What if the very thought of commenting at meetings makes you nervous? You may find it helpful to prepare well. (Prov. 21:5) The more familiar you are with the material, the more at ease you will feel about volunteering to comment. Also, make your comments brief. (Prov. 15:23; 17:27) A short answer gives you less to worry about. By making a brief comment in your own words, you will show that you have prepared well and that you have a clear understanding of the material. What if you try some of these suggestions but still feel too anxious to comment more than once or twice? Be assured that Jehovah will appreciate your sincere efforts to do what you can. (Luke 21:1-4) Giving your best does not mean putting an unbearable strain on yourself. (Phil. 4:5) Determine what you can do, set a goal to do it, and pray for a calm heart. Initially, that goal may be to make one brief comment. w23.04 18:6-8

The apostle Paul compares us to soldiers who are alert and dressed for battle. A soldier on active duty is expected to be prepared for battle at all times. It is similar with us. We remain ready for Jehovah’s day by wearing a breastplate of faith and love and a helmet of hope. A breastplate protected a soldier’s heart. Faith and love protect our figurative heart. They will help us to keep serving God and following Jesus. Faith assures us that Jehovah will reward us for seeking him with all our heart. (Heb. 11:6) It will move us to remain loyal to our Leader, Jesus, even if we have to endure hardships. We can build the faith to face life’s challenges by noting modern-day examples of individuals who maintained integrity despite persecution or economic hardship. And we can avoid the snare of materialism by imitating ones who simplified their life to put Kingdom interests first. w23.06 26:8-9

Self-control is the ability to control one’s feelings and actions. It is required in order to move us to reach our goals, especially if a goal is difficult to reach or if we do not feel motivated. Remember, self-control is part of the fruitage of the spirit, so ask Jehovah for holy spirit to help you cultivate that important quality. (Luke 11:13; Gal. 5:22, 23) Do not wait for perfect circumstances. In this world, we will likely never have ideal circumstances. If we wait for them, we may never reach our goal. We may lack motivation because our goal seems very hard to achieve. If this is true in your case, could you break down your goal into smaller ones? If your goal is to cultivate a quality, why not first work on displaying it in small ways? If your goal is to read the entire Bible, could you start by scheduling shorter periods of reading time? w23.05 24:11-13