What do you assume about people of other faiths?
Most of us meet people from other religious communities. When you meet them, do you expect them to be resistant to new ideas? Assume that they will be biased against a follower of Jesus? Hostile toward your Christian beliefs?
Our assumptions are often wrong, even though we may have good reasons for making them. You may have tried to share your belief in Jesus with others. Perhaps they didn’t show interest in who Jesus is. Maybe they didn’t seem to care about what He has done for us.
If you experience that once or twice, don’t assume everyone will be that way! You may be surprised by incredible openness. One YWAMer named Yemima* was.
She tells her story this way. “I was waiting for the bus on a cold and wet day in France. My highest hope for the day was to get on the bus before getting soaked! But God had something much better for me than I could have asked for.”
A young lady approached the stop and joined the waiting passengers. Soon she started a conversation with Yemima. “She was clearly from a Muslim background. She was also smiling and very friendly.”
A Startling Question
The woman then asked a question that startled Yemima.
“Are you a believer?” she asked.
“Yes” Yemima replied, “I am!” She replied, trying to hide her amazement.
“I knew it,” said the Muslim woman. “I could see this. You have a peace about you. And you seem to have a certain ‘kindness of soul’.”
Yemima recalls, “This completely surprised me! I was sick with a cold. I had seen myself in the mirror earlier. I did not look particularly lovely! In truth, I looked sick and sick is exactly what I was!”
She observed, “Isn’t it a funny thing? We all have days when we feel a bit miserable and diseased. I have found that even on such days God can touch people. Imagine- even when we feel low or unwell the Lord is able to use us! In fact, it often seems that it is on those days when someone tells you that you radiate the peace and love of Christ!
The encounter on the bus continued…
“The young lady asked to sit beside me. Naturally, we continued to talk about God. She commented on how difficult life can be. ‘There are so many obstacles in our way! And what comes next? Eventually, it will be the dreaded day of judgment! Then we, poor little humans, weak humans, will have to face The Great God. How fearful!’ she exclaimed. Her eyes were full of terror.”
Of course, Yemima was praying hard as they chatted. “After a while, I told her about Psalm 23. I knew that Muslims believe in David of the Bible. I explained to her about God as our shepherd.”
“Is that really what God is like?”
The young lady listened intently. After Yemima finished the story, she whispered: “Oh my! How beautiful! Is that really what God is like?”
Yemima says, “I told her about the Father heart of God, that He is a God who wants to bless us. He does not want to curse us at all!.”
The young lady was amazed. “How wonderful! Is that in the Bible? Now that I think about it, I have a Bible at home, as well as the Quran. I’ve never read the Bible. But now I believe that I will. Yes, I will read the Bible!”
“Here is my number!”
Yemima was at once shocked and thrilled! “I hurriedly scribbled my phone number on a piece of paper and hopped off at my bus stop.
Divine Appointment
“God loves orchestrating these unexpected, divine appointments. I have known this for a long time. We do not always get to see the fruit of our conversations. But He, of course, knows how to take her a step further towards His kingdom” says Yemima.
Have you ever witnessed to someone but not known what the final outcome was? It goes without saying that we want to establish a connection.
Yemima attempted to connect with the Muslim woman, who clearly was moved by God. This woman was certainly seeking. Although Yemima was feeling ill, she had the presence of mind to give her phone number to the woman. Hopefully, she will hear from her again soon!
Pray for those you’ve had divine appointments with…
Pray for the Muslim woman- surely she is close to the Kingdom. Pray for those who you have shared with in the past, that you are no longer in touch with. Ask the Lord to send more genuine believers to help them move toward a commitment to Christ. There are many more like this woman, so close to accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Be ready to share the hope that is in you… rain or shine! Perhaps someone else has already sown seeds in the hearts of those you meet or witnessed to them. You might be the one to reap the harvest and lead them into a new relationship with Jesus today!
*Not her real name