Saturday, September 6

[Become] examples to the flock.​—1 Pet. 5:3.

Pioneering helps a young man to learn how to work effectively with a variety of people. It also helps him to make a reasonable budget and live by it. (Phil. 4:11-13) A good stepping stone to full-time service is auxiliary pioneering, which helps one be ready to take up regular pioneering. Pioneering may open the door to other forms of full-time service, including serving as a construction servant or a Bethelite. Christian men should have the goal of qualifying to serve their brothers and sisters as congregation elders. The Bible says that men who are reaching out for this role are “desirous of a fine work.” (1 Tim. 3:1) First, a brother must qualify to serve as a ministerial servant. Ministerial servants assist the elders in many practical ways. Both elders and ministerial servants humbly serve their brothers and sisters and share zealously in the ministry. w23.12 53:14-16

Sunday, September 7

While he was still a boy, he started to search for the God of David his forefather.​—2 Chron. 34:3.

King Josiah was a teenager when he started to search for Jehovah. He wanted to learn about Jehovah and do His will. However, life was not easy for this young king. He had to take a stand for pure worship when false worship was prevalent. And indeed he did! Before Josiah was 20 years old, he began to remove false worship from the nation. (2 Chron. 34:1, 2) Even if you are very young, you can decide to imitate Josiah by searching for Jehovah and learning to appreciate His qualities. That fine course will move you to dedicate yourself to him. What will that dedication mean in your daily life? Luke, who got baptized at age 14, says, “From now on, I will put serving Jehovah first in my life and will try to make him happy.” (Mark 12:30) What a blessing it will be for you if you desire to do the same! w23.09 38:12-13

Monday, September 8

Show respect for those who are working hard among you and presiding over you in the Lord.​—1 Thess. 5:12.

When the apostle Paul wrote this letter, the Thessalonian congregation was less than a year old. Its appointed men were likely inexperienced and may have made mistakes. Still, they deserved respect. As the great tribulation approaches, we may need to depend on local elders for direction even more than we do now. We may lose contact with world headquarters and the branch office; hence, it is important to learn to love and respect our elders now. No matter what happens, let us keep our senses, not focusing on their imperfections, but focusing on the fact that Jehovah through Christ is guiding these faithful men. Just as a helmet protected a soldier’s head, our hope of salvation protects our thinking. We recognize that what this world offers is worthless. (Phil. 3:8) Our hope helps us to remain calm and steady. w23.06 26:11-12