The apostle Paul had many reasons for feeling anxious. The problems his brothers and sisters faced weighed heavily on his mind. (2 Cor. 2:4) Opposers beat him and threw him in prison. He also had to endure hardships that caused anxiety, such as being “low on provisions.” (Phil. 4:12) And considering that he had been shipwrecked at least three times at that point in his life, we can only imagine the anxiety he experienced when traveling by boat. (2 Cor. 11:23-27) How did Paul deal with the anxiety? Paul felt anxious for his brothers and sisters when they faced challenges, but he did not try to fix all their problems by himself. Paul was modest. He arranged for others to help in caring for the congregation, trustworthy men such as Timothy and Titus. The work those brothers did no doubt helped to reduce Paul’s anxiety.​—Phil. 2:19, 20; Titus 1:1, 4, 5. w20.02 23 ¶11-12

Jehovah also expects us to obey him. He deserves our obedience because he is our Creator, the Sustainer of our life, and the wisest of all parents. However, the primary reason why we obey Jehovah is that we love him. (1 John 5:3) Although there are many reasons why we should obey Jehovah, he does not force us to do so. Jehovah gave us the gift of free will, so he is happy when we choose to obey him out of love for him. Parents want their children to be safe. That is why they establish standards of behavior. When children obey those guidelines, they show that they put trust in their parents and respect them. How much more important it is, then, that we know our heavenly Father’s standards and live by them. When we do, we show Jehovah that we love and respect him and we also benefit ourselves. (Isa. 48:17, 18) By contrast, those who reject Jehovah and his standards end up hurting themselves.​—Gal. 6:7, 8. w20.02 9-10 ¶8-9

Like Abigail, we need to have the courage to speak up if we see someone heading down a dangerous path. (Ps. 141:5) We must be respectful, but we must also be bold. When we lovingly offer a person necessary counsel, we prove that we are a true friend. (Prov. 27:17) Elders in particular must have the courage to speak to those in the congregation who take a false step. (Gal. 6:1) Elders humbly realize that they too are imperfect and may one day need counsel. But elders do not let that hold them back from reproving those who need discipline. (2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:9) When counseling a person, they try to use their gift of speech to teach him skillfully and patiently. They love their brother, and that love moves them to action. (Prov. 13:24) But their primary concern is to honor Jehovah by upholding his standards and protecting the congregation from harm.​—Acts 20:28. w20.03 20 ¶8-9