“Now go, and do as I have told you. I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say. But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send someone else.” Genesis 4: 12-13I ran races as a child at school. The races would commence when the words “ready, set, go!” were heard. It meant move to the starting point, get set to move, and GO. No race is ever run without taking that first step.
Over the years I have conversed with numerous compassionate Christian women who want to reach out to Muslim women but find it difficult to take that first step. Their enthusiasm and vision reveal that they are ready and set but they wait for everything to fall in place which usually means an existing program to plug into, a Christian organization to become part of, a pastor or mentor to coach them, a co-worker, a husband, or for some Muslim woman to suddenly appear in their lives. Without those things in place they are immobilized to move forward – to go. They hold back getting involved at all. Indecisiveness, lack of self-confidence, lack of familiar structure, and fears of the unknown, failure, or rejection hinder their progress. They wait. They procrastinate. They weigh things carefully. If you can relate to this then this post is for you. Our hearts can be ready but not always our feet.
Getting involved in Muslim ministry/friendship in western nations requires being a self-starter. If you join a mission organization or NGO in an Islamic country you would go as a professionally skilled person and most likely work within an existing program or have the backing of someone to start a program. But let’s say you are in Sydney, London or Chicago and you have a part time or full time job. Or you may be a stay at home mom or a university student. You believe that God wants you to reach out to Muslim women. If there is a structured program you can plug into go for it but if not, and you know you are called by God to reach out to Muslim women, then you can start by approaching a Muslim woman in a natural setting such as a store, neighborhood, school or park and say hello. Taking that first step of being a self-starter will often lead to the next step: developing a relationship – not a program or a project, but a relationship. We can not normally plan, strategize, organize, or structure evangelism. It will usually be spontaneous and natural(or rather supernatural), instigated by the Holy Spirit and bathed in prayer. We won’t have much control but the Spirit will be in full control. So, don’t be afraid to take that first step. God will be with you, my friend! You can do it. We can’t run the race if we don’t start.
Dear heavenly Father, help us to move forward in faith and courage in befriending Muslim women. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
