With one’s family, particularly husbands and wives, one will already know them intimately and can know what will work best and most effectively. The rewards for such loving long-suffering toward opposing dear ones are high!

20, 21. (a) What is it that characterizes those of the New World society? (b) How are such qualities attained? (c) Describe some of them.

²⁰ Truly a wonder is taking place in the earth today as to the members of the New World society, whether they be of divided households or integrated ones of united family circles! Distinct persons of new personality are being developed on a high level regardless of national background. The true, fearless individual man in all his God-designed dignity is becoming manifested globally amid declining social orders. This is something that Soviet society with its product of the collective man and democratic society with its product of the machine man cannot achieve. By means of a program of applying Bible principles to human living the following basic qualities now remarkably characterize those of the New World society.

Love: an unselfish interest in others based on Bible principles.

Joy: a deep inner sense of delight, pleasure, satisfaction, contentment.

Peace: an inner state of tranquillity, ease, calm; unanxious, harmonious.

Long-suffering: an endurance, tolerance, patience, ability to put up with persons and circumstances.

Kindness: being gentle, sympathetic, obliging, well mannered, considerate.

Goodness: performing deeds of generosity, liberality, hospitality.

Faith: possessing firm conviction, solid assurance, complete confidence.

Mildness: control of temper, spirit, anger; a teachable disposition.

Self-control: keeping physical and mental forces restricted, poised, balanced.

Virtue and Chastity: being honest, upright, just, and keeping moral sex integrity.

Reasonableness: being open-minded, approachable, not opinionated, undogmatic.

Readiness to obey: being quick to follow leadings of the divine will, not stubborn.

Mercy: being compassionate, withholding just censure upon repentant ones.

Impartiality: granting equal dignity, unprejudiced, no favoritism.

Not hypocritical: no pretense, no false front, always genuine, real.—Gal. 5:22, 23; Eph. 4:23, 24.

²¹ All these add up to one’s growing in the image of Jehovah God and Jesus Christ, who excel in all these qualities. Seek now active association with the New World society of Jehovah’s witnesses to be transformed, that you may qualify to live forever on this paradise-destined earth!—Eph. 5:1, 2.

Recommendation

One of Jehovah’s witnesses in Ohio reported the following experience: “One day the department head in the plant where I am employed had this to say to those in my department regarding me: ‘Bill B. . . . is the one and only reliable worker in my department, the only one I can trust.’ Sometime later, after learning I was one of Jehovah’s witnesses, he had occasion to speak to the men regarding neatness, honesty and the giving of a full day’s work. His closing words were: ‘Perhaps all of you should join Bill B. . . .’s religion and then maybe you would all do better.’”