Do Not Judge by Outward Appearance
■ The Bible counsels against judging a person’s heart by his outward appearance. Even if he were to come to a meeting place of true Christians in ragged attire, he should be shown love and consideration.—Jas. 2:1-4.
The good effect this can have on the individual is illustrated by what happened to a young man in Mali, Africa. One of Jehovah’s Witnesses was studying the Bible with this man and repeatedly invited him to come to the meetings at the Kingdom Hall. Though promising to do so, the young man did not come. Simply to avoid further invitations, he finally did come.
His clothes were dirty, too short for him and half torn away. To top it off he wore a woven bonnet reaching to his knees and terminating in a wool ball. His purpose in dressing as he did was so that Jehovah’s Witnesses would refuse to let him into their Kingdom Hall. But how surprised he was at the warm welcome he received!
As to the effect this had on him, he explains: “I have never been so ashamed in my life. I was coming to the Kingdom Hall in order to be expelled from it, and, look, I was welcomed as one of the Witnesses! I tell you, I really wished I had worn decent clothes; everybody was well dressed.” What added to his embarrassment was the fact that one of his friends was also in attendance. Right after the meeting his friend came over to him and said: “But are you not ashamed to come with such dirty clothes to the Kingdom Hall? I really did not expect that from you.” From that time onward, the young man began taking his personal Bible study and attendance at meetings more seriously. He is now zealously sharing Bible truth with others.