Strengthen Your Faith in the Creator

 1. What have you been taught about our Creator?

IF YOU were raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, you likely learned about Jehovah from an early age. You were taught that he is the Creator, that he has an appealing personality, and that he has a loving purpose for mankind.​—Gen. 1:1; Acts 17:24-27.

 2. How do some people view those who believe in a Creator?

² Many people, however, do not believe that God exists, let alone that he is the Creator. Instead, they believe that life started by chance and then slowly evolved from so-called simple life-forms to more complex forms of life. Some of these individuals are highly educated. They may claim that science has proved the Bible wrong and that faith in a Creator is for people who are ignorant, weak, or naive.

 3. Why is it important to build our own faith?

³ Will the views expressed by some influential people shake our faith that Jehovah is our loving Creator? This depends largely on why we believe that Jehovah is the Creator. Is it because we were told to believe that or because we have taken the time to examine the evidence for ourselves? (1 Cor. 3:12-15) No matter how long we have been one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, we all need to keep building our faith. In doing so, we will not be misled by “the philosophy and empty deception” taught by men who contradict God’s Word. (Col. 2:8; Heb. 11:6) To help us, this article will discuss (1) why many do not believe in a Creator, (2) how you can build your faith in Jehovah, your Creator, and (3) how you can keep that faith strong.

 4. According to Hebrews 11:1 and footnote, on what is real faith based?

⁴ Some people think that having faith means believing in something without proof. But according to the Bible, that is not real faith. (Read Hebrews 11:1 and footnote.) Notice that faith in invisible realities, such as Jehovah, Jesus, and the heavenly Kingdom, is based on convincing evidence. (Heb. 11:3) One Witness who is a biochemist put it this way: “Our faith is not blind faith that ignores the facts of science.”

 5. Why do many people believe that life began without a Creator?

⁵ We might ask, ‘If convincing evidence of a Creator exists, why do many people believe that God had nothing to do with the origin of life?’ Some have simply never examined the evidence for themselves. Robert, who is now one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, says: “Since creation was never mentioned in school, I assumed that it was not true. It was not until I was in my 20’s that I talked to Jehovah’s Witnesses and heard the logical and convincing arguments from the Bible in favor of creation.”b​—See the box “An Appeal to Parents.”

 6. Why do some reject belief in a Creator?

⁶ Some do not believe in a Creator because they say that they believe only in what they can see. They make exceptions, of course, for such unseen things as gravity, which is, after all, a reality. The type of faith mentioned in the Bible involves evidence for other “realities that are not seen.” (Heb. 11:1) It takes time and effort to study the evidence for ourselves, and many people lack the motivation they need to do the work. A person who does not investigate the evidence for himself may conclude that there is no God.

 7. Do all educated people deny that God created the universe? Explain.

⁷ After studying the evidence, some scientists have become convinced that God created the universe.c Like Robert, mentioned earlier, some may have simply assumed that there was no Creator because creation had never been taught in university. However, many scientists have come to know and love Jehovah. As was the case with these scientists, all of us must build our faith in God, no matter what our educational background. Nobody else can do that for us.

8-9. (a) What question will we now consider? (b) How will a study of creation benefit you?

⁸ How can you build your faith in the Creator? Let us consider four ways.

⁹ Study creation. You can build your faith in the Creator by observing animals, plants, and stars. (Ps. 19:1; Isa. 40:26) The more you study such things, the more convinced you will become that Jehovah is the Creator. Our publications often contain articles that explain various aspects of creation. Do not shy away from such articles if you find them difficult to understand fully. Absorb as much as you can. And do not forget to review on our website, jw.org, the beautiful videos on creation that have been presented at our regional conventions in recent years.

10. Give an example of how creation testifies to the existence of a Creator. (Romans 1:20)

¹⁰ When studying creation, pay careful attention to what the facts reveal about our Creator. (Read Romans 1:20.) For instance, you may know that our sun, in addition to providing life-giving heat, emits harmful energy in the form of ultraviolet rays. We humans need to be protected from those rays. And we are! How? Our earthly home has its own protective shield​—a layer of ozone gas that filters out the harmful radiation. As the ultraviolet rays from the sun get more intense, the amount of ozone grows. Now, do you not agree that there must be someone behind this process and that he must be a loving and an intelligent Creator?

11. Where can you find faith-building facts about creation? (See the box “Some Faith-Building Resources.”)

¹¹ You can find many faith-building facts about creation by consulting the Watch Tower Publications Index and by doing research on jw.org. You might wish to start with articles and videos from jw.org > Videos > The Bible > Creation. These are short and present a few amazing facts about animals and other creations. They also contain examples of how scientists have tried to copy what they see in nature.

12. When studying the Bible, what are some things we should take note of?

¹² Study the Bible. The biochemist mentioned earlier initially rejected the idea of a Creator. In time, though, he came to have faith. He says: “My faith was not based solely on what I studied in science. It was also based on a careful study of the Bible.” Perhaps you already have accurate knowledge of Bible teachings. Even so, to build faith in your Creator, you need to continue studying God’s Word. (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 119:97) Note the Bible’s detailed descriptions of historical events. Pay attention to its prophecies and to its internal harmony. Doing so can reinforce your faith that a loving, wise Creator made us and that he inspired the Bible.d​—2 Tim. 3:14; 2 Pet. 1:21.

13. What is one example of the wisdom found in God’s Word?

¹³ When studying God’s Word, note how helpful its counsel is. For example, the Bible long ago warned that the love of money is harmful and that it produces “many pains.” (1 Tim. 6:9, 10; Prov. 28:20; Matt. 6:24) Is that warning still relevant? The book The Narcissism Epidemic observes: “On average, materialistic people are less happy and more depressed. Even people who simply aspire to have more money suffer from poor mental health; they also report more physical health problems.” How helpful, then, is the Bible’s warning against developing a love of money! Can you think of additional Bible principles that have proved to be beneficial? The more we appreciate the Bible’s counsel, the more we will rely on the timeless wisdom provided by our loving Creator. (Jas. 1:5) As a result, our life will be more enjoyable.​—Isa. 48:17, 18.

14. What will a study of the Bible reveal about Jehovah?

¹⁴ Study with the right objective​—to know Jehovah. (John 17:3) As you study the Scriptures, you will note that a distinct personality emerges​—one that harmonizes with the qualities reflected in creation. These qualities clearly belong to a real Person and are not a product of someone’s imagination. (Ex. 34:6, 7; Ps. 145:8, 9) As you come to know Jehovah better and better, your faith in him will grow, your love for him will deepen, and your friendship with him will become stronger.

15. How will you benefit from sharing your faith?

¹⁵ Share your faith in God with others. As you do so, your own faith will be reinforced. But what if someone you witness to raises a question about the existence of God and you are unsure of how to reply? Try to find a Scriptural answer to the question in one of our publications, and then share it with the individual. (1 Pet. 3:15) You can also ask an experienced fellow Witness for help. Whether the unbeliever accepts answers from the Bible or not, you will benefit from having done the research. Your faith will grow stronger. As a result, you will not be vulnerable to the false claims of the seemingly wise and intellectual ones who say that there is no Creator.

16. What can happen if we do not continue to build and maintain our faith?

¹⁶ No matter how long we have been serving Jehovah, we must continue to build and maintain our faith in him. Why? Because if we are not careful, our faith can weaken. Remember, faith involves evidence of unseen realities. What we cannot see, we may easily forget. Thus, Paul called lack of faith “the sin that easily entangles us.” (Heb. 12:1) How, then, can we avoid that trap?​—2 Thess. 1:3.

17. What help do we need to maintain faith?

¹⁷ First, beg Jehovah for his holy spirit, and do so often. Why? Because faith is an aspect of the fruitage of the spirit. (Gal. 5:22, 23) We cannot build and maintain faith in our Creator without the help of his holy spirit. If we keep asking Jehovah for his spirit, he will give it to us. (Luke 11:13) In particular, we can pray: “Give us more faith.”​—Luke 17:5.

18. According to Psalm 1:2, 3, what privilege can we enjoy?

¹⁸ Additionally, be consistent in your personal study of God’s Word. (Read Psalm 1:2, 3.) When that psalm was composed, few Israelites had a complete written copy of God’s Law. However, the king and the priests had access to copies, and every seven years, arrangements were made for “the men, the women, the children,” and the foreign residents of Israel to listen to the reading of God’s Law. (Deut. 31:10-12) In Jesus’ day, Scripture scrolls could be found only in the hands of a few and in synagogues. In contrast, today most people have access to portions of God’s Word. That is a real privilege. How can we show that we appreciate such a privilege?

19. What do we need to do to keep our faith strong?

¹⁹ We can show that we appreciate the privilege of having God’s Word by reading it regularly. We cannot afford to leave personal study to chance, doing it when we feel that we have the time. By sticking to a regular routine of study, we can keep our faith strong.

20. What should we be determined to do?

²⁰ Unlike “the wise and intellectual ones” of this world, we have solid faith based on God’s Word. (Matt. 11:25, 26) As a result of our study of that sacred volume, we know why conditions on earth are deteriorating and what Jehovah is going to do about it. So let us be determined to strengthen our faith and to help as many as possible to have faith in our Creator. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) And let us continue to look forward to the time when all alive on earth will echo the words of Revelation 4:11: “You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory . . . because you created all things.”