The Christian Ministry—Our Main Work
1 All of us have various kinds of work we must do. Providing for one’s household is a divine requirement. (1 Tim. 5:8) However, the work involved in that divine requirement should not overshadow the work of Kingdom preaching and disciple making.—Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20.
2 Jesus provided a model for us to follow in “seeking first the kingdom.” (Matt. 6:33; 1 Pet. 2:21) Though having little materially, he was fully absorbed in doing his Father’s will. (Luke 4:43; 9:58; John 4:34) He exerted himself in giving a witness at every opportunity. (Luke 23:43; 1 Tim. 6:13) He urged his disciples to have that same intense interest in the harvest work.—Matt. 9:37, 38.
3 Imitating Jesus Today: We can imitate Jesus’ example by striving to live a simple life that centers on the Christian ministry. If we have the necessities of life, let us heed the Bible’s counsel not to go on acquiring more and more of this world’s goods. (Matt. 6:19, 20; 1 Tim. 6:8) How much better to seek to expand our share in the preaching work! If we face challenging circumstances, may we exert ourselves as Jesus did, not allowing the cares of life to overshadow our main work of declaring the good news of the Kingdom.—Luke 8:14; 9:59-62.
4 Even those with many responsibilities give priority to the preaching work. A brother who has a large family, holds a responsible job, and serves as an elder in the Christian congregation says: “I view the ministry as my career.” A pioneer sister says: “Pioneering is worth far more than a successful secular career.”
5 Regardless of our circumstances, may we follow Jesus’ example. How? By making the Christian ministry our main work.