Young Ones​—Continue to Make Progress After Baptism

1. What good things have many young ones already accomplished?

EVERY year, thousands of young Christians get baptized. Have you taken this step? If you have, your spiritual brothers and sisters are happy for you, and Jehovah rejoices too! (Prov. 27:11) Think for a moment about how much you have already accomplished. You have diligently studied the Bible, perhaps for a number of years. Your studies have convinced you that the Bible is the Word of God. More than that, though, you have come to know and love the Author of that sacred book. Your love for Jehovah has grown to the point that you are now one of his dedicated, baptized servants. How marvelous!

2. What will we discuss in this article?

² No doubt your faith was tested in a number of ways as you were progressing toward baptism. But as you grow older, you will face new tests. Satan will try to weaken your love for Jehovah and to draw you away from serving Him. (Eph. 4:14) You must not allow that to happen. What can help you to remain loyal to Jehovah and fulfill your dedication vow? You must continue to make progress​—to “press on” to Christian maturity. (Heb. 6:1) How, though, can you do that?

HOW CAN YOU MAKE PROGRESS AS A CHRISTIAN?

3. What progress do all Christians need to make after baptism?

³ After baptism, all of us need to follow the advice the apostle Paul gave to fellow believers in Ephesus. He encouraged them to become “full-grown” Christians. (Eph. 4:13) That is another way of saying, ‘Continue to make progress.’ We can understand what Paul meant when he compared spiritual growth to the physical growth of a child. A newborn infant is the delight and the pride of his parents. But he cannot remain an infant forever. In time, he will have to do away with “the traits of a child.” (1 Cor. 13:11) It is similar for Christians. After baptism, we must continue to make progress. Let us consider some suggestions that will help us to do that.

4. What quality can help you to make spiritual progress? Explain. (Philippians 1:9)

⁴ Grow in your love for Jehovah. You already love Jehovah very much. But your love for him can grow deeper. How? The apostle Paul points to one way, as recorded at Philippians 1:9. (Read.) Paul prayed that the love of the Philippians “abound still more and more.” So we can grow in our love. We can do that by acquiring “accurate knowledge and full discernment.” The more we get to know Jehovah, the more we love him and appreciate his personality and way of doing things. We grow in our eagerness to please him, never wanting to do anything that would disappoint him. We work hard to discern what his will is and how we can cooperate with it.

5-6. How can we grow in our love for Jehovah? Explain.

⁵ We can grow in our love for Jehovah by getting better acquainted with his Son, who perfectly reflects his Father’s personality. (Heb. 1:3) The best way to get to know Jesus is to study the four Gospel accounts. If you have not yet developed the useful habit of reading the Bible every day, why not start now? As you read the accounts about Jesus, take special note of his qualities. He was approachable; he lovingly took small children into his arms. (Mark 10:13-16) He put his disciples at ease; they felt free to speak their mind when in his presence. (Matt. 16:22) In this regard, Jesus imitated his heavenly Father. Jehovah is also very approachable. We can turn to him in prayer. When we pray, we can pour out our heart to him. We are confident that he will not condemn us. He loves us; he cares for us.​—1 Pet. 5:7.

⁶ Jesus felt compassion for people. The apostle Matthew reports: “On seeing the crowds, he felt pity for them, because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36) And how does Jehovah feel? Jesus said: “It is not a desirable thing to my Father who is in heaven for even one of these little ones to perish.” (Matt. 18:14) How heartwarming that is! As we get to know Jesus better, our love for Jehovah grows.

7. How can associating with mature Christians help you?

⁷ You can also learn to be more loving and make progress as a Christian by getting acquainted with mature brothers and sisters in your congregation. Notice how joyful they are. They have no regrets about their decision to serve Jehovah. Ask them to tell you about some of the experiences they have had in Jehovah’s service. When you have an important decision to make, ask them for advice. After all, “there is success through many advisers.”​—Prov. 11:14.

8. What can you do if you ever have doubts about what the Bible says?

⁸ Overcome your doubts. As mentioned in paragraph 2, Satan will try to prevent you from making further spiritual progress. One way he may do that is by raising doubts in your mind about some of the Bible’s teachings. For example, sooner or later you will come across the God-dishonoring theory of evolution. You may have given little or no thought to the subject when you were younger, but now that you are older, perhaps you are confronted with it directly in school. What your teachers say in support of evolution may seem logical and convincing. However, they may have never seriously considered the evidence of the existence of a Creator. Remember the principle found at Proverbs 18:17: “The first to state his case seems right, until the other party comes and cross-examines him.” Instead of blindly accepting ideas that you hear at school as fact, carefully consider the truths found in God’s Word, the Bible. Do research in our publications. Talk to brothers and sisters who believed in evolution in the past. Ask them what convinced them that there is a Creator who loves us. Such upbuilding discussions can help you to focus on the facts.

9. What do you learn from the experience of Melissa?

⁹ A sister named Melissa greatly benefited from the research she did on the subject of creation.b She says: “In school, evolution is presented in a way that seems so convincing. At first, I was afraid to confront my doubts. I feared that my beliefs would not hold up under examination. But I reasoned that Jehovah does not want us to serve him blindly. So I faced my doubts. I read the book Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? and the brochures Was Life Created? and The Origin of Life​—Five Questions Worth Asking. This was exactly what I needed. I wish that I had done it sooner.”

10-11. What can help you remain morally clean? (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4)

¹⁰ Reject wrong conduct. During adolescence, sexual feelings can become intense, and you may face strong pressure to commit sexual immorality. Satan wants you to give in to your desires. What can help you remain morally clean? (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4.) In your personal prayers, share your feelings with Jehovah. Tell him how you really feel, and ask him to strengthen you. (Matt. 6:13) Remember that Jehovah wants to help you, not to condemn you. (Ps. 103:13, 14) You can also turn to God’s Word for help. Melissa, quoted earlier, struggled to resist unclean thoughts. She says: “Reading the Bible every day kept me from giving up. It reminded me that I belong to Jehovah and that I want him in my life.”​—Ps. 119:9.

¹¹ Do not try to handle your problems on your own. Talk with your parents about your struggle. It is not easy to talk about such personal matters, of course, but it is important to do so. Melissa says: “I prayed for courage and then talked with my dad about my problem. After that, I felt a great sense of relief. I knew that Jehovah was proud of me.”

12. How can you make good decisions?

¹² Be guided by Bible principles. You will gradually gain more freedom to make your own decisions. But your experience in life is still limited. How can you avoid making a mistake that would affect your friendship with Jehovah? (Prov. 22:3) A sister named Kari explains what helped her to make better decisions. She realized that mature Christians do not need a rule to govern every situation. She says: “I needed to understand Bible principles rather than just rules.” When reading the Bible, ask yourself: ‘What does this passage tell me about Jehovah’s thinking? Does it contain principles that I can use to guide my conduct? If so, how will I benefit when I apply them?’ (Ps. 19:7; Isa. 48:17, 18) By reading the Bible and meditating on its principles, you will find it easier to make decisions that please Jehovah. As you continue to make progress, you will notice that you do not need a rule for every situation because you will understand Jehovah’s thinking on matters.

13. What effect can good friends have on you? (Proverbs 13:20)

¹³ Choose friends who love Jehovah. As mentioned earlier, your choice of friends will greatly affect your growth as a Christian. (Read Proverbs 13:20.) A sister named Sara was losing her joy. Then something happened that helped her to change her outlook. Sara relates: “Good friends came into my life at just the right time. A young sister and I got together each week to study The Watchtower. Another friend helped me to start commenting at meetings. Because of the influence of my friends, I began to take personal study and prayer more seriously. I started to develop a stronger relationship with Jehovah, and I began to feel joy again.”

14. How did Julien make good friends?

¹⁴ How can you make friends with people who will be a good influence on you? Julien, who now serves as an elder, says: “When I was younger, I made good friends while sharing in the ministry. These friends were zealous, and they helped me see how enjoyable the ministry can be. I began to have the full-time ministry as my goal. I also realized that I had been missing out on good company and interesting friendships by limiting my friends to those my own age. Later, I also made good friends at Bethel. Their example helped me improve my choice of entertainment, and this brought me closer to Jehovah.”

15. What warning about association did Paul give to Timothy? (2 Timothy 2:20-22)

¹⁵ What if you realize that someone in the congregation is not good association for you? Paul knew that some individuals in the first-century Christian congregation did not have a spiritual outlook, so he warned Timothy to keep clear of them. (Read 2 Timothy 2:20-22.) Our friendship with Jehovah is precious. We should not allow anyone to weaken the bond that we have worked so hard to forge with our heavenly Father.​—Ps. 26:4.

HOW CAN SETTING GOALS HELP YOU TO MAKE SPIRITUAL PROGRESS?

16. What kind of goals should you choose?

¹⁶ Set worthwhile goals. Choose goals that will strengthen and refine you. (Eph. 3:16) For example, you may decide to improve your routine of personal study and Bible reading. (Ps. 1:2, 3) Or you may see the need to give attention to the frequency and the quality of your prayers. Perhaps you need to exercise greater self-control in your choice of entertainment and your use of time. (Eph. 5:15, 16) When Jehovah sees you working hard to make further progress, he will be pleased.

17. What satisfaction comes from helping people?

¹⁷ You grow as a Christian when you help other people. Jesus said: “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” (Acts 20:35) You will benefit greatly if you use some of your time and youthful energy to help others. For example, you can make it your goal to help the elderly and the infirm in your congregation. Perhaps you can run errands for them or assist them with their use of electronic devices. If you are a brother, set the goal of becoming a ministerial servant, with a view to serving your brothers and sisters. (Phil. 2:4) You also show love to those outside the congregation by sharing the good news of the Kingdom with them. (Matt. 9:36, 37) If at all possible, make it your goal to share in some aspect of the full-time ministry.

18. How can serving in the full-time ministry help you to grow?

¹⁸ The full-time ministry can provide you with many opportunities to make spiritual advancement. Serving as a pioneer may open the door for you to attend the School for Kingdom Evangelizers. You may be able to serve at Bethel or on theocratic construction projects. A young pioneer sister named Kaitlyn says: “Spending time in the ministry with experienced brothers and sisters was a big factor in helping me grow spiritually after my baptism. Their example motivated me to deepen my Bible knowledge and to improve my teaching ability.”

19. What blessings will you enjoy as you continue to make spiritual progress?

¹⁹ As you continue to make spiritual progress, you will enjoy many blessings. You will avoid wasting your youth on pursuing empty goals. (1 John 2:17) You will be spared the heartache that can come from making bad decisions. Instead, you will find true success and happiness. (Prov. 16:3) Your good example will encourage your fellow believers, young and old. (1 Tim. 4:12) And most important, you will enjoy the peace and satisfaction that comes from pleasing Jehovah and from having a close friendship with him.​—Prov. 23:15, 16.