Jehovah promised Simeon, a loyal older man in Jerusalem, that he would not see death before he laid eyes on the Messiah. That promise must have encouraged Simeon greatly, since he had been waiting many years for the Messiah. His faith and endurance were rewarded. One day, “under the power of the spirit,” he came into the temple. There he saw the infant Jesus, and Jehovah used Simeon to deliver a prophecy about this child who would become the Christ. (Luke 2:25-35) Although Simeon likely did not live long enough to see Jesus carry out his earthly ministry, Simeon was grateful for the privilege he had, and the best is yet to come for him! In the new world, that faithful man will see how Jesus’ rulership will be a blessing to all the families of the earth. (Gen. 22:18) We too can be grateful for any privilege Jehovah gives us in his service. w19.10 22 ¶7; 23 ¶12

Whether we have little or much materially, we need to guard our heart. How? Do not develop a love for riches. And do not allow your secular work to take priority over your service to Jehovah. How can you know if that is happening to you? Some questions you could ask yourself are: ‘Do I often think about my secular work when I am at meetings or in the ministry? Do I constantly worry about being financially secure in the future? Are money and material possessions causing problems for me and my mate? Would I be willing to do secular work that others look down on if it allowed me to spend more time serving Jehovah?’ (1 Tim. 6:9-12) When considering those questions, let us remember that Jehovah loves us and makes this promise to those who are devoted to him: “I will never leave you, and I will never abandon you.” That is why the apostle Paul wrote: “Let your way of life be free of the love of money.”​—Heb. 13:5, 6. w19.10 29 ¶10

When we work alongside fellow believers and observe firsthand their endearing qualities, we learn from them and draw closer to them. For example, how do you feel when you are in the ministry and you hear your friend boldly defend his faith or speak with heartfelt conviction about Jehovah and his purposes? Likely you feel drawn to him even more. Adeline, a 23-year-old sister, asked one of her friends, Candice, to go with her to preach in seldom-worked territory. “We wanted to be more motivated and to enjoy the ministry more,” she says. “We both needed a spiritual boost.” How did they benefit from working together? “At the end of each day,” says Adeline, “we discussed how we felt, what touched us about the conversations we had, and how we sensed Jehovah’s direction in our ministry. We both enjoyed these deep discussions and got to know each other even better.” w19.11 5 ¶10-11