JUNE 22, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

All of us have families. You have your mother and father, and possibly siblings. Of course, we have grandparents – thank God for them! And then there are uncles and aunties, and their kids – your cousins. A local church is like a family. Leaders in a church have authority over the members, as parents have authority over their children. Some members are rebels, some are quitters and some are weak in faith. How do leaders minister to them? Paul exhorted to reach out to them in love and in patience so as to preserve harmony in the church.

Paul also described the elements of a church family life; namely praying, praise, preaching and teaching of the Word of God and Christian fellowship. Do you see these activities happening in your church? Are they done properly and in accordance to the Bible?

Unhappiness and quarrels happen in families. You may have seen your parents disagree over something and then they would need time and space to solve the problem. You too may have disagreements with a sibling. Likewise, such things may happen in church.

Is there someone in church that you may not like? Someone in your JW class whose actions you may not like? Dear child, because we come into close contact with those in JW classes, there may be situations where differences arise. Please do not have any negative feelings towards others. No one is perfect, and you certainly are not. Because all of us have faults, all of us need each other to be kind and forgiving.

Remember, your church or JW class is like a “family” and you should love the members in that group!

Thought: A church is like a family.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank God for my church and my JW class. I pray that I will remember to be a good member of this “family” You have given to me so I can be a blessing to others. Help me be active in the family of God, to be kind and helpful. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.