Harmonizing Our Work with Our Ministerial Garments

JEHOVAH God is consistent and dependable. He changes not. At all times his work harmonizes with what he is known to be. He requires like consistency from his servants. We must therefore be harmonizing our work with our ministerial garments. Or as our Bible text for September expresses it: “Only behave in a manner worthy of the good news about the Christ, in order that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear about the things which concern you, that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one soul fighting side by side for the faith of the good news.”—Phil. 1:27.a

What are these ministerial garments? They are the ones mentioned at Revelation 16:15 and picture the evidences of one’s holding the honorable office of being a servant of Jehovah, a witness for him, serving at his temple. They picture the recognition Jehovah bestows upon the Christian by giving him sacred privileges of service, being a token of one’s having been honored with the Christian ministry.

These honorable garments each Christian must keep, for to lose them would expose him to shame. How could that happen? By not harmonizing one’s work with those garments.

To harmonize our work with our ministerial garments we must, first of all, study diligently so as to grow spiritually strong as well as to keep up with the increasing light. To clinch what we have learned there is no better way than to tell it to others. We must also associate with our brothers, for we need all the encouragement and incitement that they can give us. Vigilance with a view to prayers is also imperative, for we need God even more than we need our brothers. By doing these things we will gain the accurate knowledge, the earnest desire and the needed strength to do the work that harmonizes with our ministerial garments.

Harmonizing our work with our ministerial garments further requires of us alertness to keep out all marauders. It includes practicing the pure religion by watching that our tongues speak right things and by keeping our garments without spot from the world. (Jas. 1:26, 27) That means avoiding not only this old world’s politics and religions but also its materialism and moral filth.

Above all, harmonizing our work with our ministerial garments means zealously sharing in all features of the Kingdom ministry as we have opportunity. We must stand firm therein, fighting side by side for the good news of God’s kingdom now established. As more and more persons flow to the mountain of the house of Jehovah it becomes more and more urgent that we continually be what we are supposed to be, ministers exclusively devoted to Jehovah and his service.—Isa. 2:2, 3.

By lovingly serving Jehovah, by faithfully imitating Jesus, and by alertly preaching the good news of the Kingdom we will be harmonizing our work with our ministerial garments and fulfilling the highest purpose of our living, namely, glorifying and magnifying Jehovah God the Creator.

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