“Kingdom Loyalty”​—What Does It Mean to You?

“KNOW this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be . . . disloyal.” (2 Tim. 3:1, 2) No one can deny that today we are experiencing a fulfillment of these prophetic words. There is an evergrowing, prevailing spirit of disloyalty abroad in the world. It is present at every level of human society, eating into good relationships between individuals, families, neighbors and nations alike. It is one of those things that is so “hard to deal with,” characterizing the “last days” of this present world’s system of things.

But how refreshingly different was the overall spirit and message highlighting the hundreds of “Kingdom Loyalty” District Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses held during this year! The theme of “Kingdom Loyalty” was in direct keeping with the words of David: “Your loyal ones will bless you [Jehovah]. About the glory of your kingship they will talk.” (Ps. 145:10, 11) What took place at these large, multiracial earth-wide gatherings proved conclusively that today there are still many persons living who are out of harmony with this world’s disloyal trends. Instead, they want to display loyalty in all their dealings with their fellow humans, and especially do they want to remain loyal to “the kingdom of our Lord [Jehovah] and of his Christ.”​—Rev. 11:15.

Were you privileged to be present at one of these conventions? We hope you were. If so, how were you affected by the many talks, life experiences and thrilling Bible dramas that were presented? Did you feel a deepening of your relationship with Jehovah and a growing appreciation of all that your dedication to him means and involves? Did the kingdom of God become more real to you? In a word​—What does Kingdom Loyalty mean to you now?

For the benefit of all our readers let us analyze the underlying meaning of the theme of the program and some of the highlights that were presented. This will crystallize in our minds the overall objective of these conventions and will show how the question of Kingdom Loyalty should affect every facet of our life.

WHAT IS LOYALTY?

The word “loyalty” is translated from the Hebrew noun hheʹsedh. It has reference to a kindness that lovingly attaches itself to an object and never lets go until its purpose in connection with that object is realized. This is the wonderful quality that God always expresses toward his purposes and to his servants. Above all things, Jehovah is loyal to his rightful sovereignty. The time has come for God’s sovereignty to be expressed toward this earth through the Messianic kingdom placed in the hands of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and 144,000 heavenly associate rulers and priests. This kingdom is something to which Jehovah is especially attached and which he never abandons until ‘all the nations come and worship before him.’​—Rev. 15:4.

Little wonder, then, that Jehovah’s loyalty is especially directed toward all those who earnestly keep praying: “Let your kingdom come.” (Matt. 6:10) This was the area of Christian loyalty that received particular attention at the conventions. Can you see yourself as a subject of God’s kingdom? A loyal subject? One who will always be attached to Jehovah, to his Son and to other loyal subjects and proclaimers of the Kingdom? (Matt. 22:37; 1 Pet. 4:8) If this is how you feel, if this is your determination, then you have caught the spirit and the meaning of the term Kingdom Loyalty. You can be happy in the knowledge that “with someone loyal [Jehovah] will act in loyalty.”​—2 Sam. 22:26.

Since you are now the subject of a very real kingdom, God’s kingdom, then you must be prepared to submit loyally and be obedient to all the laws and principles of that heavenly government. They are all set out for us in God’s Word, the Bible. They apply to all areas of the Christian’s life: within the family circle, in one’s preaching activity as a minister of the good news of God’s kingdom, within the Christian congregation and in one’s general attitude toward the worldwide theocratic arrangement that Jehovah is now using on this earth. These four areas of the Christian’s life were dealt with under the themes Family Day, Field Ministry Day, Congregation Day and Kingdom Day. Let us briefly discuss each of these in turn to make certain we understand the wide scope of Kingdom Loyalty, and so have help in answering the personal question: What Does It Mean to Me?

FAMILY DAY

Parents​—what do your children reveal about you? What is first in your life? Is it Kingdom interests or material things? The answers to such searching questions are bound up with your loyalty to Jehovah. If you sow loyalty to God’s kingdom in your child, you may reap loyalty. (Compare 2 Corinthians 9:6.) How can you do this? Regularly study God’s Word with your family. Reason with your children as to why Jehovah’s counsel is the best. Go places together. Do things together as a family. Keep the lines of communication open. The congregation can help, but never can it take your place as a diligent parent. (Eph. 6:4) Never give up trying to instill Kingdom Loyalty in your children!

Children​—Be cooperative and obey your parents and the elders in the congregation. Avoid all forms of bad conduct and filthy language. This is being loyal to your parents, to the congregation and to Jehovah. What is your goal in life? To develop good spiritual qualities? To share in the ministry regularly? To attend meetings regularly? To improve your relationship with Jehovah? To become a pioneer, a missionary, a Bethel worker? If these are your goals, you will be reflecting the training of loyal parents and proving yourself to be a loyal subject of God’s kingdom.

FIELD MINISTRY DAY

Jesus said: “He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matt. 24:13) Keeping spiritual goals in view helps all of us to endure. These goals include Christian maturity and increased privileges of service, especially the full-time ministry. Overseers and parents alike can do much to encourage old and young to reach out for this grand privilege of service and so ‘seek God’s kingdom first in their life.’ (Matt. 6:33) This, too, is being loyal to God’s kingdom. Today, the call to action is: Forward, You Ministers of the Kingdom! Indeed, all of God’s ministers should be forward-looking and forward-moving, thus following the example of Jehovah and Christ Jesus.

CONGREGATION DAY

“An overseer must be . . . loyal.” (Titus 1:7, 8) Loyal to what? To Jehovah and his righteous principles, to Christ and his “discreet slave” and to the congregation arrangement.​—Matt. 24:45-47; 1 Thess. 2:10; Rev. 1:12-17; Eph. 1:22, 23.

Are you an overseer? Then follow Jesus’ example. He gave of himself self-sacrificingly. Doing Jehovah’s work was the paramount thing in his life. His zeal was also shown in his love of goodness and hatred of badness.​—1 Pet. 2:21; Heb. 1:9.

What is your attitude toward directives from “the faithful and discreet slave”? Loyalty should move you to be “ready to obey.” (Jas. 3:17) Always try to capture the spirit of information published by the “slave” class. Then convey this to the congregation. The brothers need your loyal example as you cooperate with the rest of the body of elders. They need your support in the ministry and all congregation arrangements. Your loyalty will be rewarded as surely as David’s was. (Ps. 18:1-3, 25) You will have a clear conscience, peace of mind and a loyally united, strong congregation.

KINGDOM DAY

“God is a God, not of disorder, but of peace.” (1 Cor. 14:33) Jehovah God knows how to arrange matters so that everything governed by his laws has its place. His creation testifies to this fact. Little wonder, then, that Jehovah has always concerned himself with the peace and order of his true worshipers on the earth. A fine example of this and its beneficial results is to be found in Gideon’s little band of 300 warriors who shared in a great theocratic victory over their enemies. Why did they win? Because of loyal obedience and strict compliance with theocratic instructions given through their battle leader. “All the while they kept standing each one in his place,” we are told. (Judg. 7:19-21) What a wonderful example for true worshipers today! Instead of forging ahead with our own ideas and methods, let us willingly submit to the theocratic arrangement, recognizing the channel through which Jehovah directs his people.

JEHOVAH GUARDS HIS LOYAL ONES

These were some of the highlights presented at the “Kingdom Loyalty” conventions, bringing home to all present that “the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” is more and more influencing the lives of all true worshipers today. (Rev. 11:15) Great indeed is the present reward of all those proving loyal to God’s kingdom. Proverbs 2:8 assures them: “He [Jehovah] will guard the very way of his loyal ones.” Jehovah’s Witnesses believe this. With confidence they are determined now to go on advancing as God’s loyal Kingdom proclaimers.

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One 72-year-old woman, baptized at the Belmont Park district convention in New York, expressed her Kingdom loyalty by saying: “There is no doubt in my mind that this is the right religion . . . I want to serve Jehovah as the only true God”

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A 71-year-old man, having given up lifelong heavy drinking and smoking, was baptized at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, and had this to say on the question of loyalty: “One can’t sit on the fence forever . . . I truly have found love in my heart for Jehovah and it is my desire to serve him forever”

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Convention Drama: JEHOVAH REWARDS HIS LOYAL ONES

Israel’s first king, Saul, became disobedient​—not waiting on Jehovah, doing things his own way. So Jehovah anointed David as king but left Saul on the throne. (1 Sam. 13:9-14; 15:13-23; 16:11-23) Saul became jealous of David and tried to kill him.

How would your loyalty to Jehovah stand up under such trying conditions? Would you have waited on Jehovah or tried to correct things in your own way?

“Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he dodged from before Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall.”​—1 Sam. 19:10.

With 3,000 men Saul went hunting for David. Saul himself entered a cave where David and his men were hiding. David was urged to kill Saul, but he said: “It is unthinkable on my part, from Jehovah’s standpoint, that I should do this thing to . . . the anointed of Jehovah.”​—1 Sam. 24:4, 6.

Saul died in battle with the Philistines. Later, “the older men of Israel . . . anointed David as king over Israel.”​—2 Sam. 5:1-3.

David was a model of loyalty to his God, Jehovah. He never ran ahead of Him, to do things in his own way. Jehovah called him “a man agreeable to my heart, who will do all the things I desire.”​—Acts 13:22.

Will Jehovah say the same of you? Will you always wait for him to act? Will you be loyal to Jehovah, his approved anointed ones and his theocratic organization and its arrangements? If you are, then Jehovah will reward you as he did David.

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Convention Drama: BEWARE OF REBELLIOUS TALK

The sons of Israel had agreed: “All that Jehovah has spoken we are willing to do.” (Ex. 19:1-5, 8) However, murmuring and complaining against Moses broke out in the camp. It was led by Korah, Dathan and Abiram. They influenced others and soon many were in open opposition to Jehovah.

How would you have reacted to that rebellious talk? Would your faith in Jehovah’s servant Moses have remained firm like that of Caleb and Joshua?

A man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath was brought before Moses. Jehovah had him put to death, for it was a violation of God’s law​—not ‘just a little thing.’​—Num. 15:32-36.

“All the assembly talked of pelting” Joshua and Caleb with stones because, of the 12 men sent to spy out Canaan, they alone showed faith that Jehovah would give the Israelites the land.​—Num. 13:25–14:10.

Jehovah commanded Aaron, also Korah with 250 others, to offer incense. Fire came down and consumed the rebels. Also, Jehovah caused the earth to swallow up Dathan and Abiram and their households as well as Korah’s household. (Num. 16:32, 35) Thus He settled the issue of theocratic appointment.

Rebellion may start as a little thing​—criticizing the elders’ decision or some provision of the “faithful and discreet slave.” But it can lead to open opposition. Jude warns: “Too bad for them, because they . . . have perished in the rebellious talk of Korah.” Far better it is to take Jude’s further advice: “But you, beloved ones, . . . keep yourselves in God’s love.”​—Jude 11, 20, 21.

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These happy parents of two young sons were among 744 others who were baptized at Belmont Park this summer. They were baptized together, publicly demonstrating their loyalty to Jehovah and Jesus Christ