Example of Jesus and Others 18 When urging Christians to “put off every weight and the sin [of lack or loss of faith] that easily entangles us,” Paul urged: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:1, 2) Jesus was so exclusively devoted to Kingdom interests that his situation was as he described: “Foxes have dens and birds of heaven have roosts, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay down his head.” (Matthew 8:20) At the same time, Jesus was not an ascetic. The Scriptures show that he enjoyed fine food and clothing, yet his principal goal in life was to accomplish his ministry. Thus Jesus lived a balanced, simple life.—Luke 5:29; John 19:23, 24. 19 The apostle Paul too had his priorities in proper order. He explained: “I do not make my soul of any account as dear to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received of the Lord Jesus, to bear thorough witness to the good news.” (Acts 20:24) Yes, to fulfill the all-important ministry, Paul was content with the bare necessities but was pleased to enjoy an abundance occasionally. He wrote: “In everything and in all circumstances I have learned the secret of both how to be full and how to hunger, both how to have an abundance and how to suffer want.”—Philippians 4:12. 20 Literally tens of thousands of persons have learned the same lesson today. Many of them are full-time ministers of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including missionaries, pioneers, traveling overseers, and those serving at the organization’s international headquarters and branch offices. After years of full-time service, most say: “If I had it to do over, I would not do anything differently.”
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 23:00:08 +0000
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