They Developed a New Spirit
THE world alienated from God and under the influence of the Devil has a spirit, dominant attitude or inclination that is opposed to righteous principles. But once people come to appreciate how unsatisfying their life really is and see that following Bible principles is far better, they start to make changes, and a new force or dominant attitude begins to actuate their minds.—Eph. 4:17-24.
This was the experience of a former gambler and marijuana user. He relates:
‘I formerly spent much time gambling at Narragansett Race Track in Rhode Island. When I had gambled away my week’s pay I would borrow from fellow workers and go back to the track. Finally, despite having a well-paying job, I came so heavily into debt that I had to declare bankruptcy. During this time my wife and I spent most of our evenings smoking marijuana. I also spent much time getting drunk in bars and used to steal from the warehouse where I was employed.
‘In November 1973 two of Jehovah’s witnesses called on my wife at our home. Since my wife believed in evolution, they returned the following week and left her a book entitled “Did Man Get Here by Evolution or by Creation?” By the time they called again the following week, my wife had read the entire book and no longer believed in the evolution theory. The Witness couple arranged to begin a Bible study with her.
‘When they came for the first study I was home sick with a severe headache. Unknown to the Witnesses, I was listening to the discussion while in the bedroom. Previously I had told my wife that Jehovah’s witnesses were “kooks.” But after listening to them for a while I just had to come out and ask if I could join the discussion. After we talked for two hours, it was decided to change the study to an evening so that I could also share in it. This was at the end of December.
‘By the beginning of February we had stopped using marijuana, because of seeing the Bible’s view of drugs and wanting to conform our lives to its good standards. At this time I asked the couple with whom we were studying, “When can I get baptized?” With Jehovah’s help, I was able to make good progress both in my knowledge of the truth and in personal application of it. I was baptized on July 5 at an assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses held at the same place where I formerly spent much time gambling away my money—Narragansett Race Track.’
A man who retired from military service after thirty-five years tells how his attitude about nationalism changed completely:
‘In 1962 my son became one of Jehovah’s witnesses. When I finally heard about it, I was sure he was brainwashed and told him so, although I knew nothing about Jehovah’s witnesses. My thoughts were just based on what I understood from other religious organizations. However, because my son and his wife did not join in with the usual family customs of observing Christmas, and so forth, it seemed to me that they were breaking off from the family.
‘When my son and his wife moved to Texas, I continued to live my life as I always had. But in time I began to feel that life was passing me by. I remember telling my wife that there must be something more to life than what we had, which was primarily playing golf and tending the garden. When my son and his wife came for a visit about two years ago, I talked for the first time to him about religion. I told him what I thought about Jehovah’s witnesses and found out that in many ways I was in error. He asked me if I believed in God. I said, “Of course.” He then asked me if I believed in the Bible as being the Word of God. I said I did. After some extended conversation he gave me some books about the Bible.
‘When he returned to Texas I studied these books by myself for a year. I had no trouble in accepting what I read except for one thing—the Bible’s view of nationalism.
‘Still I continued to read the Bible and the publications of the Witnesses. By the time my son came back a year later, I had come to accept the fact that, if I was going to live by the Bible, I could no longer have anything to do with nationalistic patriotism. I accepted God’s view of the matter. When I reached that conclusion I made up my mind that I was going to be a Witness.’
Thus, regardless of how ingrained an inclination may be, it can be changed and real meaning to life can be found in conforming to God’s ways.