Yet one may say, ‘I’m so weak; I wish I had the strength. If I were young again!’ But do not feel that way. Remember how Paul expressed it: “I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in cases of need, in persecutions and difficulties, for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am powerful.” (2 Cor. 12:10) When we have difficulties and physical weakness, is that bad? Not necessarily. When we realize we cannot do it in our own strength, then we come to be powerful in Jehovah, in his spirit and in his Word.

The fact that God has given us encouragement to do plenty in the work of the Lord requires that we be honest with ourselves. (1 Cor. 15:58) Jesus said: “Everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him.” (Luke 12:48) What have we been given in the way of assets, such as energy and health and time for Bible study and the ministry? If we have been given much, much will be required, but not too much. We are required to exert ourselves according to our peculiar circumstances, making room to do more as we are able, even praying that circumstances will favor us with the opportunity to do more.

Since the career of a Christian is likened by the apostle Paul to a race course, God requires that we “run with endurance the race that is set before us” and reach the goal line. God tells us how to run the race to win—by avoiding whatever will burden us or weigh us down. If the race is too much at times, it may be that you are making it that way by staying up too late too often for recreation, rather than making it an occasion to renew your strength. Never lose sight of the goal. Jehovah does not require too much—just enough to show where our heart is and just enough to win the prize.—Heb. 12:1.

Keep strong your appreciation for the truth; never cease to make known to God your gratitude for the privilege of being numbered among his servants and having the hope of everlasting life in his righteous new order; keep in mind the urgent need of others to learn the truth and take their stand on Jehovah’s side now. Be balanced in caring for your responsibilities. If you do, you will never get to feeling that Jehovah requires too much.

“I Will by No Means Leave You”

● The Watch Tower Society has maintained in Brazil, as in other countries of the world, a special school called the Kingdom Ministry School for training congregation overseers. Although free, it has often involved great difficulties for the overseers, as they still needed to support their families while they were away for a month taking the course.

One of such overseers, in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, who has a wife and four children, thought that his situation in this respect was so difficult that he would not be able to take the course. Two weeks before his group was to begin, he still had no solution. So he prayed to Jehovah God, and the exact answer can be summed up in the words of Hebrews 13:5, where Jehovah promises: “I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you.” Several brothers, knowing the overseer’s financial difficulties, took good care of his family in a material way, while he, although poor in this world’s wealth, became richer in knowledge of God and received training so that he could give more and more help to the brothers in his congregation.