When we dedicated ourselves to Jehovah, we vowed to worship him and to do his will. We must keep that vow. Living up to our dedication is not a burden. After all, Jehovah created us to do his will. (Rev. 4:11) He put within us a spiritual need and created us in his image. As a result, we are able to draw close to him and to find delight in doing his will. What is more, when we do God’s will and follow his Son, we “find refreshment” for ourselves. (Matt. 11:28-30) So strengthen your love for Jehovah by meditating on all the good he has done for you and the blessings he has in store for you. The more your love for God grows, the easier it will be for you to obey him. (1 John 5:3) Jesus succeeded in doing God’s will because he prayed to Jehovah for help and kept focused on his reward. (Heb. 5:7; 12:2) Like Jesus, pray to Jehovah for strength and keep the hope of everlasting life clearly in mind. w23.08 27-28 ¶4-5

We all appreciate people who are patient. Why is that the case? We respect those who can wait for something without getting frustrated. We appreciate that others are patient with us when we make mistakes. And we are grateful that our Bible teacher was patient with us as we struggled to learn, accept, or apply a Bible teaching. Above all, how thankful we are that Jehovah God is patient with us! Although we value patience in others, we ourselves may not always find it easy to be patient. For example, we may struggle to stay calm when stuck in traffic, especially if we are running late. We may lose our temper when others irritate us. And, at times, we could find it hard to keep waiting for Jehovah’s promised new world. However, in all these cases, we need to be more patient. w23.08 20 ¶1-2

At Jehovah’s request, Gideon reduced his army by more than 99 percent. He may have thought: ‘Is this change really necessary? Will this work?’ Nevertheless, Gideon obeyed. Elders today imitate Gideon by implementing recommended changes in theocratic direction. (Heb. 13:17) Gideon obeyed Jehovah despite his fears and the risk involved. (Judg. 9:17) After receiving assurance from Jehovah, Gideon was absolutely convinced that God would support him as he protected God’s people. Elders living in areas where the work is under ban imitate Gideon. They courageously take the lead at the meetings and in the ministry despite the threat of arrest, interrogation, loss of employment, or violence. During the great tribulation, elders will need courage to obey instructions they will receive​—regardless of the dangers involved. w23.06 5-6 ¶12-13