Learning the Excelling Way of LOVE

Letting Your Love Grow

Love and friendship need to be nurtured and cultivated, and among the essential ingredients for this are sincerity and honesty. Some try to hide their shortcomings in order to leave a favorable impression with the people they want to befriend. However, such a course often backfires, as others eventually find out the facts and are repelled by such dishonesty. Therefore, we should not be afraid to allow others to know us as we truly are-even though we have shortcomings that we are striving to overcome. This may help to open up friendships with them.

For instance, an elderly Witness sister in a congregation in the Far East has had very little education. Yet, she never tries to hide that fact from others. She frankly admits, for example, that she is not able to demonstrate to others how to establish from Bible prophecies and history that the Gentile Times ended in 1914. However, she sets such a fine example in zeal for the ministry, as well as in love and generosity for the brothers, that she is affectionately referred to as the jewel of the congregation.

In some cultures, showing affection openly is frowned upon; people are taught to keep up a polite formality in their dealings with others. While it is always good to be courteous and considerate, we should not allow our politeness to stifle or hide our feelings toward others. Jehovah did not feel ashamed to profess his affection for his chosen people, ancient Israel, saying to them: "With a love to time indefinite I have loved you." (Jeremiah 31:3) Similarly, the apostle Paul told his fellow believers in Thessalonica: 'Having a tender affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the good news of God, but also our own souls, because you became beloved to us." (1 Thessalonians 2:8) So as we endeavor to cultivate genuine affection for fellow humans, it is more in keeping with the Bible teaching to let such feelings be naturally expressed rather than suppressed.

Next time: Continued Effort Required

Watchtower, 1999