In reality, we can see many stories about the prodigal son's return, which occurs frequently in and around our church.
A male believer with the surname Qu, almost 60 years old, is serving as a preacher and manager in the church. When problems come up with how the church is run, the staff always listens to what he has to say.
People noticed that he was missing two fingers, which alerted them to the fact that this brother might be a man who had a history to share.
Brother Qu and his wife explained that his wife was the first in the family to believe in the Lord because of him. Later, after believing for a few years, God changed the family and not only chose Brother Qu, who was rebellious, but also several of the children in the family, one after another.
Why then, did Qu's wife accept Christ because of him? The reason was that Qu was so bad. It was said that Brother Qu had four brothers, and he was the fourth. Although he was the youngest, he was the worst in vices such as fighting, drinking, and gambling.
How ferocious was he? The whole street would hide when they saw him for fear of being beaten up and getting into trouble. His own wife was often beaten because she was gentle by nature and could not give birth to a male child. Yet she did not choose to get a divorce. However, not getting a divorce did not mean that she was unaware and willing to accept the situation.
The sister chose to believe in the Lord, hoping that He would change her husband as He had changed others. Not to mention, after several years of faith, her husband, out of desperation, followed Jesus. At first, some believers were afraid to go near him, fearing that he might have a temperamental outburst and cause trouble again. But the brother's conversion led to the members gradually accepting him, and he also became involved in service as he grew.
In fact, we've met many believers, like Brother Qu, who have had similar experiences. Such individuals' repentance is beneficial for the spread of the gospel as well as for family and social stability. One of the characteristics of the conversion of such people is that the majority of the members of their family already believe in Jesus before they do. As a result of the influence of those members of their family who already believe in Jesus, they come to Jesus when they have exhausted all other options.
- Translated by Nonye Nancy
