‘If You Know This Things, You Go Dey Happy if You Do Them’
“My food na to do wetin the person wey he send me want and finish his work.”—JOHN 4:34.
SONG: 80, 35
1. Because people for the world de think only about theirself, how their character fit affect us?
WHY e dey hard to do the thing wey we learn for Bible? One reason be say, if we want do wetin dey right, we go need to dey humble. For this “last days,” e no dey easy to dey humble because plenty people “love only theirself,” they “like money,” them de “make mouth,” them “de proud,” and they no “fit control theirself.” (2 Tim. 3:1-3) Because we de serve Jehovah, we know say all this kind character no good. But people for the world like-am. So we fit begin think say people with all this character de enjoy life. (Ps. 37:1; 73:3) We fit even de wonder say: ‘Any need for me to do the thing wey people want before I do my own? People go still respect me if I “dey humble”?’ (Luke 9:48) People for the world de only think about theirself. If we allow their character affect us, the good friendship wey we get with our brothers and sisters fit spoil. Apart from that one, e go hard make other people know say we de serve Jehovah. But when we study the good example of people for Bible, and we imitate them, good things go reach our hand.
2. Wetin we fit learn from people wey they serve God well?
2 People wey they serve God well get good result from the things wey they do. If we want copy their example, we go need to check wetin they do wey e bring good result. Wetin help them to be friend of God? How they manage continue to be friend of God? And wetin give them power to fit do the thing wey God want? E dey important make we study about this examples with this questions so that our faith go strong more.
WETIN GO MAKE OUR FAITH STRONG?
3, 4. (a) How Jehovah de teach us? (b) Apart from things wey we know for Bible, which other thing we need to do if we want make our faith strong?
3 We de get good advice and training from Bible, our books, our website, JW Broadcasting, our meetings, and assembly. But the thing wey Jesus talk for John 4:34 show say, if we want make our faith strong, we no go only know things for Bible. Which other thing we need to do? Jesus talk say: “My food na to do wetin the person wey he send me want and finish his work.”
4 To do the thing wey God want be like food for Jesus. Why e be like food? When we chop good food, our body go strong and we go dey happy. Na so e still be when we do the things wey God want. Our faith go strong more so that we fit get everlasting life. Sometimes when you go meeting for field service, even when you tire, how you de feel when you close from preaching that day? No be true say, e de make you dey happy and you de strong again?
5. Wetin we go gain when we show say we get sense?
5 If we de do the things wey Jehovah say make we do, e mean say we get sense. (Ps. 107:43) The things wey person go gain if he get sense, no be waste of time. Bible talk say: “You no fit compare-am with any other thing wey you like. . . . Na tree of life for people wey they get-am. And people wey hold-am strong go dey happy.” (Prov. 3:13-18) Jesus talk say: “If wuna know this things, wuna go dey happy if wuna do them.” (John 13:17) The disciples go continue to de glad if they follow wetin Jesus tell them. No be just for short time they imitate Jesus and follow the things wey he teach. Na part of their life.
6. Why e good make we continue to do the things wey we learn?
6 Today, e still dey important make we continue to do the things wey we learn. For example, mechanic fit get things wey he de use work and sense to do the work. But he no go gain from those things if he no use-am. Maybe he don do mechanic work before and he know the work well-well. But if he want be good mechanic, he must continue to use the things wey he don learn. Na so e still be with us. E fit be say when we first learn Bible, we dey happy because we de do the things wey we learn. But if we want continue to de glad, everyday we must do the things wey Jehovah de teach us.
7. How examples for Bible fit help us get sense?
7 Different-different situation fit make-am hard for us to dey humble. Make we talk about some of them, and we go see how servants of Jehovah for Bible time dey humble even when e no dey easy. But if we want get strong faith, we no go only learn about this examples and other things for this topic. You still need to think about how you go do this things wey we go learn. And make you no waste time to do this things.
YOU NO BETTER PASS OTHER PEOPLE
8, 9. Wetin Acts 14:8-15 teach us about the way apostle Paul dey humble? (Check the first picture.)
8 God want “make all kind of people get life and make they know the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4) How you de see different-different kind of people wey they never learn the truth? Na true say apostle Paul preach to people for synagogue and they don know something about God. But no be only to Jew people he preach. E still preach to people wey them de serve other god. And na this one go really show whether Paul dey humble.
9 For example, the first time wey Paul travel go preach, he meet people wey they come from Lycaonia. This people think say Paul and Barnabas na their god, Zeus and Hermes, wey they come as human being. Paul and Barnabas allow wetin this people talk enter their head? For the other two city wey they go preach they suffer them. But for this one, the people de praise them. You think say they go see this one as time for them to relax and enjoy theirself? You think say they go see-am like another way for more people to hear the good news? For where! At once, the thing vex them. They tear their cloth for front of the people, and talk say: “Why wuna de do this kind thing? We be normal human being like wuna.”—Acts 14:8-15.
10. Why Paul and Barnabas no feel say they better pass those people from Lycaonia?
10 When Paul and Barnabas talk say they be normal human being like those people, they mean say they get sin for body like them. They no mean say them de worship idols like the people. Na God choose Paul and Barnabas to do this special work as missionary. (Acts 13:2) God don choose them with holy spirit and give them better hope. But Paul and Barnabas know say if this people from Lycaonia accept the good news, God fit choose them too and give them the same hope.
11. How we fit dey humble like Paul when we dey for preaching?
11 How we fit show say we dey humble like Paul? We no go expect or accept special praise from people for the things wey Jehovah de help us do. Make we no fall for this trap. This one na one way wey we fit show say we dey humble. Make we ask ourself say: ‘How I de see people wey I de preach to? I dey partial to some group of people for my community because of how other people de see them?’ For the whole world, Jehovah’s organization de try to find out which group of people de speak different language for their territory. They want help many people come serve Jehovah. Sometimes, this one go mean say they go need to learn the language of the people and the way them de do things. Even when other people de see this people as nothing, make we no ever feel say we better pass this people wey we de preach to for our territory. Instead, make we try to understand each person so that we go fit touch the heart of the person with the Kingdom message.
WHEN YOU DE PRAY FOR PEOPLE CALL THEIR NAME
12. How Epaphras show say he no de think only about himself?
12 Our brothers and sisters “get faith like our own; and this faith get value.” Another way to show say we dey humble na to pray for them. (2 Pet. 1:1) Na so Epaphras do. Bible talk about Epaphras only three times, and na for the books wey Paul write. When Paul dey prison for house for Rome, he write letter to Christians for Colossae about Epaphras. Paul talk say Epaphras “no de tire to always pray for [them].” (Col. 4:12) Epaphras sabi the brothers well-well, and he really care about them. Na true say “he dey with [Paul] for prison.” But this one no make Epaphras forget say the brothers and sisters go need help. (Philem. 23) He do something about their condition. This one really show say Epaphras no de think only about himself. Make we de pray for our brothers and sisters. Our prayer get power to help them, especially when we call their name for the prayer.—2 Cor. 1:11; Jas. 5:16.
13. How you fit copy the example of Epaphras for your prayer?
13 Think about people wey you fit call their name for your prayer. Like Epaphras, many of our brothers and sisters de pray for people for their congregation. And them de pray for family wey things no easy for them, family wey them de find-am hard to make some serious decision, or family wey them de face temptation. Many of us de pray for people wey their name dey under “Jehovah’s Witnesses Imprisoned for Their Faith” for jw.org. (Check under NEWSROOM > LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS.) Apart from that one, you fit pray for people wey their person die, and people wey they just survive war and other problem, like heavy rain. And you fit pray for people wey them de suffer because of money problem. E clear say, many brothers and sisters need our prayer, and the prayer fit help them. When we pray for this kind people, we de show say we no de think only about ourself. But we still de think about other people. (Phil. 2:4) Jehovah de listen to this kind prayer.
“DE LISTEN QUICK”
14. Which example show say na Jehovah sabi listen pass?
14 Another way to show say we dey humble na when we de listen to people. James 1:19 talk say make we “de listen quick.” Na Jehovah show us the best example of how to listen to people. (Gen. 18:32; Josh. 10:14) Make we see wetin we fit learn from one example for Exodus 32:11-14. (Read-am.) Jehovah no need any advice from Moses, but he still give Moses the chance to talk how he de feel. Even though say Moses de make mistake, Jehovah still listen to wetin he de talk, and he do the thing wey Moses talk. Which human being fit do this kind thing? Jehovah dey patient, and he de listen to our prayer when we pray with faith.
15. How I fit imitate Jehovah for the way I de show other people respect?
15 Make we ask ourself say: ‘If Jehovah fit listen to people like Abraham, Rachel, Moses, Joshua, Manoah, Elijah, and Hezekiah because he dey humble, e no go good make I de do like that to my brothers and sisters? E no go good make I de respect them more, de listen to their advice, and even do the fine thing wey they talk? Person dey for my congregation or my family wey I need to give more of my time now-now and listen to more? Wetin I go do about the matter? I fit do anything?’—Gen. 30:6; Judg. 13:9; 1 Ki. 17:22; 2 Chron. 30:20.
“MAYBE JEHOVAH GO SEE MY PAIN”
David talk say: “Leave the man!” If na you, wetin you for do? (Check paragraph 16, 17)
16. Wetin King David do when Shimei do wetin vex David?
16 When other people do wetin make us vex, e good make we control ourself. This one na another way to show say we dey humble. (Eph. 4:2) We see fine example of this one for 2 Samuel 16:5-13. (Read-am.) Shimei come from the family of King Saul. Shimei come de insult David and his servants, and he attack them. But David and his servants endure wetin Shimei do them, even though say David get the power to stop-am. Wetin give David the power to fit control himself? The answer dey for Psalm 3. Make we talk about-am.
17. Wetin help David control himself, and how we fit follow his example?
verse 1 of Psalm 3 show say David write this Psalm “when he de run from his son Absalom.” Verse 1 and 2 match wetin dey Second Samuel chapter 16. Then Psalm 3:4 talk about the thing wey e give David strong heart. That place talk say: “I go call Jehovah with loud voice, and he go answer me from his holy mountain.” We self fit pray when people no treat us well. Then, Jehovah go give us holy spirit, and the spirit go help us make we fit endure. You fit think of anything wey e fit happen wey you go need to control yourself or forgive person for the bad thing wey he do you? You trust say Jehovah fit see your pain and bless you?
17 The thing wey they write before“NA SENSE DEY IMPORTANT PASS”
18. How we go gain if we follow the things wey Jehovah de teach us?
18 When we do the things wey we know say them dey correct, plenty blessings de follow. No wonder Proverbs 4:7 talk say “na sense dey important pass”! Na true say sense de come from wetin person know. But when person understand something, e no mean say he get sense. Na when person do the right thing, e go show say he get sense. Even ants de show say they get sense. They know how to prepare their food for the right time because of the way God make them. (Prov. 30:24, 25) Jesus na “the sense of God,” and he de always do wetin his Father like. (1 Cor. 1:24; John 8:29) God know say to choose the right thing and to do the right thing no be the same thing. When person dey humble, and he no stop to do wetin he know say na the correct thing, Jehovah go bless the person. (Read Matthew 7:21-23.) So try make you dey humble. If you dey humble, your example go help other people for congregation dey humble as them de serve Jehovah. If we want do wetin we know say e dey correct, e de take time and we need to dey patient. But, this kind thing de show say we dey humble, and we go dey happy now and forever.