*********Do Not Look at “the Things Behind”********************* 15 Jesus Christ demonstrated his submission to his heavenly Father in a superlative way. “I have come down from heaven to do, not my will, but the will of him that sent me,” Jesus told his disciples. (John 6:38) When in anguish in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me. Yet, not as I will, but as you will.”—Matthew 26:39. 16 Jesus Christ wants us to keep faithful to our decision to be slaves of God. He said: “No man that has put his hand to a plow and looks at the things behind is well fitted for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Dwelling on what we have left behind is definitely not the right thing to do when slaving for God. Instead, we should treasure what we have gained by choosing to be God’s slaves. To the Philippians, Paul wrote: “I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. On account of him I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ.”—Philippians 3:8. 17 Think of all that Paul considered a lot of refuse and abandoned in favor of the spiritual rewards as a slave of God. He left behind not only the comforts of the world but also the possibility of becoming a future leader of Judaism. If Paul had continued to practice Judaism, he may well have risen to a position similar to that of Simeon, the son of Paul’s educator, Gamaliel. (Acts 22:3; Galatians 1:14) Simeon became a leader of the Pharisees and played a prominent role—despite some reservations—in the Jewish rebellion against Rome in 66-70 C.E. He died in that conflagration, at the hands of either Jewish extremists or the Roman army. 18 Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses have followed Paul’s example. “Within a few years after leaving school, I got a job as an executive secretary for a prominent London solicitor,” says Jean. “I enjoyed my work and earned good money, but in my heart I knew that I could do more to serve Jehovah. Finally, I handed in my resignation and started pioneering. I am so thankful that I took that step nearly 20 years ago! My full-time service has enriched my life more than any secretarial job ever could have. Nothing gives greater satisfaction than seeing how Jehovah’s Word can change a person’s life. To have a part in that process is wonderful. What we give to Jehovah is nothing compared with what we receive.” 19 Our circumstances may change with time. However, our dedication to God remains the same. We are still Jehovah’s slaves, and he leaves it up to us to decide how we can best use our time, energy, talents, and other assets. Hence, the decisions we make in this regard can reflect our love for God. They also show the extent to which we are willing to make personal sacrifices. (Matthew 6:33) Regardless of our circumstances, should we not be determined to give Jehovah our best? Paul wrote: “If the readiness is there first, it is especially acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have.”—2 Corinthians 8:12. (more -wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2005204#p18)
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 18:12:30 +0000
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