HELP THEM TO EMBRACE TRUE WORSHIP

8. What counsel did the apostle Paul give to Christians who have unbelieving mates?

⁸ The apostle Paul advises Christians not to leave a marriage partner just because that individual is an unbeliever.b (Read 1 Corinthians 7:12-16.) Keeping in mind the possibility that an unbelieving marriage mate may become a Christian can help a believer to maintain his or her happiness although living in a divided household. In trying to reach the unbeliever with the message of the truth, though, a certain caution is in order, as the following experiences bear out.

9. When introducing Bible truth to unbelieving family members, what caution is in order?

⁹ Reflecting on his reaction to learning Bible truth, Jason says, “I wanted to tell everyone!” When a Bible student comes to appreciate the truthfulness of what he has been taught from the Scriptures, he may be so happy that he talks about it almost all the time. He may expect unbelieving family members to accept the Kingdom message immediately, but the good news could be met with an adverse response. How did Jason’s initial enthusiasm affect his wife? “I felt overwhelmed,” she recalls. One woman who accepted the truth 18 years after her husband did says, “I, for one, needed to learn it gradually.” If you are presently conducting a Bible study with a student whose mate has no desire to take part in true worship, why not hold regular practice sessions to help the student to approach issues tactfully? Moses said: “My instruction will drip as the rain, my saying will trickle as the dew, as gentle rains upon grass.” (Deut. 32:2) A few well-placed droplets of truth will often do more good than a spiritual downpour would.

10-12. (a) What counsel did the apostle Peter give to Christians who have unbelieving mates? (b) How did one Bible student learn to apply the counsel recorded at 1 Peter 3:1, 2?

¹⁰ The apostle Peter provided inspired counsel for Christian wives living in religiously divided households. “Be in subjection to your own husbands,” he wrote, “in order that, if any are not obedient to the word, they may be won without a word through the conduct of their wives, because of having been eyewitnesses of your chaste conduct together with deep respect.” (1 Pet. 3:1, 2) A wife may be able to win her husband over to true worship by being in subjection and showing deep respect for him, even if he treats her harshly. Likewise, a believing husband should conduct himself in a godly way and be a loving head of the household despite any opposition he may encounter from his unbelieving wife.​—1 Pet. 3:7-9.

¹¹ Many modern-day examples illustrate the value of applying Peter’s counsel. Consider the case of Selma. When she began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, her husband, Steve, was not pleased. He admits, “I became angry, jealous, possessive, and insecure.” Selma observes: “Even before I got the truth, living with Steve was like walking on eggshells. He was hot-tempered. When I started studying the Bible, this characteristic intensified.” What helped?

¹² Selma recalls a lesson she learned from the Witness who studied with her. “On one particular day,” says Selma, “I didn’t want to have a Bible study. The night before, Steve had hit me as I had tried to prove a point, and I was feeling sad and sorry for myself. After I told the sister what had happened and how I felt, she asked me to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. As I did, I began to reason, ‘Steve never does any of these loving things for me.’ But the sister made me think differently by asking, ‘How many of those acts of love do you show toward your husband?’ My answer was, ‘None, for he is so difficult to live with.’ The sister softly said, ‘Selma, who is trying to be a Christian here? You or Steve?’ Realizing that I needed to adjust my thinking, I prayed to Jehovah to help me be more loving toward Steve. Slowly, things started to change.” After 17 years, Steve accepted the truth.

HOW OTHERS CAN HELP

13, 14. How can others in the congregation assist those who live in a religiously divided household?

¹³ Like gentle drops of rain that soak the ground and help plants to grow, many individuals in the congregation contribute to the happiness of Christians in divided households. “The love of my brothers and sisters was what helped me to stand firm in the truth,” says Elvina in Brazil.

¹⁴ Kindness and interest on the part of others in the congregation can do much to affect the heart of an unbelieving family member. A husband in Nigeria who accepted the truth 13 years after his wife did states: “While I was traveling with a Witness, his vehicle broke down. He sought out fellow Witnesses in a neighboring village, and they gave us accommodations for the night. They cared for us as if we had known them from childhood. Right away, I felt the Christian love that my wife had always spoken about.” In England, a wife who came into the truth 18 years after her husband did recalls: “The Witnesses invited both of us for meals. I always felt welcome.”c Says a husband in the same land who eventually became a Witness: “Brothers and sisters would visit us, or we were invited to their homes, and I found that they had a caring attitude. This was especially noticeable when I was in the hospital and many came to visit me.” Can you find ways to show similar interest in unbelieving family members?

15, 16. What can help a believer to maintain happiness when others in the family remain unbelievers?

¹⁵ Of course, not all unbelieving spouses, children, parents, or other relatives embrace true worship, even after years of faithful conduct and tactful witnessing on the part of the believer. Some remain indifferent or become unrelenting opposers. (Matt. 10:35-37) When Christians display godly traits, however, this can have a very good effect. A former unbelieving husband states: “When the believing mate starts to let those lovely qualities shine, you do not know what is going on in the unbeliever’s mind and heart. So don’t ever give up on your unbelieving mate.”

¹⁶ Even if a family member remains an unbeliever, happiness is possible for the believer. Although her husband has not responded to the Kingdom message after 21 years of effort on her part, one sister says: “I am able to maintain my joy by striving to please Jehovah, by maintaining my loyalty to him, and by working to strengthen my spirituality. Immersing myself in spiritual activities​—personal study, meeting attendance, the field ministry, and helping others in the congregation—​has drawn me closer to Jehovah and has safeguarded my heart.”​—Prov. 4:23.

A former unbelieving husband states: “When the believing mate starts to let those lovely qualities shine, you do not know what is going on in the unbeliever’s mind and heart. So don’t ever give up on your unbelieving mate.”