A New Approach

Abassi squirmed in his seat among the ten other men attending the one-day retreat hosted by his friend Dean, a Frontiers field worker. So far, the event had been a good opportunity to share their experiences as Muslim-background believers (MBBs) and encourage each other in their faith. But Abassi wasn’t looking forward to their talk about Ramadan. Considering the way some of the others fidgeted, he thought he might not be the only one.

Another MBB spoke up. “After putting my trust in Jesus last year, I chose not to observe Ramadan. I thought it would make me a bold witness for Christ. Instead, my friends and family yelled at me. Even the ones who have doubts about Islam were angry with me.”

“I had a similar experience,” the man next to him shared. “A friend who had seemed tolerant of my new faith suddenly wanted nothing to do with me.”

Abassi nodded. “My family is devout all year long, so I could never skip the fast. And the only thing harder than observing Ramadan is doing it purely out of obligation, knowing there’s no benefit from it.”

“That would be hard.” Dean looked around the group, understanding in his eyes. “But what if we all tried a new approach this year? What if we fasted as an act of love to those around us? What if we used this time to ask God to change the hearts of our friends and family members?”

I was trying to manipulate God.

As he continued, Dean challenged all the men there to pray about giving Ramadan a new purpose. By the end of the event, Abassi could already feel a shift in his attitude.

When the Islamic holy month began, Abassi tried his best to please God, though not how he had when following Islam. He knew he couldn’t earn forgiveness by following a set of rules, but he could spend more time with the Lord and pray for his family.

One night, as Abassi watched the sunset, his sister Kadira joined him on the balcony.

“The iftar is ready.” She turned to go back inside, then paused in the doorway when Abassi didn’t immediately follow. “Are you sick? Normally you’re the first to the table.”

“No.” Abassi chuckled. “I feel fine. I guess I’m not as concerned about the food as I used to be.”

Kadira’s eyebrows narrowed with suspicion. “There’s no reward for fasting longer than necessary. Or for pretending you’re not hungry.”

“I know. It’s not about that.” Abassi paused, praying for the words to express the change in his heart. “I used to be so concerned about what I got out of Ramadan. I was trying to manipulate God. To see how much forgiveness I could earn.”

“Really? Last year it seemed like you were trying to do as little as possible.”

Abassi knew nothing would satisfy him the way Jesus did.

The truth of his sister’s words stung. “I was wrong to act that way. Now I’m thankful for the extra time to focus on God. I want a closer relationship with Him.”

“Relationship?” Kadira looked puzzled. “What do you mean by that?”

As soon as she asked, shouts sounded from the dining room as Abassi’s father called them inside.

Kadira grabbed Abassi’s wrist and gently tugged. “Why don’t you explain while we eat?”

At the table, an array of tantalizing dishes greeted Abassi, from fresh dates to steaming soup and succulent meat. Everything looked delicious, but Abassi knew nothing would satisfy him the way that Jesus did.

Christ was called the bread of life for a reason, and he hoped one day soon his family would hunger no more.

Pray:

• Ask God to use the Islamic holy month to fill Muslim men and women with hunger and thirst for the Truth.
• Pray that Muslim-background believers and Frontiers field workers will have many opportunities to share the Gospel with local friends and family during Ramadan.
• Praise God that we can do nothing to earn the incredible gift of salvation available only through Jesus Christ!