Use Each Day of Your Life for God’s Glory
“IN THE morning cause me to hear your loving-kindness,” prayed the psalmist David to Jehovah. “Make known to me the way in which I should walk.” (Ps. 143:8) When you wake up and thank Jehovah for a new day of life, do you, like David, entreat Jehovah to guide you in making decisions and taking the best course of action? No doubt you do.
As dedicated servants of Jehovah, “whether [we] are eating or drinking or doing anything else,” we strive to “do all things for God’s glory.” (1 Cor. 10:31) We realize that the way we live our daily life will either honor or dishonor Jehovah. We also remember that God’s Word states that Satan is accusing Christ’s brothers—and, in fact, all of God’s servants on earth—“day and night.” (Rev. 12:10) Therefore, we are determined to give a reply to Satan’s false accusations and to make Jehovah’s heart rejoice by rendering sacred service to our heavenly Father “day and night.”—Rev. 7:15; Prov. 27:11.
Let us briefly consider two important ways in which we can use each day of our life for God’s glory. The first involves getting our priorities right and the second, showing consideration for others.
Living Up to Our Promise
By dedicating ourselves to Jehovah, we expressed our heartfelt desire to serve him. We also promised Jehovah that we would walk in his ways “day after day”—yes, forever. (Ps. 61:5, 8) How, then, do we live up to that promise? How do we demonstrate our wholehearted love for Jehovah each day?
God’s Word clearly identifies the responsibilities that Jehovah expects us to fulfill. (Deut. 10:12, 13) Several are listed in the box entitled “God-Given Responsibilities,” on page 22. All these assignments are God-given and thus important. How do we decide which one takes priority when two or more require our attention at the same time?
We give priority to our sacred service, which includes Bible study, prayer, Christian meetings, and the ministry. (Matt. 6:33; John 4:34; 1 Pet. 2:9) Yet, spiritual activities cannot occupy our whole day. Employment, school, and numerous household duties need to be fitted in. Even so, we do our utmost to arrange secular work and other activities in such a way that they do not interfere with our sacred service, such as attending Christian meetings. For example, when planning for a vacation, we make sure that we will not miss the circuit overseer’s visit, a special assembly day, a circuit assembly, or a district convention. At times, we may be able to combine some of our responsibilities. For instance, we could make cleaning the Kingdom Hall a family project or use lunchtime at work or at school to give a witness to colleagues or fellow students. Indeed, whenever we need to make a choice in our life—such as finding employment, selecting schooling, or choosing friends—we want to let our decisions be influenced by our greatest priority in life—the worship of Jehovah, our loving Father.—Eccl. 12:13.
Show Consideration for Others
Jehovah wants us to show concern for others and do good to them. Satan, on the other hand, promotes selfishness. His world is full of people who are “lovers of themselves” and “lovers of pleasures” as well as those who are “sowing with a view to [the] flesh.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Gal. 6:8) Many think little about the effects of their actions on others. “The works of the flesh” are evident everywhere.—Gal. 5:19-21.
How different the attitude is of those who, prompted by Jehovah’s holy spirit, display love, kindness, and goodness in their dealings with others! (Gal. 5:22) God’s Word tells us to focus on the needs of others ahead of our own. Therefore, we take an active interest in one another, though we are careful not to interfere in personal matters. (1 Cor. 10:24, 33; Phil. 2:3, 4; 1 Pet. 4:15) We show particular consideration for fellow believers. Still, we also strive to be helpful to unbelievers. (Gal. 6:10) Can you look for an opportunity today to demonstrate kindness to someone you meet?—See the box “Show Them Consideration,” on page 23.
Showing consideration is not limited to some special time or particular situation. (Gal. 6:2; Eph. 5:2; 1 Thess. 4:9, 10) Instead, every day we try to be aware of the circumstances of others and readily respond to a need, even when doing so may be inconvenient for us. We want to be generous with whatever we have at our disposal—our time, material possessions, experience, and wisdom. We have Jehovah’s assurance that when we are generous toward others, he will be generous toward us.—Prov. 11:25; Luke 6:38.
Sacred Service “Day and Night”
Is it really possible to render sacred service to Jehovah “day and night”? Yes, by being regular and diligent in all aspects of our worship. (Acts 20:31) We can fill our lives with sacred service by reading and meditating on God’s Word every day, by praying incessantly, by striving to be at all the meetings, and by taking every opportunity to give a witness.—Ps. 1:2; Luke 2:37; Acts 4:20; 1 Thess. 3:10; 5:17.
Are we personally rendering such sacred service to Jehovah? If so, our desire to please him and provide an answer to Satan’s accusations will be reflected in all aspects of our daily lives. We strive to give Jehovah glory in everything we do and in whatever situation we find ourselves. We allow his principles to govern our speech and conduct and to guide us in the decisions we make. We show our appreciation for his loving care and support by putting our full confidence in him and using what strength we have in his service. And we welcome his counsel and discipline when because of our imperfections we fall short of his standards.—Ps. 32:5; 119:97; Prov. 3:25, 26; Col. 3:17; Heb. 6:11, 12.
Let us continue to live each day for the glory of God. By doing so, we will find refreshment for our souls and will enjoy the loving care of our heavenly Father forever.—Matt. 11:29; Rev. 7:16, 17.
[Box/Pictures on page 22]
God-Given Responsibilities
• Pray frequently.—Rom. 12:12.
• Read and study the Bible, making personal application.—Ps. 1:2; 1 Tim. 4:15.
• Worship Jehovah in the congregation.—Ps. 35:18; Heb. 10:24, 25.
• Provide materially, spiritually, and emotionally for our family members.—1 Tim. 5:8.
• Preach the good news of the Kingdom, and make disciples.—Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20.
• Care for our physical, spiritual, and emotional health, which includes arranging for wholesome recreation.—Mark 6:31; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Tim. 4:8, 16.
• Care for congregation responsibilities.—Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:1.
• Care for the appearance of our home and Kingdom Hall.—1 Cor. 10:32.
[Box/Picture on page 23]
Show Them Consideration
• An elderly brother or sister.—Lev. 19:32.
• Someone suffering from a physical or an emotional illness.—Prov. 14:21.
• A congregation member in urgent need of something you can provide.—Rom. 12:13.
• A member of your immediate family.—1 Tim. 5:4, 8.
• A fellow believer whose spouse has died.—1 Tim. 5:9.
• A hardworking elder in your congregation.—1 Thess. 5:12, 13; 1 Tim. 5:17.