OUR ministry is important and valuable. But not everyone to whom we preach appreciates this. Even if people show interest in the Bible’s message, they may not always see the need to study God’s Word with us.

This was true of Gavin, who began to attend congregation meetings; yet, he declined the offer of a Bible study. He says: “My Scriptural knowledge was minimal, and I was reluctant to reveal my ignorance. I was wary of being deceived, and I was wary of commitment.” What do you think? Was Gavin a lost cause? No! Consider the good effect that Bible teachings can have on a person. Jehovah told his ancient people: “My words will trickle as the dew, as gentle rains upon grass.” (Deut. 31:19, 30; 32:2) The characteristics of dew nicely illustrate how we can effectively help people of all sorts in our ministry.​—1 Tim. 2:3, 4.

Dew is gentle. Dew forms gradually, accumulating drop by drop from the water vapor in the air. Jehovah’s words ‘trickled as the dew’ in that he spoke kindly, gently, and considerately to his people. We imitate him when we show respect for another person’s viewpoint. We encourage people to reason for themselves and thus draw their own conclusions. When we show such consideration, our words are more readily absorbed and our ministry is more effective.

Dew is refreshing. Our ministry refreshes others when we ponder how best to further their interests. Gavin, mentioned earlier, was not pressured to accept a Bible study. Instead Chris, the brother who initially approached him, explored different ways to make Gavin feel more comfortable discussing the Bible. Chris explained to Gavin that the Bible has a theme and that discerning it would help him better understand the meetings he was attending. Next, Chris revealed that it was Bible prophecy that convinced him personally that the Bible is true. This led to several discussions about the fulfillment of prophecy. Gavin felt refreshed by these conversations and finally accepted a Bible study.

Dew is life-sustaining. The land of Israel experiences a hot, dry season during which rain may not fall for several months. Without the moisture provided by dew, plants wither and die. A spiritual drought exists today, just as Jehovah foretold. (Amos 8:11) He promised that anointed evangelizers would be “like dew from Jehovah” as they proclaim the Kingdom message, supported by their companions of the “other sheep.” (Mic. 5:7; John 10:16) Do we value our message of Kingdom good news as part of Jehovah’s provision of life-sustaining spiritual moisture?

Dew is a blessing from Jehovah. (Deut. 33:13) Our ministry can be a blessing to those who respond. Gavin received just such a blessing. Through his Bible study, he found answers to all his questions. He quickly progressed to baptism and now, along with his wife, Joyce, enjoys a full share in preaching the Kingdom good news.

Thinking about dew can also encourage us to place a high value on our personal share in the ministry. How so? Individual drops of water achieve very little, but the combined effect of millions of dewdrops saturates the earth with moisture. Likewise, our individual share in the ministry may seem very small to us. However, the combined effort of all of Jehovah’s willing ministers contributes to the giving of a witness “to all the nations.” (Matt. 24:14) Will our ministry prove to be a blessing from Jehovah to others? It will when the message we preach is just like dew​—gentle, refreshing, and life-sustaining!