Monday, September 8 Show respect for those who are working hard among you and presiding over you in the Lord.​—1 Thess. 5:12.

[Áine]

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 11-12 ¶11-12

[dljbsp]

Respect the elders. They’re not perfect, but Christ is steering through them. When the crunch comes, hope is your helmet — it keeps your head straight while the world crumbles.