Do You Make Yourself Available?
“EVERY one willing of heart” began bringing his sacrifice and gift to the place of Jehovah’s worship. That was in the days of good King Hezekiah of Judah. So spontaneous was the movement of the people to render themselves and their possessions, there was reason for them all to rejoice in a God who could evoke such dedication and generosity! (2 Chron. 29:31-36) They had much for which to be thankful.
The very same God presides over his congregation of worshipers on earth today. He has separated them to himself and protected them. He has granted them honorable service as his representatives on earth. He has provided a continuing supply of spiritual sustenance. No good thing has he withheld. Surely, they too have reason to be thankful and rejoice, offering themselves and their possessions, making themselves available for his service!
How do you view these matters? Do you have a clear vision of God’s worldwide congregation? Can you see the grand work of public proclamation that he is having done on earth? Have you seen the evidences of his blessing upon those who diligently offer themselves in that public ministry? If Yes is your answer to those questions, then what has been your reaction? Are you content to think of God’s congregation as the best religion you have seen, or are you moved to offer yourself, heart and soul, for its activities and its way of life?
YOUTH AND AMBITION
Youth, young manhood or womanhood, is the time of life to get started in making yourself available for God’s service. That is when many young people begin to make plans for the future, when ambitions are formed. Are you in that stage of physical vigor? Then what are you doing? Are you sharing with worldly persons dreams of a future that will not be? Or do you keep ever in mind that this present wicked system of things is doomed to pass away in a time of great trouble? All its rich promises, its attractive well-paying jobs, its popular activities—all are due to vanish from the earthly scene very soon now.
“Remember, now, your grand Creator in the days of your young manhood,” is the inspired advice to which you do well to pay attention. (Eccl. 12:1) That does not mean thinking about him as a last resort, or when there is no other thing to do. No, it means having the Creator and his will in mind with regard to all one’s thoughts and plans. If you are going to have a future, it is inseparably linked to God’s purposes and his congregation.
The “god of this system of things,” Satan the Devil, will do all in his power to divert you from a course of devotion to God. (2 Cor. 4:4) He will entice you through “the desires incidental to youth,” through worldly ambitions, preoccupation with sex, inducements to spend entirely too much time on music or the theater or to fill the mind with concern about sports. He is master of the art of occupying people’s minds and commandeering the lion’s share of their time. Will you be one of those caught in his snare?—2 Tim. 2:22, 26; 1 Pet. 5:8.
Basically, there are only two choices open to you: To serve God or to serve this wicked system of things run by God’s enemy. To entertain ambitions tied in with Satan’s doomed system is in reality a waste of time and it can even place your own future in jeopardy. Far wiser it is to choose life by making yourself available for God’s service.
SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES!
The congregation of God’s people on earth is interested in the training of ministers—the kind of ministers who can go from house to house effectively preaching the good news of the Kingdom. Are you making yourself available for such training? All true Christians, young and old, male and female, will want to qualify as able ‘ministers of the good news.’—Col. 1:23.
Certainly you would not be making yourself available by taking a negative view and saying: “Oh, I could never do that kind of work!” God can and does fully qualify those who want to be his ministers. (2 Cor. 3:5) So the vital question is, Do you want to be one of his ministers, and will you make yourself available by undertaking the training provided in every congregation of true Christians?
There are so many other opportunities to serve God and his congregation, in addition to being trained for and actually doing ministerial service! At times there is a call for someone to volunteer his service in connection with a student talk from the platform or to share in demonstrating how certain features of the ministry might be done. Do you offer your services? Do you make yourself available?
Other privileges are available too. For example, you have often noted how clean and tidy the meeting place is, have you not? Had you thought of offering your services? Almost anyone could dust, sweep the floor, tidy up washrooms, and so on. Why not make yourself available in this regard?
Also, maintenance work has to be done from time to time so that the structure of the meeting place may not get run down. Do you know anything about such work? Can you offer suggestions and help so as to get these jobs done? Perhaps the men of responsibility in the congregation are unaware that you are available. Have you told them? It would be appropriate to let them know you are willing to share to the extent that you are able.
There are also many services that need to be performed at larger assemblies of Jehovah’s people. There is need for attendants, for those who will volunteer to man the cafeteria, for a cleaning crew, and many other activities. Have you made yourself available in any of these respects? Your personal participation will have a wonderful effect in drawing you closer to your spiritual brothers and sisters. At the same time you will have served to make things more comfortable and convenient for all.
Also, have you noticed certain responsible men in the congregation who are very busy because of their duties in behalf of the congregation? They may handle magazines and other Bible literature, assisting the members of the congregation in a variety of ways. Has it occurred to you that they might accomplish much more if they had assistance? If you are a male, you could tell the overseer that you would be willing to help whenever you are needed.
WILLING ONES BLESSED
There are many joys and satisfactions to be gained by making yourself available for every good work in connection with the Lord. When your mind and your hands are busied about services that promote the interests of God’s kingdom, they are not available for foolish or even evil activities. Everything you do in behalf of the association of your spiritual brothers and sisters is a demonstration of the genuine love that Jesus declared would be the outstanding mark of his disciples. (John 13:35) You experience the superior happiness that derives from seeing others around you happy and contentedly busy in Jehovah’s service because of your ready cooperation. (Acts 20:35) There is great joy, too, in seeing those whom you have helped to grow strong in faith, now being able to extend their help to still younger ones in the congregation.
Then, too, there is the realization that your willingness in service is patterned according to that perfect example, Christ Jesus himself. Did not he make himself available for the service of his heavenly Father, denying himself comforts and, at times, even rest in order to do so? (John 4:5-34; Mark 6:31-34) It was sufficient for him that he was doing the Father’s will. You too can have that satisfaction.
How wonderful, also, to feel that closer fellowship with the apostles of Christ Jesus, Peter, Paul and others, all of whom forsook the ambitions and interests of this old system of things and found their joy in identifying themselves with God’s Son! How zealously they labored under all kinds of trying circumstances, making themselves available as supports for the weak and as comforters of those in tribulation! You can experience a oneness with them as you make yourself available in God’s congregation.
And the grandest reward of all—“God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name, in that you have ministered to the holy ones and continue ministering.”—Heb. 6:10.