Are You “Aglow with the Spirit”?

“DO NOT loiter at your business. Be aglow with the spirit. Slave for Jehovah.” So wrote the Christian apostle Paul. (Rom. 12:11) It is vital that those dedicated to God serve him with zeal, as in declaring the “good news” of the Kingdom. (Matt. 24:14) Indeed, zealously proclaiming that message may have immediate lifesaving effects. This seems evident from the following incident that occurred in the Philippines:

“The southern parts of the country have been affected by the activity of rebels, and Jehovah’s Witnesses have had some difficult situations to face because of this. One Witness in that area found that his zeal to preach at every opportunity actually saved his life. This Witness was a circuit overseer, and he was traveling from one congregation to serve the next one in his circuit. He had to travel by lanza (a small, oceangoing launch), and while waiting for the vessel to leave, he witnessed to the man next to him in the boat. The owner of the lanza was furious. He did not want his boat to be turned into a ‘church’ for another religion, and he shouted at the Witness to get out of his boat. . . . the Witness just meekly got out of the boat and waited for the next one.

“Out at sea, they [the circuit overseer and other passengers on the second boat] saw the first vessel. Everyone in it was dead, including the owner who had shouted abuse. Seemingly, a few days earlier the rebel group had asked the owner of the lanza to ferry their members, and he had refused. Now they had taken revenge. Hence, the circuit overseer’s informal witnessing actually saved his life.”

Indeed, serving Jehovah with a fiery zeal can be lifesaving in more than one way. It may result in a rather immediate sparing of a person’s life. Especially, however, can it lead to the eventual salvation of the Kingdom proclaimer and of a truly appreciative listener. (1 Tim. 4:13-16) Have you heartily embraced the “good news”? If so, are you “aglow with the spirit” in sharing the Bible’s message with others?