1. Wetin be one normal thing wey all of us want, and which other thing we like make they add join?

IMAGINE say person wey you know and wey you respect forget your name, or e no even know you again. How you go feel? That kind thing no de make person happy at all. Why e be like that? Na because all of us want make people know us. This one na normal thing. But we no only want make people know us. We still like make they value us and the things wey we don do.​—Num. 11:16; ftn.; Job 31:6.

2, 3. Even though say we want make people value us, why we need to dey careful? (Check the first picture.)

² But if we no dey careful, the sin for our body fit make us want dey popular for the world. Na so because we like make other people value us. We fit begin want make people de praise us like god. This world wey Satan de control want make we dey popular and get big name. If e happen like that, we fit forget Jehovah. And we fit no de praise and worship Jehovah the way e want.​—Rev. 4:11.

 ³ When Jesus dey this earth, the way some leaders for religion want make people de see them no good. Jesus warn e disciples say: “Dey careful because of the scribes. They like to waka around with their special clothes, and they like make people de greet them for marketplace. They like front [“best,” ftn.] seat for synagogue and the best place when people gather to eat.” E still tell them say: “Na their punishment go worse pass.” (Luke 20:46, 47) But when one poor widow contribute small money, Jesus praise the woman even when e be like say other people no value wetin the woman do. (Luke 21:1-4) E clear say wetin people de value different from wetin Jesus value. This topic go help us know how Jehovah de see this matter.

4. Which friendship better pass, and why?

⁴ Which friendship better pass make we work hard to get? Some people de go university, de get big business, or want be musician so that people go value them. But no be that kind friendship we de find. Instead, na the kind one wey Paul talk about for Bible. E say: “Now wuna don know God, or make I say, God don know wuna. So, how e be say wuna de turn go back again to the weak things wey they no mean anything, and want slave for them again?” (Gal. 4:9) Na really better thing for God to know us, or value us. Na God be the King wey e high pass for heaven and earth. But e want make we be e tight friend. Jehovah know who we be and e love us. E make us so that we go fit be e friend.​—Eccl. 12:13, 14.

5. Wetin we go do so that God go know us as e friend?

⁵ Moses get this kind friendship wey we de talk about. One time, e beg Jehovah say e want know who Jehovah really be. Then God answer Moses say: “I go still do this thing wey you want, because I like you and I know the kind person wey you really be.” (Ex. 33:12-17) Jehovah go still bless you too when e know you as e friend. But wetin we go do so that Jehovah go take us as e friend? Na when we show say we love God and we use our life do wetin e want.​—Read 1 Corinthians 8:3.

6, 7. Wetin fit make us lose our friendship with God?

⁶ But, we need to keep our friendship with Jehovah tight. Just as Paul advice the Christians for Galatia, make we self no slave for “the weak things wey they no mean anything” for this world. Part of this things na when person de try make e dey popular for this world. (Gal. 4:9) The Christians for Galatia don already know God, and God know them. But Paul talk say the same people de “go back again” to useless things. E just be as if Paul de talk say: “After wuna don do all this many things so that wuna fit serve God, why wuna go back to the foolish and useless things wey wuna don troway?”

⁷ This kind thing fit happen to us today? Yes, e fit happen. Maybe we leave some things wey they for make us popular for the world because we want serve God. E just be like the way Paul leave things come serve God. (Read Philippians 3:7, 8.) Maybe we for go university, but we no go; or we no gree take the promotion wey they give us for work. E fit still be say we for make plenty money for business, but we no do like that. Maybe we sabi music or sport, and we for dey popular and get money if we do this things. But, we troway all this things.  (Heb. 11:24-27) Na better thing we do. But make we no begin think say our life for better if to say we follow the things wey we don leave! If we do like that, e fit make us go back to the useless things wey we don troway before. *

8. Wetin go help us do everything wey we fit do to make sure say Jehovah value us?

⁸ Na God we want make e value us, no be the world. So, wetin go help us do everything wey we fit do to make sure say God value us? Na two important things we need to get for mind, and this things go help us. The first one be say, Jehovah de bless people wey them de always follow e way. (Read Hebrews 6:10; 11:6) God really value all e servant, and e see-am as “bad” thing if e no bless people wey them de follow e way. Jehovah always “know who be e own.” (2 Tim. 2:19) E “know wetin righteous person de do,” and e know how to save them from problem.​—Ps. 1:6; 2 Pet. 2:9.

9. Give examples of how Jehovah don show say e really value e people.

⁹ Sometimes, Jehovah use special way show e people say e value them. (2 Chron. 20:20, 29) For example, think about how God save e people for Red Sea when the strong army of Pharaoh want catch them. (Ex. 14:21-30; Ps. 106:9-11) The way Jehovah save e people dey wonderful. Even after 40 years, other people for that part of the world still de talk about-am. (Josh. 2:9-11) Small time, Gog of Magog wey Bible talk about go attack us. But when we remember how God show e love and power to save e people, e de make us get strong heart. (Ezek. 38:8-12) When that time reach, we go happy because we don do everything to make sure say God value us, instead of this world.

10. Which other thing we need to get for mind about how Jehovah de show say e value us?

¹⁰ The second thing wey we need to get for mind be say: The way Jehovah go show say e value us fit surprise us. If people de do good things just because they want make other people see them, Jehovah no go bless them. Why? Na because the praise wey people de give them, na their complete payment. (Read Matthew 6:1-5.) But what about people wey other people no notice the good wey them de do? Jesus talk say e Father “wey e de see secret things” go bless them. Because God de see them, e go pay each of them back for the good thing wey they do. But sometimes, the way Jehovah go bless us fit surprise us. Make we see some example.

11. How Jehovah show say e value Mary?

¹¹ When time reach make Jesus come this earth, Jehovah choose Mary make e be the mother. Mary de put body down, and na virgin. E de stay for Nazareth, and that place na small town. E far from Jerusalem and the fine temple. (Read Luke 1:26-33.) Why God choose Mary? Angel Gabriel tell Mary say: “God dey happy with you.” After, the thing wey Mary tell Elizabeth really show say Mary get strong friendship with God. (Luke 1:46-55) The truth be say, Mary serve God well, and God notice the fine things wey e do. Because of this one, Jehovah bless Mary for the way wey Mary no expect.

12, 13. When Mary born Jesus and when e carry Jesus go temple after 40 days, how Jehovah show say Jesus dey special?

 ¹² When Mary born Jesus, Jehovah tell people the news. But na which kind people? No be the big-big men or leaders for Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Jehovah send angels make they tell shepherds wey them de care for their sheep outside Bethlehem. (Luke 2:8-14) So this shepherds go visit Jesus. (Luke 2:15-17) E go don really sweet Mary and Joseph for the way Jehovah make people know about this special pikin. They no expect-am! The way Jehovah de do things really different from how Devil de do things. For example, Devil send astrologers make they go visit Jesus, e papa, and e mama. When people for Jerusalem hear the news, the thing worry them. (Matt. 2:3) Because of how the news spread, they kill plenty children.​—Matt. 2:16.

¹³ Forty days after they born Jesus, Mary go temple for Jerusalem go do sacrifice as the Law talk. The temple dey about six miles (9 km) from Bethlehem. (Luke 2:22-24) As Mary de travel with Jesus and Joseph, e fit don de wonder whether the priest for the temple go do any special thing to show wetin Jesus go do for future. The truth be say, something happen wey e show say Jesus na special pikin. But no be as Mary fit don expect. Instead, God use one man wey e name na Simeon. This man “de worship God and e dey righteous.” Jehovah still use one widow wey e name na Anna. This woman na prophet and e dey 84 years. Two of them talk say na the pikin go be the Messiah, or Christ, wey God promise.​—Luke 2:25-38.

14. How Jehovah bless Mary?

¹⁴ What about Mary wey e care for Jesus until e big? Jehovah continue to bless Mary? Yes, e continue. God make sure say they write the things wey Mary do and talk for inside Bible. E fit be say for the three and half years wey Jesus preach, Mary no fit travel with Jesus. Maybe Mary stay for Nazareth because e don be widow. So Mary no experience plenty fine-fine things wey other people experience. But Mary dey with Jesus the time wey Jesus die. (John 19:26) And after, Mary still dey for Jerusalem with the disciples before God give them holy spirit for Pentecost day. (Acts 1:13, 14) So when Jehovah anoint the disciples, we fit talk say e anoint Mary too. If na so e happen, then e mean say Jehovah give Mary chance to rule with Jesus for heaven forever. This one na better way to pay Mary for the fine things wey e do for God!

15. How Jehovah show say e really value Jesus when e dey this earth?

¹⁵ Jesus no want praise from the leaders of religion or the politicians for e time. But three different times, Jehovah talk from heaven say Jesus na e Son, to show say e love Jesus. This one go don really make Jesus dey happy. Just after John baptize Jesus for River Jordan, Jehovah talk say: “Na my Son be this, the one wey I love. E de make me happy.” (Matt. 3:17) E be like say na only John the Baptist be the other person wey e hear the voice. Then, around one year before Jesus die, three apostles of Jesus hear Jehovah talk about Jesus, say: “This one na my Son wey I love, I don choose-am. Make wuna do the things wey e talk.” (Matt. 17:5) Just some days before Jesus die, Jehovah talk to Jesus again from heaven. This one na the last time when Jesus still dey this earth.​—John 12:28.

16, 17. How Jehovah bless Jesus for the way wey e no expect?

 ¹⁶ Jesus know say people go lie say e de spoil the name of God. And e know say the way e go die go bring shame. Even with all this one, e pray say make the thing wey God want happen, instead of e own. (Matt. 26:39, 42) Even as they kill Jesus for pole, Bible talk say e no mind the shame. E no want praise from the world. Na praise from the Father e want. (Heb. 12:2) Wetin Jehovah do to show say e like wetin Jesus do?

¹⁷ When Jesus dey this earth, e tell Jehovah say e go like to get the better things wey e first de enjoy for heaven. (John 17:5) Nothing show say Jesus want anything pass that one. Na true say Jesus do wetin God want when e dey for this earth. But e no expect any other special thing from God because of that one. But wetin Jehovah do? Bible talk say God give Jesus position wey e high pass the one wey e first get. And e still give Jesus something wey no other person don get before Jesus get-am. Wetin be that? Na life as spirit with body wey e no fit die. True-true, Jehovah bless Jesus for the way wey Jesus no expect! * (Phil. 2:9; 1 Tim. 6:16) Because of the fine way Jesus serve Jehovah, the way Jehovah bless Jesus really dey wonderful!

18. Wetin go help us make we no try make friend with this world?

¹⁸ Wetin go help us do everything wey we fit do to make sure say Jehovah value us, instead of this world? Get-am for mind say Jehovah de always bless people wey they be e friend. And many times, e de bless them for the way wey they no expect. Who know wetin Jehovah go use surprise us for future? But now, make we de endure the suffer and problem for this wicked world. And make we remember say this world no go last. So anything wey make person get value for the world no go last too. (1 John 2:17) Our Papa Jehovah ‘no be bad person wey e go forget the things wey we don do and the love wey we show for e name.’ (Heb. 6:10) The truth be say, e go bless us, and e fit be for the way wey we no expect!