Kingdom Proclaimers Report

Love Unites Families

FAMILY unity can be achieved only when marriage is based on love guided by unselfishness. Such love emanates from Jehovah, the God of love, so it is a fruit of God’s spirit. (Galatians 5:22, 23; 1 John 4:8) The following experiences illustrate how love based on Bible knowledge has united families.

Hong Kong

◻ In Hong Kong a pioneer started a home Bible study with a housewife and her two daughters. The husband voiced concern that she might be getting involved with a radical religious group. The pioneer suggested to the wife that she invite her husband to sit in on the study and decide for himself, which he did. Meanwhile, the wife began attending meetings, but she had a problem training her children. She would constantly scold the older one and spoil the younger one. Then it became known that she and her husband were having problems. Their quarrels often erupted into violence, and several times the police had to be called. The pioneer used the powerful Word of God to teach them how to manifest godly love in their marriage. Soon old ways and habits began to change. Both became regular meeting attenders, and a much happier atmosphere prevailed in the home. The husband gave up smoking and has now joined the Theocratic Ministry School. The wife is now a baptized publisher.

Family unity was achieved by demonstrating love, a fruit of God’s spirit.

Britain

◻ An experience from Britain illustrates how Jehovah blesses a husband who shows love, patience, and endurance in dealing with his wife. When the husband was coming into the truth 12 years ago, his wife’s bitter opposition led her to get a legal divorce. However, the husband continued to show her kindness, making sure she was financially cared for, doing small chores for her on a regular basis. After four years and in spite of her former opposition, he decided to mention the truth to her once again. When he suggested that a sister study the Bible with her, she accepted, much to his surprise. Eventually she took her stand for the truth and was baptized. The husband had never lost his love for her, and when she proved that she had made the truth her own, he asked her to marry him again. She was thrilled, never expecting him to do this in view of her previous bad attitude. They have been remarried now for almost eight years, and both are progressing well in the truth.

South Pacific

◻ Over 20 years ago, a young man on an island in Tuvalu in the South Pacific wrote to the Watch Tower Society asking for literature. There were no Witnesses on the island at the time. Nevertheless, he read the literature on his own and recognized it as the truth. His wife, however, bitterly opposed his new faith, so he abandoned it.

Recently, when literature became available in Tuvaluan, the wife came into possession of some publications and was able to read them herself. She now recognized the truth and complained to her husband: “All these years you have had the light, but you didn’t hold it up high. Why didn’t you at least explain to me why you believed the Witnesses were right?” Now united in Bible truth, this couple started to associate with the Witnesses.

When their two daughters, who had been going to school in Fiji, returned home, the parents informed them of their decision to become Jehovah’s Witnesses. They encouraged the girls to join them in a Bible study, but to their surprise, they found that the girls had already been attending meetings in Fiji. The family happily accepted the truth together, and the father, the mother, and one of the daughters have become Kingdom publishers.

What a joy to see how Bible truth and love unite families all over the world.