There are many reasons why we should be thankful to Jehovah! We owe him our very life, for without him we would not even move or exist. He has given us a very precious gift​—his own book, the Bible. We gratefully accept it as God’s message, even as the Christians in Thessalonica received God’s word and accepted it. (1 Thess. 2:13) With the written Word of God in hand, we have drawn close to Jehovah and he has drawn close to us. (Jas. 4:8) Our heavenly Father has granted us the wonderful privilege of being part of his organization. How we appreciate such blessings! The psalmist put matters beautifully when he sang: “Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good; his loyal love endures forever.” (Ps. 136:1) Twenty-six times in Psalm 136, we find the refrain “his loyal love endures forever.” By proving loyal to Jehovah and his organization, we will experience the truthfulness of those heartening words because we will live forever! w16.11 3:18, 19

That verse is repeatedly used in the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? As you study this book with your children or others, you will likely read Romans 5:12 when you discuss God’s purpose for the earth, the ransom, and the condition of the dead​—chapters 3, 5, and 6. But how often do you think of Romans 5:12 with regard to your own standing before Jehovah, your actions, and your future prospects? All of us, of course, must face the reality that we are sinners. We make mistakes every day. Yet, we are assured that God remembers that we are made of dust, and he is willing to show us mercy. (Ps. 103:13, 14) Jesus included in the model prayer the request to God: “Forgive us our sins.” (Luke 11:2-4) Hence, we have no reason to dwell on mistakes that God has forgiven. Still, we can benefit from thinking about how he could​—and did—​forgive us. w16.12 1:1-3

It was fitting for Christians in Rome to analyze what their focus in life really was. Could it be that their lives were dominated by or centered on “things of the flesh”? And it is fitting for us to consider the same about our lives. What is of greatest interest to us, and to what does our speech gravitate? What do we really pursue day in and day out? Some may find that they are focusing on trying different types of wine, decorating the home, finding new clothing styles, making investments, planning vacation trips, and the like. Such matters are not bad in themselves; they can be normal aspects of life. For example, Jesus once made wine, and Paul told Timothy to take “a little wine.” (1 Tim. 5:23; John 2:3-11) But did Jesus and Paul make wine a prominent aspect of their lives? Was it their passion, what they constantly talked about? No. What about us? What is our key interest in life? w16.12 2:5, 10, 11