Show Appreciation for Theocratic Resources
1 When making arrangements to repair the temple, King Josiah commended those assigned to do the work, saying: “No accounting should be taken of the money with them into whose hand it is being put, for it is in faithfulness that they are working.” (2 Ki. 22:3-7) The appreciation those men had for sacred things was evident in how they handled the resources entrusted to them. Today, as we engage in the holy work of the good news of God, we likewise need to show faithfulness in handling the resources given to us.
2 In the Field Ministry: Appreciation for the vital message contained in our publications and awareness of the cost involved in producing them causes us to value them highly. We should not offer our literature indiscriminately to those who show no real appreciation for the Bible’s message. If a person shows little interest in the good news, we might offer him a tract rather than other literature.
3 Distribute literature in a way that shows regard for its value. Avoid leaving it in public areas where it will simply get strewn about. To avoid waste, take inventory of what you have on hand at home before obtaining more literature. If you regularly have a surplus of each issue of the magazines, consider reducing your order.
4 Publications for Personal Use: We should order only what publications we actually need. Especially should we be moderate when requesting deluxe Bibles, Reference Bibles, and other large publications, such as the Concordance, Index, Insight volumes, and Proclaimers book, all of which are produced at considerable cost.
5 Do you make it a point to write your name and address in your personal copies of the publications? This helps to reduce the need to obtain replacements for publications that are misplaced. If you lose a songbook, Bible, or study publication, perhaps you will find it among the lost items collected at the Kingdom Hall or assembly site.—Luke 15:8, 9.
6 Let us strive to make wise use of our literature. This is a way to demonstrate our faithfulness in handling the Kingdom resources Jehovah has entrusted to us.—Luke 16:10.