son.” (Deut. 7:3) If the parents and children did not heed these words, there was the danger that the children would forget the worship due to God and, as a result, bring about their everlasting destruction. “For he will turn your son from following me, and they will certainly serve other gods; and Jehovah’s anger will indeed blaze against you, and he will certainly annihilate you in a hurry.”—Deut. 7:4.

13. What are the harmful effects and dangers of petting?

¹³ Proper conduct in courting is very important, because it is a dangerous thing to overstimulate the powerful sex impulses. It is something that is not to be trifled with. If one allows himself to become overly stimulated by petting and then realizes the restrictions placed upon him by the law of God and the sexual desires cannot be carried to a culmination, what is the situation? It causes one to be left in a very nervous and emotionally disturbed state. This causes harm spiritually, as well as mentally and physically, and therefore should be avoided. It may lead to immorality, and this God warns against when he says: “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, . . . envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to these things I am forewarning you, the same way as I did forewarn you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.” (Gal. 5:19-21) Do not resort to these loose habits that can easily cause loss of life. Christian parents should always know where their children are, and teen-agers should never be ashamed to tell their parents where they were and what they did.

CULTIVATING RIGHT DESIRES

14. For whom must youths have respect?

¹⁴ It is vital for youth to develop respect for others and be obedient to those over them as they go along in daily life. Show obedience to parents, to Jehovah God’s organization and to the overseers God has placed in his congregation. That is one thing that so many young people do not do, in spite of the Scriptural admonition: “Children, be obedient to your parents in union with the Lord, for this is righteous: ‘Honor your father and your mother’; which is the first command with a promise: ‘That it may go well with you and you may endure a long time on the earth.’” (Eph. 6:1-3) Consider what happened in Elisha’s day and see the results of disrespect on the part of those children. The prophet Elisha was going up to Bethel, and young boys came out from the city. When they saw Elisha, they kept saying to him: “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” Finally he turned around and saw the young boys and he called down evil upon them in the name of Jehovah. Did Jehovah respond and show his displeasure because of their disrespectful conduct? He most certainly did. Out of the woods came two she-bears and they went tearing to pieces forty-two of those children. What a price to pay for not showing proper respect when it was due!—2 Ki. 2:23, 24; Prov. 30:17.

15. (a) When should one begin to serve Jehovah? (b) With proper desire and planning what expanded privileges of service are extended to youths in the New World society?

¹⁵ Young ministers, make your desire the serving of your Creator and the doing of his work. As it is stated: “Remember, now, your grand Creator in the days of your young manhood, before the calamitous days proceed to come.” (Eccl. 12:1) If you remember your Creator in your young days and serve him, then you are going to be using your youthful energy in the most joy-producing of all work, full-time preaching. Start doing this now by being a vacation pioneer. Then stick to it and you will see your privileges of service expand to regular pioneer work, special pioneer work, or possibly circuit work, district work, or the grand prospect of serving in a Bethel home, the headquarters of the Watch Tower Society, in some part of the earth. There are many fields of service open to those who make their career that of a minister and thus serve their Creator. To enjoy any of these fine privileges, it takes planning and having your mind settled on what you are going to do and then working toward that end, permitting nothing to turn you aside. In Romans it is stated: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not be planning ahead for the desires of the flesh.”—Rom. 13:14.

16. When one is faced with problems and obstacles, what course is open for overcoming such?

¹⁶ As you work toward the realization of your goal as a full-time minister, many problems will arise to discourage you. Because of your lack of maturity and your youthfulness, you may make some misstep or commit some error. If you do, admit your wrong, confess the error, go to your parents or to the congregation overseer and receive counsel that will be for your own benefit. God says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:9.

17. (a) If youths remember Jehovah now, when will he remember them? (b) What joys and blessings can youths enjoy now and in the future by serving Jehovah?

¹⁷ Make the new world of righteousness your desire. Make it your hope, your career, by remembering your Creator now; then Jehovah will certainly remember you in the calamity of Armageddon when God destroys the old wicked world. Now is the time to flee from the desires incidental to youth of this old world. Temporary sin with them certainly is a big price to pay for annihilation. Hold to the wholesome desire rooted in the New World hope and make the doing of God’s will your career. By doing so you are going to have great gain and joy now by cleanness and contentment of mind and joy of heart. Furthermore, there will be great gain and eternal happiness as you live on into the New World paradise.

18. How can the youths in the New World society be a good influence upon their generation?

¹⁸ Youths, be a good influence for your generation. Talk to your friends about everlasting life in the new world. Show them that the Bible can be understood by young as well as old. Point out to your neighborhood associates and fellow school students that the most important things in life are not the latest dance step and the names of the latest television and movie stars, but that Jehovah God and Christ Jesus are the ones they should know and imitate. Prove to the world by your example and conduct that the only solution for delinquency of youth today is to teach them God’s Word and to serve Jehovah God, the Creator. So youths in the New World society must flee from the old-world amusements, its obscene talk, its jokes, its materialism, its immorality and other wrong desires that are nothing more than snares put there by the hater of youth, Satan the Devil. Look ahead to the most cherished ambition of obedient youths today, that of being a full-time minister of the good news. Being a Christian minister of Jehovah is the grandest career that today’s youths could occupy or be trained for. This is the course that leads to endless life and can be a channel through which others can also receive life. You young ministers, study diligently and work hard so that you can be better preachers and representatives of Jehovah’s New World society, all to the honor and praise of Jehovah’s name.

Maintaining Personal Integrity

“Judge me, O Jehovah, for I myself have walked in my own integrity, and in Jehovah I have trusted, that I may not wobble. Examine me, O Jehovah, and put me to the test; refine my kidneys and my heart. For your loving-kindness is in front of my eyes, and I have walked in your truth.”—Ps. 26:1-3.

1, 2. What identifies a person of integrity, and what are some of the benefits for keeping integrity?

ARE you wholeheartedly devoted to Jehovah God, the Creator? Do you love him with all your mind and heart? Do you follow good moral principles in your relationship with all men? Do you keep yourself free from the corrupt influence of this wicked world? If you can answer in the affirmative, it means you are one of the few persons on earth who have fulfilled the requirements for a person of integrity, for integrity means blamelessness, soundness in moral principles, uprightness, honesty, state of being whole, entire.

² Just because few people have integrity it does not mean that it is not worth the effort that one must put forth to have it and maintain it. It is true that being a person of integrity is not easy, because we are born imperfect, inclined toward sin. But the beneficial results of happiness now and the prospects of everlasting life make maintaining personal integrity worth all the effort that we put forth.—Ps. 51:5.

3. How did David view the matter of keeping integrity?

³ King David, a servant of God, knew what integrity meant and he realized the importance of being a man of integrity. He was willing to appear before God’s judgment throne and be examined as to his pure, honest intentions and his faithful efforts to worship God alone as Creator. David said: “Judge me, O Jehovah, for I myself have walked in my own integrity, and in Jehovah I have trusted, that I may not wobble. Examine me, O Jehovah, and put me to the test; refine my kidneys [or my deep emotions] and my heart. For your loving-kindness is in front of my eyes, and I have walked in your truth.”—Ps. 26:1-3.

WHY PERSONAL INTEGRITY IS ESSENTIAL

4. What reason did David have for displaying integrity?

⁴ There was more than one reason why King David thought it was important to walk in God’s ways. It was not just because his own life was involved that he