it will help us to understand how God want us to treat women. For example, 1 Peter 3:7 say the husband must value his wife because she “weaker vessel.” b You think this one mean that men more clever or able to do things more than women? No! Compare what Peter say with what Galatians 3:​26-29 say. It say: Jehovah na choose some women and men them to rule with Jesus Christ in heaven. When we study the Bible and ask one good friend about how he think we can treat women, it will help us to learn how to show our sister them proper respect.

 HOW THE ELDER THEM CAN SHOW RESPECT FOR SISTERS?

The Brother them in the congregation can also learn how to treat sisters with respect by following loving elders example. How elder them can set the example in showing respect for sisters? Let some way them here.

Elders can tell sisters thank you. The apostle Paul set good example that elders can follow. He tell plenty sisters thank you in the letter he write to the congregation in Rome. (Rom. 16:12) You can imagine how this sister them were happy when they were reading Paul letter in the congregation? That the same way the elder them can always tell sisters thank you for their fine-fine qualities and the work they doing for Jehovah. This one can help sister them to know that the congregation really respect and love them. The encouraging word from the elder them sometime, that what sisters need to keep serving Jehovah faithfully.—Prov. 15:23.

When saying thank you, the elder them must say the truth and talk about specific thing the sister do or she can do. Why? One sister name Jessica say: “It can be alright when brothers tell sister thank you for the good work. But we can feel more encourage when brothers tell us thank you for something specific. For example, when they tell us thank you for teaching our children to sit down and listen in the meetings, or when we take the time to pass for our Bible student and bring them to the meetings.” When the elders tell sisters thank you for something specific they do, they will make sisters feel that the congregation value and need them.

They can listen to sisters. Elder them that humble will know that not their one get good ideas. Humble elders will ask sisters what they think about certain matter, and they can  listen good-good when she talking. When they do it, elders can encourage sisters and they theirself can benefit too. How? One elder name Gerardo, who serving to Bethel, say: “When I ask sisters for their ideas, it can help me do my work better. Most of the time, they na stay long doing the work more than plenty brother them.” In the congregation, plenty sisters pioneering, so they know plenty things about the people who living in that area. One elder name Bryan say: “Our sisters get plenty good-good qualities and know plenty other things that can benefit the organization. So benefit from their experience!”

Wise elders must not be quick to overlook sisters ideas. Why? One elder name Edward say, “Sisters ideas and experience can help the brothers to understand the whole situation, and it can help them to really understand the feelings of other people. (Prov. 1:5) Even if the elder will not take the sister idea, he can still tell her thank you for making her point and sharing her idea and understanding.

They can train sisters. Wise elders can try to find opportunities to train sisters. For example, they can teach sisters how to conduct meetings for field service so that they can be prepare to do it when baptize brother them not there. They can train them so that they can help build and take care of the organization properties. To Bethel, overseers na train sisters to do different-different assignment them like maintenance, purchasing, accounting, computer programming, and other things. When elders train sisters, they show that they trust them and that sisters able to do plenty things.

Plenty sisters can use the training they get from the elder them to help other people. For example, some sister them can use the training they get on construction to help other people build their houses again after natural disaster happen. Other sisters can use the training they get in public witnessing to help train more sisters to be able to share in this part of the ministry. How sisters can feel about the elders that train them? One sister name Jennifer say: “When I work on one Kingdom Hall construction project, one overseer take the time to train me. He notice the work I was doing, and he tell me thank you for it. I use to enjoy working with him because he use to value me and trust me.”

HOW WE CAN BENEFIT WHEN WE TREAT WOMEN IN THE CONGREGATION LIKE OUR SISTERS?

We love our faithful sisters the same way Jehovah love them! So we treat them like family. (1 Tim. 5:​1, 2) We love them and we can enjoy working with them. And we can be really happy when they know that we love and support them. One sister name Vanessa say: “I really grateful to Jehovah to be part of his organization, that get plenty brother them that can make me feel happy.” One sister in Taiwan say: “I really grateful that Jehovah and his organization value women and respect the way they can feel. This one make my faith strong and make me to be more grateful for the privilege I get to be part of Jehovah organization.”

Jehovah can really be happy when he see faithful Christian men trying their best to value and respect women just like Him! (Prov. 27:11) One brother from Scotland name Benjamin say, “Plenty men them in the world not get any respect for women. So when our sister them come to the Kingdom Hall, we must try our best to show love and respect for them.” So let all of us try our best to follow Jehovah example by treating our sisters with the love and respect that they deserve.—Rom. 12:10.