How Can Youth Find Success & Happiness?

Jul 12, 2024

How Can Youth Find Success & Happiness?

Presented by Brother Jonathan Knight from the West congregation

Introduction

  • Aim: Finding happiness and success for young people.
  • Acknowledgement: Meeting specially made for young audience.
  • Common desire for youth: Happiness and success.
  • Various influences: Parents, teachers, friends give different advice.

Identifying the Right Path

  • Analogy: Choosing the right bus or plane based on the ticket.
  • Life choices akin to choosing the right route for intended destination.
  • Focus: Jehovah God's way of life leading to success and happiness.

Can Following God’s Standards Bring Happiness?

  • Common belief among youth: Happiness in doing immediate desires.
  • Biblical Perspective: Ecclesiastes 11:9 - Enjoy youth but remember God’s judgment.
  • Jesus’ life as an example: Happiness and success through obedience to God's will.

Connection Between Pleasing Jehovah and Happiness

  • Pleasing Jehovah and happiness are interconnected.
  • Importance of making right choices early.
  • Scriptural support: Galatians 6:7 – Reaping what one sows.

Key Life Areas Influencing Future Happiness and Success

  • Friends
  • Moral Conduct
  • Goals

Friends

  • Proverbs 13:20: Impact of the company one keeps.
  • Importance of wise associations.
  • Example from school experience: Influence of peer groups.
  • Finding spiritual friends: Look beyond same age group.
  • Resource: JW.org article - "What if I'm lonely?"

Moral Conduct

  • Natural desire for intimacy: Gift meant for marriage.
  • Biblical standard: Proverbs 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5.
  • Consequences of ignoring God's standards: STD stats, teenage pregnancy data.
  • Example of Joseph: Genesis 39, resisted immorality and maintained integrity.
  • Practical tip: Control thoughts, avoid feeding immoral thoughts.
  • Resource: JW.org articles on maintaining morality.

Goals

  • Importance of having defined goals (analogous to knowing the bus destination).
  • Misleading societal advice: Focusing on personal advancement and wealth.
  • Biblical wisdom: Ecclesiastes 5:10 – Materialism does not satisfy.
  • True satisfaction: Focusing on God’s will (1 John 2:15-17).
  • Future outlook: Jehovah’s kingdom and paradise earth promises.

Influence of Personal Relationship with Jehovah

  • Strong personal relationship with Jehovah enables making right decisions.
  • Biblical example: Daniel’s resolve (Daniel 1), stood firm against pressure.
  • Encouragement: Stay committed, focused on final reward of eternal life in paradise.

Conclusion

  • Ongoing commitment: Choice doesn’t end with the moment, it’s a lifetime journey.
  • Future reward: Paradise earth and eternal life.
  • Message of hope: Stay focused, wise, and enjoy true happiness and success.