Study—Important in Your Life
1 Newly interested ones continue to come into Jehovah’s visible organization in great numbers. Thousands swell attendances at our Kingdom Halls; many of them soon start out in the field service and get baptized. It is indeed a thrill to see these increases take place and to see these new praisers of Jehovah become a part of the theocratic society. But this is only the beginning. Continued spiritual growth is necessary in order to be pleasing to Jehovah. What will help in this? For one thing, reading and studying must become an important part of one’s life.
2 ‘But study, concentrating on what one is reading, is not easy,’ some will say, and that is often true. Just what is it that has assisted many to be good students and to find joy in keeping right up-to-date with the truth as it is made clear through the “faithful and discreet slave”? Being interested in what one is doing is one of the most important factors.
3 Interest can fluctuate. However, there are things that we can do to keep interest in studying the truth at a high level. As the apostle Peter wrote, “Form a longing for the unadulterated milk belonging to the word.” (1 Pet. 2:2) Such a “longing” can be cultivated. Be persistent in your prayers to God for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Also, persevere in your personal efforts to acquire such through study. “Keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you,” said Jesus.—Matt. 7:7; John 6:45.
4 Study means to set the mind upon a subject systematically to learn it for future use. What future use? For one thing, to help others. We are God’s witnesses. Having a keen desire to remember so as to help others will stimulate us to study and we will retain the information longer. This means having an unselfish motive in study.
5 Field service stimulates interest in study. None of us have all the answers to questions that people might ask as we share in the field service. But how do you feel when you do not have a ready answer to a question asked by a householder? Do you feel an urge to do the necessary research so as to get the answer and, if possible, to return and share it with the householder?
6 Many of Jehovah’s servants in times past set fine examples in applying themselves to learn God’s will so as to do it more fully. The psalmist said: “How I do love your law! All day long it is my concern.” (Ps. 119:97) Has that come to be true of you too?