Delegates at the ongoing 2023 Regional Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been advised to cultivate the virtues of patience and forgiveness as these bring enormous benefits.

The advice was contained in a talk entitled, “You have been shown patience, show patience!” delivered during the Saturday session by Daniel Anyim.

Addressing the over 4,000 delegates gathered at the Ota Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, Ota, Ogun State, Anyim urged them to be patient with others, free their minds of resentment, and not to be in a hurry to get upset. This, he said, would help them to avoid preventable health issues, including stress.

Basing his advice on the principles contained in the Bible book of Matthew 7: 1, 2; 18: 23-35, the ordained minister stressed that only those who forgive those that offend them should expect God to forgive them their sins.

He stressed that patience and forgiveness are important to make relationships work, as well as to reduce problems in the course of daily activities, especially in vehicular traffic.

“We should be willing to forgive fellow humans of their sins, just as God forgives us all of sins against Him,” Anyim admonished.

“We should let go of revenge, not harbouring grudges or anger in our minds. “We all have a choice to make when others have done wrong against us,” the speaker further said.

Titled, “Exercise Patience!”, the convention started on Friday and ends on Sunday. It is the first in a series of more than 320 conventions to be held in 39 host cities across Nigeria, according to Afolabi Odeyemi, Regional Spokesman of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

He disclosed that some 6,000 conventions would be held worldwide as part of the 2023 “Exercise Patience!” Convention series that started outside Nigeria from January 7, 2023.

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