Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. James 4:8a
When I read James 4:8a to Nazanin she shuddered. She had no
desire to come close to God. She had been burnt by religion and was afraid of
God.
“What is your goal in
life?” I asked Shahnaz. “To make money,” she answered. As we discussed further it was apparent there was no room for any religion. She had been burnt by Islam and the control of Muslim clerics. She did not
trust holy books, God, clerics, or any religion. In her mind everything was just a fairy
tale and fear driven.
“What is your purpose in life?” I asked Mojgan. “I don’t
know what you mean,” she answered. “Do you know why you were created?” I asked.
“No,” she replied. “Do you know why, Joy?” she inquired in curiosity. “Yes, I
do,” I replied. “Please tell me then. I never thought about it before,” she
said. Mojgan believed in a distant Power but nothing more than that. There was no evident spiritual hunger or
thirst. She wanted freedom but was empty inside. No peace. No rest.
When I asked Azita if she knew why she was created she said,
“I have wondered why and asked many mullahs to tell me why but not
one could tell me the answer.” Even though she, too, had been deeply burnt by
religion and government control over her personal life she did evidence a
spiritual capacity but had given up finding the answer to her burning question. No one could give her a satisfying answer. We had Bible studies
together and she loved to hear about God and how Jesus came to show us the way
to Him. But when it came to the moment of decision she disconnected from me
entirely. No more phoning, visiting, or answering emails. She had been burnt
and could not commit her life to Christ just in case she might go through
another bad experience. Azita had only opened “empty gift boxes.”
Farideh could not
imagine not believing in God but she wanted to create her own faith. She mixed
the parts of Islam she liked, some Buddhism, new age practices, her favorite poetry, self-help,
Zoroastrianism, and the God-is-love part from Christianity all together.
Whatever could bring comfort and a sense of having life under her control was pursued.
She had visited church but it felt foreign to her. She still has not
found peace and rest. She is not ready to
commit to anything with absolutes. She fears being put in a box or controlled.
There are a growing number of Muslims today who have been
burnt by religion. They pursue freedom, money, higher education, and community
but ultimately can feel an emptiness. It may take decades to realize they are empty.
Usually a crisis or desperate need brings God back into the picture. I continue
to proclaim God’s love and truth but most of the time I find it takes a
supernatural encounter to help them commit their lives to Christ. God is
compassionate and comes to those who are burnt by lies and deception. 
Dear heavenly Father, I don’t know how but You know how to
reach Muslims burnt by religion. In
Jesus’ name, Amen.
