Kingdom Proclaimers Report

Fine Works That Glorify Jehovah

IN HIS Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your fine works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens.” (Matthew 5:16) Likewise, true Christians today engage in “fine works” that glorify Jehovah.

What are these fine works? They include the preaching of the good news, but our exemplary conduct is also an important part. Often it is our good conduct that initially attracts people to the Christian congregation. The following experiences illustrate how Jehovah’s Witnesses in Martinique are ‘letting their light shine before men.’

□ While engaging in the house-to-house preaching work, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses visited a Catholic woman. For 25 years this woman had been living with a man to whom she was not married. She was acquainted with the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, since she, about seven years earlier, had received the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth. * The woman told the Witness: “There are too many religions. I do not know whom to believe amid all this confusion.” The Witness explained that the truth can be found only in the Bible and that in order to find it, she had to study the Scriptures carefully and pray to God for his spirit and direction.

For a period of time, although interested in studying the Bible, the woman rejected a number of invitations to attend Christian meetings at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Why? She was extremely shy. However, after receiving an invitation to the Memorial of Christ’s death, she overcame her shyness and attended.

What impressed her most about the meeting was the loving atmosphere in the Kingdom Hall. She had never experienced such genuine friendship in her church! After that meeting she began to attend all meetings conducted by the local Witnesses, and soon she married the man with whom she had been living. She is now a baptized member of the congregation.

□ The fine works of another Witness produced good results. She had a responsible position in an office. After a man from the island of Réunion was hired, some of the workers began to ridicule him because of his short stature. He became a laughingstock. In contrast, the Witness was always kind and respectful to the man. Soon he was asking why she was so different.

The Witness explained that her respectful conduct was a result of the Bible principles she had learned from Jehovah’s Witnesses. She also showed him what the Scriptures say about God’s purposes and the hope of a new world. The man accepted a Bible study, began attending Christian meetings, and married the woman with whom he had been living.

Eventually he returned to Réunion. In the past, he had experienced difficulties with his relatives, especially with his wife’s family. But now they were very impressed by his fine Christian conduct. The man was baptized and presently is a ministerial servant. Several members of the family, including his wife and two daughters, also serve in the Christian congregation as publishers of the good news of God’s Kingdom.

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