Fine Conduct Attracts
THE preaching and teaching activity of Jehovah’s Christian witnesses does not escape public notice. And their fine daily conduct gives real force to their words. Often people are motivated thereby to listen to them. This is well illustrated by what Jehovah’s witnesses have experienced in various lands.
● In a gold-mining town of Ghana where crime and violent labor disputes have kept the police busy, a clergyman approached one of Jehovah’s witnesses and asked for a Bible study. Explaining the reason for his request, he said: “I was called to the police station the other day to bail out two members of my church who had fought each other and had been arrested. I asked the police officer to strike off the case so that I might settle it in church. He asked me, ‘Do you know those people who go from house to house preaching the Bible, Jehovah’s witnesses?’ I said, ‘I do,’ and he told me, ‘You will never see them fight or do anything that would require the police to bring them to the station. Why don’t you ask your members to study the Bible with them and follow God’s Word as they do?”’
This clergyman is making good progress in his study of the Scriptures with Jehovah’s witnesses and is attending their meetings. He has also followed the policeman’s advice and encouraged members of his church to study with the Witnesses. Some of them are showing real interest.
● One of Jehovah’s witnesses in Martinique who works in a dockyard tells his experience: ‘During mealtimes it is usual for workers to tell all kinds of jokes. Often they are obscene. When this happens I go away. One of my workmates noticed this and asked, “You are not a Catholic, are you?” I told him I was one of Jehovah’s witnesses and explained why I do not share in such conversation. Then I spoke to him about God’s new order, where wickedness, corruption and the like will be no more. I also explained how those who maintain good Christian conduct will enjoy peace and happiness upon the earth. This impressed my workmate. He wanted to know how I had gotten such knowledge and expressed his desire to have a home Bible study. Today both he and his wife are Jehovah’s witnesses.’
● At a school in Swaziland an eleven-year-old Witness found a purse containing 70 cents. She took it to the teachers to find the owner. This greatly surprised the teachers. They did find the owner and returned the purse to her. Schoolmates ridiculed the young Witness for having done this, but her honesty brought good results. The parents of the girl who had lost the purse were not favorably disposed toward Jehovah’s witnesses. But they wanted to know the religious background of the girl that had shown such honesty. When told that she was one of Jehovah’s witnesses, they said to their daughter, ‘Those are the kind of children you should have as companions.’ They requested that the young Witness conduct a Bible study with their daughter. Since then the father of the eleven-year-old Witness has started a Bible study also with the parents.
● In Turkey a young Witness attending evening school had to fill out an application for a student identification card in order to benefit from reduced transportation fares. One question on the application pertained to outside employment. Although nearly all students did some work in order to attend that school, they were advised to write “No.” However, the Witness wrote “Yes.” This created quite a stir among the other students. They knew that he was a Witness and they feared being exposed as liars. So they put pressure upon him to change his answer. The Witness was even asked to appear before the director of the school, who also requested that he alter the answer in order to be in line with all the other students. The Witness firmly refused, explaining that lying was against his beliefs. His answer was finally accepted. As a result he did not receive a student identification card. However, a fellow student, impressed by his honesty, agreed to study the Bible with him. This student has since become a baptized Witness.
● In the United Arab Republic a group of girls approached two fleshly sisters at school. One of the group spoke up: ‘We just wanted to commend you for your good conduct. During the two years we have known you we have never known you to have any problems or to be anything but kind and loving.’ Another girl observed: ‘And what is more unusual is that you are two sisters and yet you seem to have real love for each other. We have never seen you quarrel.’ The sisters replied: ‘What you are commending us for is really due to our studying the Bible. The principles we learn from our study we try to apply in our daily lives. The Bible contains much counsel about kindness, love and good conduct.’ One of the sisters then took out her Bible, which she always carries with her, and read to the girls about the fruitage of the spirit. (Gal. 5:22, 23) One girl who was not so favorably disposed toward the sisters said: ‘Do you know that these two girls whom you are praising so much do not even go to church?’ At that one of the sisters quickly replied: ‘You go to church, don’t you? Why, then, are you not the one praised for good conduct?’ When the discussion was finished, the sisters had arranged to conduct Bible studies with a number of the girls. Now ten of them are having Bible studies.
● A prominent family in Seoul, Korea, had been pillars in one of the leading Protestant churches of the city. The family was very close. Though living in various parts of the city, they kept in touch with one another. For many years all of them had turned Jehovah’s witnesses away when they called. Their pastors had warned them never to listen to the “heresies” of the Witnesses. Then one of the sisters in the family rented a room to a Witness. The commendable Christian conduct of the Witness did not go unnoticed. It opened the eyes of this woman, moving her to conclude that Jehovah’s witnesses are not heretics but people who truly practice Christianity.
Eventually she agreed to have a Bible study. She immediately began talking to other members of her family and requested that Witnesses call on them. According to the most recent information, five members of the family are now baptized. Nine of them are sharing with Jehovah’s witnesses in their preaching work. Some of them are studying the Bible with still other members of the family. All this was brought about by the silent testimony of one person’s commendable conduct.
Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere seek to live in harmony with Bible principles—not to impress others, but because they recognize this to be the only right thing to do. It is an expression of their love for Jehovah God. As the apostle John wrote: “This is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments.”—1 John 5:3.