keeps paying attention and listening.’ And what is the result of using our life in Jehovah’s service? He assures us, “a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name.” So if you want to be one of the happy ones who will be remembered by Jehovah for life in his righteous new system of things, then use your life to serve him now by proclaiming the good news of Jehovah’s established kingdom.—Mal. 3:15, 16.

Right Motive in Serving God

1. How does the Christian motive for service compare with worldly reasons?

ONE who chooses the ministry as his life’s work is sure to have his friends ask, Why be a minister? Is it because he really feels that is what God wants, or what is his reason for making this choice? One who goes into the legal or medical fields may feel he has a special talent for such work or that it will give him a good income or position in the community. Another may become a teacher because of the opportunity it gives him to mold the lives of his students. But the individual who enters a life career with truly selfless motives is rare. Yet this was the case of the early disciples of Jesus, just as it is with true Christians today.

2. What attitude did the disciples have toward the ministry?

² Why did Jesus give up the carpentry instead of devoting his talents to that and gaining renown as a craftsman? Why did Luke the physician discontinue his lucrative profession to devote his life to the ministry? Why did the apostles give up their commercial fishing activities? Certainly these men were not looking for self-interests or a high position in the community when they associated with one who was described as ‘despised and avoided by men.’ (Isa. 53:3) They worked with Jesus in the ministry because they knew he had the truth. When a number of disciples were stumbled due to a difficult teaching, Jesus said to the twelve: “You do not want to go also, do you?” Then Peter replied: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life.” They knew that learning the truth and then serving God would bring them everlasting life; so they willingly changed their whole way of life to share in the ministry.—John 6:67, 68.

3. Why did one clergyman give up his position?

³ Just as there was a great contrast between the pompous, self-seeking clergy of Jesus’ day and the apostles who associated with him for the love of the truth, so today there is a great difference between the paid clergy of Christendom and those who voluntarily teach and preach as Jehovah’s witnesses. (Matt. 23:5-8; Mic. 3:11) Illustrating this is the comment of a former minister as reported in the Saturday Evening Post, November 17, 1962: “We were not troubled by just this incident, or just our church, but by what the ministry in general had come to mean. We thought of my fellow ministers in our area. All considered themselves Christians. Yet we seemed to be competitors—for the largest membership increase, the most impressive building, the most prominent prospective members . . . Some politicked shamelessly