The Bible Changes Lives

WHAT moved a man to return to the religious upbringing from which he had strayed? How did a young man find the father figure he had yearned for his whole life? Read what these people have to say.

“I Needed to Return to Jehovah.”​—ELIE KHALIL

YEAR BORN: 1976

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: CYPRUS

HISTORY: PRODIGAL SON

MY PAST: I was born in Cyprus but grew up in Australia. My parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and they did their best to instill in me a love for Jehovah and his Word, the Bible. In my teen years, however, I began to rebel. I would sneak out of the house at night to meet up with other teenagers. We stole cars and got into a lot of other trouble.

At first, I did those things secretly for fear of displeasing my parents. But I gradually lost that fear. I formed friendships with people much older than I who did not love Jehovah, and they had a negative influence on me. Finally, I told my parents that I no longer wished to have anything to do with their faith. They patiently tried to help me, but I rejected all their efforts. My parents were heartbroken.

After moving away from home, I began to experiment with drugs, even growing and selling large amounts of marijuana. I lived an immoral life and spent a lot of time partying in the club scene. I also developed a quick temper. If someone said or did something that I didn’t like, I would swell with anger, often shouting at people and hitting them. Basically, I did everything that I had been taught not to do as a Christian.

HOW THE BIBLE CHANGED MY LIFE: I became close friends with a fellow drug user who had lost his father at a young age. We often stayed up talking late into the night. On some of those nights, he opened up and talked about how much he missed his father. Having grown up knowing about the hope of a resurrection, I soon found myself telling him about Jesus​—that he raised the dead and that he promises to do so again in the future. (John 5:28, 29) “Imagine seeing your father again,” I would say. “All of us could live forever in Paradise on earth.” Those thoughts touched my friend’s heart.

At other times, my friend brought up such subjects as the last days or the Trinity doctrine. I would grab his Bible and show him various scriptures that revealed the truth about Jehovah God, Jesus, and the last days. (John 14:28; 2 Timothy 3:1-5) The more I spoke about Jehovah to my friend, the more I found myself thinking about Jehovah.

Slowly but surely, the seeds of Bible truth that were dormant in my heart​—seeds that my parents had tried hard to plant—​began to grow. For example, sometimes when I was at a party taking drugs with my friends, I would suddenly start thinking about Jehovah. Many of my friends claimed to love God, but their conduct said otherwise. Not wanting to be like that, I realized what I needed to do. I needed to return to Jehovah.

Of course, knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. Some changes were easy to make; I quit taking drugs without much difficulty. I also broke off my old friendships, and I began to study the Bible with a Christian elder.

Other changes, however, were much harder. It was especially difficult to control my anger. Sometimes I would do well for a while and then suffer a relapse. I felt bad afterward, thinking that I was a failure. Discouraged, I approached the elder who was studying the Bible with me. Ever patient and kind, he proved to be a true source of encouragement. One time, he had me read an article in The Watchtower about the importance of not giving up. * We discussed steps that I could take when I felt angry. Gradually, with the article in mind and with much prayer to Jehovah, I was able to bring my temper under control. Finally, in April 2000, I was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Needless to say, my parents were thrilled.

HOW I HAVE BENEFITED: I now have peace of mind and a clean conscience, knowing that I am no longer defiling my body with drugs or immorality. No matter what I do, whether it’s working, attending a Christian meeting, or enjoying some form of recreation, I am much happier. I have a positive outlook on life.

I thank Jehovah for my parents, who never forgot about me. I also think of Jesus’ words found at John 6:44: “No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him.” I am touched to think that I have been able to return to Jehovah because he drew me back.

[Footnote]

[Blurb on page 13]

“I have been able to return to Jehovah because he drew me back”