“Kam Long Mi, . . . and Mi Bae Strongim Iufala”

“Shepherdim Sheep Bilong God”

“Iufala evritaem stap redy for lisin and sharem toktok from Bible wea encouragem mifala.”—Pamela.

“Thankiu for evriting iufala duim for mifala evriwan. Hem big samting for mifala.”—Robert.

FEELING bilong Pamela and Robert muvim tufala for raetem toktok bilong thankiu hia go long olketa elder long kongregeson bilong tufala. Staka moa servant bilong God evriwea long world thankiu tu for saport and kea wea olketa go ahed for kasem from olketa wea “shepherdim sheep bilong God.” (1 Peter 5:2) Tru nao, pipol bilong Jehovah barava thankiu for staka samting wea olketa elder duim for olketa and tu for wei wea olketa duim.

“Garem Planti Samting for Duim”

Olketa Christian elder kasem staka responsibility. (Luke 12:48) Olketa preparem olketa tok for kongregeson meeting and share for preachim gud nius abaotem Kingdom bilong God. Part long waka bilong olketa hem for duim shepherding kol long olketa brata and sista. Olketa elder markem taem for olketa wea garem spesol need—olketa olo and narawan moa—and semtaem no missim wei for lukaftarem spiritual and physical need bilong famili bilong olketa seleva. (Job 29:12-15; 1 Timothy 3:4, 5; 5:8) Samfala elder help for buildim olketa Kingdom Hall. Samfala moa serve insaed olketa Hospital Liaison Komiti or olketa grup wea kasem assignment for visitim olketa Witness wea admit long hospital. And staka long olketa duim volunteer waka long olketa assembly and convention. Tru nao, olketa elder garem “planti samting for duim insaed long waka bilong Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58) Dastawe olketa wea kasem kea from olketa hia barava tinghae long olketa!—1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13.

Olketa elder wea evritaem visitim Christian brata and sista long haos bilong olketa, or nara ples for strongim olketa long spiritual wei, olketa encouragem olketa. Thomas, wea growap kam witim no eni dadi sei: “Sapos mi no kasem saport and encouragement bilong olketa elder, mi no ting mi wanfala full-taem minister bilong Jehovah distaem.” Staka young wan wea garem dadi or mami nomoa sei wei wea olketa elder interest long olketa helpem olketa for mekem grow klos wei for fren witim God.

Olketa olo insaed kongregeson tu tinghae long shepherding kol wea olketa kasem from olketa elder. Bihaen tufala elder visitim missionary hasband and waef wea winim 80 year, tufala raet: “Mitufala laek for talem bigfala thankiu for visit bilong iutufala wea mifala hapi tumas for kasem. Bihaen iufala go bak, mifala readim moa olketa scripture wea iumi readim tugeta. Mifala bae nating forgetim toktok bilong encouragement bilong iufala.” Widow woman wea 70 year raet olsem long olketa elder: “Mi bin prea long Jehovah for help, and hem sendem iufala brata long haos bilong mi. Visit bilong iutufala hem blessing from Jehovah!” Waswe, enitaem iu kasem gud samting from visit bilong olketa elder long kongregeson? Iumi mas barava thankiu long wei wea olketa waka hard for shepherdim sheep wea stap anda long kea bilong olketa!

Olketa Shepherd wea Followim God and Christ

Jehovah hem wanfala loving Shepherd. (Psalm 23:1-4; Jeremiah 31:10; 1 Peter 2:25) Jesus Christ hem nambawan spiritual Shepherd tu. Tru nao, Bible kolem hem “gudfala shepherd,” “nambawan shepherd,” and “chief shepherd.” (John 10:11; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4) Hao nao Jesus deal witim olketa wea laek for kamap disaepol bilong hem? Hem talem disfala naes invitation: “Kam long mi, iufala evriwan wea stragol hard and karem bigfala hevi, and mi bae strongim iufala.”—Matthew 11:28.

Long sem wei distaem, olketa elder waka hard for strongim and protectim olketa sheep. Olketa man olsem “kamap olsem wanfala ples for haed from wind and wanfala ples for haed from bigfala rain, olsem river long drae ples, olsem shadow bilong bigfala ston long hotfala ples.” (Isaiah 32:2) Olketa wea givim protection long kaenfala wei olsem strongim man, kasem respect bilong olketa wea olketa lukaftarem, and God appruvim olketa.—Philippians 2:29; 1 Timothy 5:17.

Nambawan Saport From Olketa Waef

Pipol bilong God tinghae long olketa Christian elder and long loving saport olketa man hia kasem from waef bilong olketa. For olketa woman hia, staka taem wei for givim saport minim wei for sakrifaesim seleva. Samfala taem olketa stap long haos taem hasband duim waka for kongregeson or go long olketa shepherding kol. Samfala taem, samting olketa planim longtaem kam hem brekdaon bikos maet problem kamap long kongregeson wea olketa elder need for deal witim stretawe. “Nomata olsem,” Michelle sei, “taem mi lukim hao hasband bilong mi hem busy for prepare for olketa meeting or duim olketa shepherding kol, mi tingim evritaem hao hem duim waka bilong Jehovah, and mi trae for saportim hem long evri wei mi fit for duim.”

Cheryl, wea hem tu maritim wanfala elder, hem sei: “Mi savve hao olketa brata and sista insaed kongregeson need for story witim olketa elder, and mi laekem olketa for feel olketa savve kam long hasband bilong mi enitaem olketa needim hem.” Olketa woman wea givim saport, olsem Michelle and Cheryl, olketa willing for sakrifaesim seleva mekem hasband bilong olketa savve kea for sheep bilong God. Mifala tinghae long olketa waef bilong olketa elder wea showaot willing saport olsem.

Nomata olsem, wanfala busy elder mas tingim spiritual need and olketa nara need tu bilong waef and olketa pikinini bilong hem. Wanfala elder wea marit mas “no garem blame, hasband bilong wanfala waef, wea garem olketa pikinini wea biliv wea no garem nogud fasin and fasin for no obey.” (Titus 1:6) Hem mas lukaftarem famili bilong hem followim wei bilong God wea Bible showimaot for olketa Christian overseer.—1 Timothy 3:1-7.

For wanfala busy elder, waef wea saportim hem garem hae price! Diswan hem feeling bilong elder wea tingim waef. Hem barava olsem Bible talem: “Waswe, hem faendem wanfala gudfala waef? Hem faendem nao wanfala gudfala samting.” (Proverbs 18:22) Thru long toktok and samting olketa duim, olketa elder olsem showimaot thankiu from heart long waef bilong olketa. Witim wei for prea strong tugeta from heart and study tugeta, olketa Christian hasband and waef olsem markem taem for enjoyim kaen samting olsem wei for wakabaot long saed sea, wakabaot long olketa difren ples or wanfala park. Yes, olketa elder hapi for showim loving kea long waef bilong olketa.—1 Peter 3:7.

Olketa elder wea shepherdim olketa sheep bilong God long wei wea no selfish olketa strongim pipol bilong Jehovah long spiritual wei. Olketa barava “olketa present olsem man,” wanfala blessing long kongregeson!—Ephesians 4:8, 11-13.