then look well to your assignment! Shoulder your responsibility! Put your heart into your work. “Work at it whole-souled as to Jehovah, and not to men.” (Col. 3:23) Delight to advance pure worship. Hold fast to God’s Word and to his organization. Let your course be that of the apostle Paul, who said to his brothers: “Become imitators of me, even as I am of Christ.”—1 Cor. 11:1.

27. What are the rewards of accepting responsibility and shouldering it?

²⁷ The result of each one’s accepting his responsibility will be a strong, effective organization of united worshipers, effectively guiding people of good will in the way of life. The one accepting and shouldering his responsibility has a special joy of knowing that he is doing God’s will, that he is ‘God’s fellow worker.’ There is also the satisfaction and the joy, the confidence and the faith in a lasting reward for a work well done, as can be felt in the words of Paul: “I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith. From this time on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me as a reward in that day, yet not only to me, but also to all those who have loved his manifestation.”—1 Cor. 3:6-9; 2 Tim. 4:7, 8.

28. What questions remain to be answered by all, and to what happy conclusion for having accepted responsibility?

²⁸ Will you respond to greater service? Will you accept your responsibility? Will you mold your life around the ministry that God has entrusted to your care? Only you can answer those questions. There is much to do and the workers still are few. Do not draw back from your opportunities, from your responsibilities, and say, “Let someone else do it.” If you are qualified to accept responsibility, then respond whole-souled. If you feel inept, then build up yourself spiritually with the help of God’s Word, his spirit and his organization. Prove what kind of man you are by accepting responsibility, to Jehovah’s honor and to your own everlasting welfare, with the reward for you of life in his new world of righteousness.

Consolation for the Depressed

“I FEEL so depressed. Why is this happening to me? What have I done? I should be comforting others, but I cannot comfort myself. Have I committed the unforgivable sin? I think God has abandoned me!” You may recognize this as the cry of a Christian who unexpectedly finds himself very depressed.

Depression is a miserable feeling, but not uncommon. For example, a mature overseer nearing the end of a period of intense study is suddenly gripped by depressing thoughts. A middle-aged woman who works hard to meet her obligations is sad-faced and dejected. A zealous servant in a congregation, although having many living letters of recommendation, feels miserably depressed. A young mother with several