How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives - REMAIN PATIENT AND HOPEFUL

 The Gospel accounts indicate that Jesus remained patient with his brothers. For example, they too were evidently in Cana when Jesus performed his first miracle. (John 2:11, 12) As mentioned earlier, Jesus' siblings did not put faith in him. However, Jesus did not cut ties with them.  The Bible reveals that after about three years after his first miracle in Cana, Jesus was speaking kindly to his brothers. - JOHN 7:5-8. 

Our clear understanding of Jehovah's mercy can help us to remain hopeful. When false religion comes to an end, our relatives may recall that we told them about this event. (Revelation 17:16) They may even join us in pure worship after the great tribulation starts. And if our relatives are facing hard times now, we will certainly do all we can to be there for them. Perhaps they will be more receptive to Bible truths as they see that our love and kindness are genuine. 

Next time: How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives - SHOW THEM THAT YOU LOVE THEM

From the jw.org publications

How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives - LOOK BEYOND NEGATIVE WORDS AND ACTIONS - Conclusion

 Let your conduct speak for you.  Our kind words and actions can move our relatives to change our they feel about us. (Read 1 Peter 3:1, 2.) An unbelieving husband could easily feel left out or upset when his wife attends congregation meetings or goes out in the ministry. Because she does not want to feel that way, she might adjust her schedule of spiritual activities in order to spend more time with him. For example, she could share in the ministry when her husband is busy or not at him. By being flexible and reasonable, a Christian wife might help her husband to reconsider his opinion of the Witnesses. 

Do not feel pressured to respond to all criticism. When Jesus was falsely accused of eating and drinking too much, he did not become defensive. Instead, he encouraged people to look at the facts. (Matthew 11:19) He also showed by his example that he had a balanced view of life. (Compare John 2:2,6-10.) Likewise, do not feel that you have to respond to every criticism. Rather, show your relatives through your actions that you are balanced and happy and let them draw their own conclusions. They may be moved to reject false information that they have heard about us. 

Next time: How to Help Your Unbelieving Relatives - REMAIN SILENT AND HOPEFUL

From the jw.org publications 

How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives - LOOK BEYOND NEGATIVE WORDS AND ACTIONS

     Jesus' half-brothers likely heard about the miracles Jesus had performed in Galilee. (Luke 4:14, 22-24) At first, though, they did not put faith in him. (John 7:5) Why? The Bible does not say. But it reveals at least two things that held back some Jews from becoming Jesus' disciples. Some were afraid of being rejected by the community. (John 9:18-22) Others had known Jesus from his youth and could not imagine him as God's representative. (Mark 6:1-4) Jesus' half-brothers may also have been affected by this kind of thinking. Could similar factors affect our loved ones? 

Consider the motives behind their words and actions. Jesus' brothers may have among the relatives who once said that had "gone out of his mind." (Mark 3:21) Why might they have come to that conclusion? The context shows that Jesus was so much in demand that he did not even have time to eat a meal. (Mark 3;20) Did his relatives think that he was being fanatical? It is possible. Our relatives may think that we take our religion too seriously. If they feel that way, we do well to s how our actions how reasonable we truly are. 

Next time: How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives - LOOK BEYOND NEGATIVE WORDS AND ACTIONS - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives - LET COMPASSION MOTIVATE YOU TO HELP THEM

 Jesus did not give up on those who indifferent to his message. He compared himself to a worker in a vineyard who spared no effort in order to get an unproductive fig tree to bear fruit. (Luke 13:6-9) When Jesus gave that illustration, he had been trying to cultivate faith among his fellow Jews for more than three years. Why did he keep trying to help them. Jesus had compassion for people, and that helped him to be patient with them.

Jesus felt compassion for his fellow Jews because of the religious leaders had failed to help them to develop the faith in God. Jesus saw that the people were "as sheep without a shepherd." (Mark 6:34) Shortly before his death, Jesus wept over Jerusalem because he knew that most of its inhabitants would lose their lives because of a lack of faith. (Luke 19:41-44) When we develop similar warm feelings for our relatives, we will be motivated to help them. 

Read Galatians 6:9. Even if our relatives are not yet interested in our beliefs, we should be patient with them and not give up in "doing what is fine." We know that it takes time for a person to overcome deep-seated prejudice and to build faith. At one time, were you like those who had "no hope and were you without God in the world"? (Ephesians 2:12) If so, no doubt someone came to your aid. Are you not also moved to help fill the spiritual needs of your family, if possible?

Next time: How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives - LOOK BEYOND NEGATIVE WORDS AND ACTIONS

From the jw.org publications

How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives

"Let us not give up in doing what is fine." - GALATIANS 6:9. 

JESUS said to the man who wanted to become his follower: "Go home to your relatives, and report to them all the good things Jehovah has done for you." (Mark 5:19) "In saying that, Jesus acknowledged a natural huma trait-the desire to share good news with our loved ones. 

Do you recall how you felt when you first learned the good news? You likely could not keep it to yourself! Your loved one, however, may not have responded positively. Or the way you presented the truth may have caused friction between you and them. If so, how can you maintain or restore good relationships with relatives without compromising Christian standards? 

In this article, we will see (1) How compassion can motivate us to take a personal interest in our unbelieving relatives, even if they do not respond; (2) how to look beyond the negative words and actions; (3) how our patient and hopeful attitude can help our relatives recognize the truth; and (4) How we can show them that we love them. 

Next time: How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives - LET COMPASSION MOTIVATE YOU TO HELP THEM

From the jw.org publications 

 

How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Honor to Jehovah - AVOIDING AND OVERERCOMING CHALLENGES -Conclusion

 Plan carefully. By being well-organized, you will likely feel less stress on your wedding day. (Read 1 Corinthians 14:40.) Wayne, from Taiwan, says: "A few days before our wedding, we had a small meeting with those who volunteered to help us with the event. We discussed our arrangements and rehearsed some portions of the wedding to ensure it would go smoothly." Our of respect for your guests, do your best to keep things on time. 

Many problems can be averted by your thinking ahead where it is common for uninvited guest to show up at a wedding reception, consider what you can do to prevent this from happening. Make sure that any relatives who are not in the truth know what they can expect, and explain your view of certain wedding customs. You could share with them the article "What Happens at a Wedding of Jehovah's Witnesses?" found on jw.org. To help you stay in control of what takes place at your reception, consider having a mature brother serve as "the director of the feast." (John 2:8) If you clearly communicate your wedding plans to him, he can help make sure that the wedding remains dignified and goes as planned. 

You may feel somewhat overwhelmed as you consider everything that is involved in planning your wedding. However, remember that your wedding is just one day. It is the first day of what can become a beautiful life together as servants of Jehovah. Do your best to keep your wedding simple and dignified. Trust in Jehovah. With his guidance, you will be able to organize a wedding that you will look back on with warm and happy memories and no regrets. - PSALM 37:3, 4. 

Next time: How to Help Our Unbelieving Relatives 

From the jw.org publications

How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Honor to Jehovah -AVOIDING AND OVERCOMING CHALLENGES - Continue

 Communicate clearly and tactfully. (Proverbs 15:22) As a couple, you will need make many decisions about your wedding. This includes deciding on a date, a budget, an invitation list, and many other things. Before you make a decision, review you options together and discuss Bible principles that apply as well as any advice you get from mature, experienced Christians. When expressing your preferences, be kind, sensible, and flexible. If close family members -such as your parents-have reasonable requests, try to honor them. This a special occasion for them too. If you cannot do as they recommend, explain your reasons tactfully. (Colossians 4:6) Make it clear to family members that your main objective is to have a happy occasion that honors Jehovah.

Explaining your choices to your parents may be especially difficult if they are not in the truth, but you can succeed. "Our families wanted us to include Hindu rituals," says Santhosh a brother in India. "It took my fiancée and me a long time to explain our decisions to them. We made some adjustments where we felt that we could do so without displeasing Jehovah. For example, we changed the menu at the reception to something that was appealing to them and decided not to include any singing or dancing because they were not accustomed to such things." 

Next time: How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Honor to Jehovah - AVOIDING AND OVERCOMING CHALLENGES - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications

How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Honor to Jehovah - AVOIDING AND OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

 You may face challenges as to try to plan a wedding that brings honor to Jehovah. For example, you may find it difficult to plan a simple wedding. Charlie, who is from the Solomon Islands, says: "It was very hard to determine whom to invite to the reception. We have many friends, and in our culture, everyone expects to be invited!" Tabitha, mentioned earlier, says: "Where I live, large receptions are common. It took time for our parents to accept our decision to invite only about 100 people." Sarah, from India, says: "Some people place a lot of value on social status. My cousins had a grand wedding, so I felt some pressure to have an even luxurious one." What can help you to overcome these and other challenges? 

Make wedding planning a matter of prayer. You can tell Jehovah in prayer about any issue that you are facing or about your feelings (Philippians4:6, 7 and study note "in everything") You can ask him to help you to make decisions, to stay calm when you are feeling anxious, and to show courage when courage is needed. (1 Peter 5:7) Your trust in Jehovah will grow as you see him act in your behalf. Tabitha, quoted earlier, says: "My fiance' and I were worried about disagreements with each other and our families. So every time we discussed wedding plans, we started with a prayer. We really felt Jehovah's help and enjoy a peaceful atmosphere." 

Next time: How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Jehovah Honor - AVOID ING AND OVERCOMING CHALLENGES - Continue

From the jw.org publications 

How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Honor to Jehovah - HOW CAN YOU HONOR JEHOVAH? - Conclusion

 Reject unscriptural customs. (Revelations 18:4) Satan's system has contaminated wedding traditions with pagan, spiritistic, and superstitious practices. Jehovah clearly warns us to stay far away from such unclean things. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17) If there are some customs, or traditions, in your area that are questionable, consider their origin and any Bible principles that apply before deciding what to include on your wedding. 

Is it customary where you live for guests to offer a gift to the married couple? The financial situation of some guests may affect the type of gift that they choose to give. Of course, Christians are encouraged to give, and it makes them happy to do so. (Proverbs 11:25; Acts 20:35) However, we would not want to make our guests feel obligated to give; nor would we make them feel that a modest gift would not be appreciated. We imitate Jehovah, striving to have his view of gifts by letting others give according to their means and from the heart. - 2 CORINTHIANS 9:7. 

Next time: How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Honor to Jehovah - AVOIDING AND OVERCOMING CHALLENGES 

From the jw.org publications

How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Honor to Jehovah-HOW CAN YOU HONOR JEHOVAH -Continue

 Be modest. (Read 1 John 2:15-17.) Jehovah appreciates it when his worshippers seek to honor him rather than to bring improper attention to themselves. So modest Christians would avoid spending an excessive amount of money and making a "showy display." How will you benefit by keeping your wedding simple? Perhaps it will turn out as it did for Mike, a brother from Norway. He says: "We stayed out of debt and were able to continue pioneering. Our wedding was simple but still beautiful and memorable." Tabitha, a sister from India, says: "We avoided a lot of anxiety. By keeping our wedding simple, there was less to plan and to disagree over." 

Have you decided what you will wear? No doubt you want to look your best. Even in Bible times, a bride and groom paid close attention to how they looked. (Isaiah 61:10) Granted, what you wear to your wedding may be somewhat different from what you would wear on other occasions, but should not be less modest. (1 Timothy 2:9) Do not let clothing- or any other material thing-become the most noteworthy feature of your wedding. 1 Peter 3:3, 4.

Next time: How to Plan a Wedding That Brings Honor to Jehovah - HOW CAN YOU BRING HONOR TO JEHOVAH - Conclusion

From the jw.org publications