1. Why it can be hard for us to obey?

 SOMETIME, you can feel that it hard to obey? King David use to feel the same way sometime, so he pray to God and say: “Help me to be willing to obey you.” (Ps. 51:12) David really use to love Jehovah. But still, it use to be hard for David to obey sometime. And the same thing can happen to us. Why? First, we were born with the feeling to disobey. Second, Satan always looking for way to make us to disobey, just like him. (2 Cor. 11:3) Third, we living in the world where plenty people can’t want obey, “the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” (Eph. 2:2) We must not only fight hard to not sin, but we must also fight hard so that Satan and his world can’t make us to disobey. We must also fight hard to obey the people them that Jehovah na appoint over us.

2. What it mean to be “ready to obey”? (James 3:17)

² Read James 3:17. James who write the book of James say, the people who wise can be “ready to obey.” Think about what it mean. We must always be willing to obey the people them who Jehovah na trust with some authority over us. But we know that Jehovah not expecting us to obey somebody who asking us to disobey His laws.—Acts 4:​18-20.

3. Why it important to Jehovah that we obey the people them that get authority over us?

³ We can feel that it easy to obey Jehovah more than to obey human being, because Jehovah can always give perfect direction. (Ps. 19:7) But the people them who get authority not perfect. But still, Jehovah na give  some authority to parents, big-big people in the government, and the elder them. (Prov. 6:20; 1 Thess. 5:12; 1 Pet. 2:​13, 14) When we obey them, we really obeying Jehovah. Let talk about how we can obey the people them that Jehovah na give authority to, even though sometime it can be hard for us to agree with their direction and follow it.

4. Why plenty children can disobey their parents?

⁴ Young people living around plenty other young people who can’t obey their parents. (2 Tim. 3:​1, 2) Why plenty of them can’t obey? Some of them feel that their parent them not doing the thing them they telling them to do. Some other young people feel that their parents advice that old-school and it too strict. If you young person, you na ever feel like that before? It can be hard for plenty of them to obey Jehovah command that say: “Be obedient to your parents in union with the Lord, for this is righteous.” (Eph. 6:1) Wetin can help you to obey?

5. According to Luke 2:​46-52, why the way Jesus obey his parent was special?

⁵ You can learn to be obedient from Jesus, who set the best example. (1 Pet. 2:​21-24) Jesus was perfect but his ma and pa was not perfect. But Jesus still use to respect them even when they make mistake or they not understand him sometime. (Ex. 20:12) Let see what happen when Jesus was 12 years old. (Read Luke 2:​46-52.) His parents leave him behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary suppose to make sure that all their children were in the group when they were going back home after the festival. When Joseph and Mary find Jesus, Mary blame him for leaving behind. It was possible for Jesus to blame them too. But he answer them with respect, even though Joseph and Mary not “understand what he was saying to them.” But still, Jesus “continue to obey them.”

6-7. Wetin can help young people to obey their parents?

⁶ Young people, it can be hard for you to obey your parent them when they make mistake or when they not understand you? Wetin can help yor? First, think about how Jehovah can feel. The Bible say that when you obey your parents, it can make Jehovah happy. (Col. 3:20) Jehovah know that sometime, your parents can’t really understand you or they can make some law them that hard to obey. But when you obey them, you can make him happy.

⁷ Second, think about how your parents can feel. When you obey your parents, you can make them happy and make them to trust you. (Prov. 23:​22-25) It will also make you to get close to them. One brother from Belgium name Alexandre say, “When I started doing the thing them my parents wanted me to do, our friendship start getting thick and we were more happy.” b Third, if you learn to obey your parents now-now, it will help you in the future. Paulo who living in Brazil, say, “Because I Learn to obey my parents, it na help me to obey Jehovah and other people that in  authority.” The Bible give you good reason to obey your parents. It say: “That it may go well with you and you may remain a long time on the earth.”—Eph. 6:​2, 3.

8. Why plenty young people can choose to obey their parents?

⁸ Plenty young people na see how things can be alright when they obey. Luiza, who living in Brazil say, it was hard for her to understand why her parents not allow her to get phone for some time. After all, other people in her age group having phone. But later on, she get to know that her parents were really protecting her. Now she say, “I can’t see my parents law them to be too straight but I can take it to be something that can protect me.” One young sister name Elizabeth who living in the United States, still finding it hard to obey her parents sometime. She say, “When I not really understand why my parents make certain law, I can think about the time their law them protected me.” Monica who living in Armenia, say she can be more happy when she obey her parents than when she disobey them.

9. How plenty people can feel about obeying the law?

⁹ Plenty people agree that it good to get governments and to obey some of the law them that coming from the “superior authorities.” (Rom. 13:1) But sometime, this same people can’t obey certain laws they not like or they feel it not fair. For example, paying tax. In one country in Europe, plenty people say, “it right to not pay tax if you think it not fair.” That why the people in that country can’t pay all the tax they suppose to pay to the government.

10. Why we can obey even laws we not like?

¹⁰ The Bible say that human governments can cause suffering, they under Satan control, and they will soon be destroy. (Ps. 110:​5, 6; Eccl. 8:9; Luke 4:​5, 6) It also tell us that anybody that go against the government, going against God arrangement. When we obey the government now-now, it will show that we supporting Jehovah arrangement for things to be under control. So, we must “render to all their dues,” this one mean, paying tax, respecting the government, and obeying them. (Rom. 13:​1-7) Maybe we feel the law hard, it not fair, or we will pass through plenty things to obey. But we can obey the government because Jehovah say we must do it so long we not breaking his laws.—Acts 5:29.

11-12. According to Luke 2:​1-6, wetin Joseph and Mary do to obey one law that was hard for them, and what was the results? (Also see the pictures.)

 ¹¹ We can learn from Joseph and Mary examples. They were willing to obey the government even though it was hard for them. (Read Luke 2:​1-6.) When Mary was about nine months pregnant, the government tell them to do something that was really hard to do. Augustus, who was ruling Rome that time, say everybody under the Roman empire must go in their home town to register. Joseph and Mary suppose to travel to Bethlehem. And the distance was far, about 150 kilometers (93 mi) with plenty hill on the road. That trip was going to be hard especially for Mary. Maybe they were worrying whether Mary and the baby were coming be safe. But what if pain was coming grab her on the road? The baby in her stomach was the future Messiah. You think that was good excuse for them to not obey the government?

¹² Joseph and Mary not allow any of this thing them to make them to not obey the government law. Jehovah bless them for obeying. Mary reach Bethlehem safely and the baby she born was healthy, and she even help to fulfill Bible prophecy!—Mic. 5:2.

13. When we obey, how our brother and sister them can benefit?

¹³ When we obey the government, it can benefit us and other people. How? One way that, they will not punish us for disobeying the law. (Rom. 13:4) When we obey the government, people will see that Jehovah Witnesses that good citizen. For example, some years ago in Nigeria, soldier people enter one Kingdom Hall during the meeting. They were looking for people who were demonstrating against paying tax. But their boss man tell them to leave. He  tell them: “Jehovah Witnesses can always pay tax.” Every time you obey the law, you helping Jehovah people to continue to get good name. And this good name will help to protect your brother them one day.—Matt. 5:16.

14. Wetin help one sister to be “ready to obey” the government?

¹⁴ But still, sometime we will not feel like obeying the government. One sister in America name Joanna say, “It was really hard for me to obey the government because they not treat some of my family member them fair.” But Joanna really fight hard to change her thinking. First, she stop reading thing them on the internet that will make her to get bad thinking about the government. (Prov. 20:3) Second, she pray to Jehovah to trust in him instead of thinking that when different government come in power, things will be better. (Ps. 9:​9, 10) Third, she read some article them in our publications about how to be neutral. (John 17:16) Joanna say because she can respect and obey the government, it make her to feel good and satisfy.

15. Sometime, why it can be hard for us to obey direction that can come from Jehovah organization?

¹⁵ Jehovah tell us to “be obedient to those who taking the lead” in the congregation. (Heb. 13:17) Even though our Leader Jesus perfect, the people he using to take the lead on earth not perfect. So sometime, it can be hard for us to obey them, especially if they ask us to do something that we not want do. One time it was hard for the apostle Peter to obey. When one angel told Peter to eat the animal them that were not clean under the Moses law, three times Peter say he will not do it! (Acts 10:​9-16) Why? Because the new direction not make sense to him. He was use to doing things different way. If it was hard for Peter to obey the perfect angel, then it will not be surprising if we find it hard sometime, to obey the direction from imperfect men!

16. Even if the apostle Paul felt that the direction not make sense, wetin he still do? (Acts 21:​23, 24, 26)

¹⁶ The apostle Paul was “ready to obey” even if he was feeling that the direction was not making sense. Jewish Christians hear news that Paul was not showing respect for Moses Law and he was encouraging people to not obey the law. (Acts 21:21) The brother them that was taking the lead in Jerusalem tell Paul to carry four men to the temple and clean himself to show that he was obeying the Law. But Paul knew that the Christian them were not under the Law. And he not do anything wrong. But still, he obey. He “took the men the next day and cleansed himself ceremonially along with them.” (Read Acts 21:​23, 24, 26.) Because Paul obey, it help the brother them to be united.—Rom. 14:​19, 21.

17. Wetin you learn from Stephanie experience?

¹⁷ It was hard for one sister name Stephanie to accept one decision the brother them taking the lead in her country made. She and her husband were happy to be serving in one foreign-language group. Then the branch office cancel the group, and the brother and his wife were assign back to one congregation in  their own language. Stephanie say, “I was really feeling bad. I was not convince that our mother tongue was having more need.” But still she decided to support the new direction. She say, “After some time, I saw that the brother them made wise decision. We get some spiritual children them in our congregation who family not in the truth. I studying with one sister who just got active again. And now, I get more time for personal study.” Then she say, “I having clear conscience, because I know that I na do my best to obey.”

18. How we can benefit when we obey?

¹⁸ We can learn to obey. Jesus not only learn to obey when everything was alright for him. But he also learn to obey “from the things he suffered.” (Heb. 5:8) Like Jesus, most of the time we can learn to obey when things hard on us. For example, when the COVID-19 sickness just started, they tell us to stop attending meetings to the Kingdom Hall. And they also stop us from going from house-house. That time it was hard for you to obey? But because you obey, it protect you and help the congregation to be united. It also made Jehovah happy. Now-now, we more prepare to obey any direction that will come during the great tribulation. Obeying all the direction them that will come will save our life!—Job 36:11.

19. Why you want be obedient?

¹⁹ We na learn that when we obey, it can bring plenty blessings. But the main reason why we choose to obey Jehovah that because we love him and we want make him happy. (1 John 5:3) We can never pay Jehovah for all the thing them he na do for us. (Ps. 116:12) But we can obey him and the people that get authority over us. If we obey, we show that we wise. And the people that wise can make Jehovah happy.—Prov. 27:11.