God’s Undeserved Kindness Sufficient

THE apostle Paul once repeatedly prayed to God to be relieved of a certain affliction. But, instead of granting his request, God said to Paul: “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you; for my power is being made perfect in weakness.” That Paul fully learned this lesson is apparent from what he wrote the Christian Philippians some years later: “I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be self-sufficient. For all things I have the strength by virtue of him who imparts power to me.”—2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 4:11, 13.

That Jehovah God’s undeserved kindness is sufficient for Christians today, as it was for Paul nineteen centuries ago, can be seen from the following experience:

About two years ago a witness of Jehovah called at a door where the nurse invited him in. She led him to the bedside of the lady of the house, a mother who was apparently still in her twenties and who was confined to an artificial lung because of having been stricken by polio. This disease had dealt so cruelly with her that she was paralyzed from her neck down. All she could move was her head, and that she could only turn from one side to the other. Upon hearing what the Witness had to say, she indicated her wish to receive the Watchtower and Awake! magazines that were offered and said she would be glad to read them.

The Witness, together with a companion, made an early return visit upon this invalid. She rejoiced to see them, had Bible questions to ask and was glad to have them call again. So regular calls were made, which, however, lasted only from fifteen to twenty minutes, as she tired easily. “I’ve never heard anything like this before,” is the way she once put it. She told that during her seven years of confinement many religious representatives had called, most of whom were faith healers. “But,” she said, “no matter how hard I tried, it never worked.” These healers ended by telling her that either she lacked faith or else God was punishing her for her past sins. For this reason she became discouraged with religion of all kinds and at first had put the Witnesses in the same class as all the rest.

Quickly, however, she noticed that Jehovah’s witnesses were different but could not tell just what it was. She soon saw the hope of Jehovah’s new world; and that it was Satan who was responsible for man’s woes made sense to her. She was also greatly impressed by the fact that Jehovah’s witnesses would open the Bible and let her read from it the answers to her many questions. This had not been done by any of the religious representatives that had called before.

Now she has the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained and reads it to her two children as they turn the pages. She has a large board fixed on her bed with clips that hold the books. Here she lies and reads and rejoices in the truth. She has also learned that one must make confession with one’s mouth for salvation. So she has a special telephone by means of which she can call up her friends and tell them of the good things she has learned about Jehovah and his new world. Her children supply her with telephone numbers of strangers whom she likewise calls up and who thus are given the witness.

She asked if she could be counted as one of Jehovah’s people and report her activities to the congregation. How happy she was when told that she too could be one of Christ’s “other sheep”! She is always smiling and beams with her hope and new-found faith in Jehovah. Everyone that previously had known her can see the change that has come over her because of this new religion of hers. It is also a joy to see how anxious she is to have a regular share in preaching the good news of God’s kingdom.

She says that in times past she wrongly blamed God for many things. Now she wants to do all she can to vindicate God before the eyes of men. She is fully alert and intelligent in every way. She regularly witnesses to others and conducts a home Bible study—yet all she can move is her head, from one side to the other. She is eagerly looking forward to being immersed, in spite of her condition, because, as she said: “Now at last I have found the truth!”

What eloquent proof this invalided young mother presents that God’s undeserved kindness is sufficient for his servants!