on purpose, for a purpose!

“What is the purpose of life?” is a question I’ve seen and felt the people of Kyrgyzstan wrestling with since we stepped foot in this country, especially the college students we’ve been working with. As we’ve gotten to know them, it is evident that most of them have not a clue what is going on in their lives nor why they’re even here to begin with. When we ask why they’ve chosen the major they have, we’re typically met with answers of “my parents chose it for me”, “it will help me earn money”, and “I’m not sure- I don’t even enjoy it”. It is heartbreaking to hear the lack of direction and purpose that these students feel there is for their life, but it has been an incredible open door for gospel conversations.

One day while doing ATL (ask the Lord) ministry, my teammate, one of our hosts, and I had the opportunity to talk with a young Muslim woman on a park bench. We learned that she is a university student studying marketing, but we quickly discovered it is only because she entered school without a specific career-orientation that she chose her major at random. She explained how she has no motivation to do her schoolwork, she finds it hard to get out of bed, and her mind often feels cloudy. It was evident that she was discontent and lacking any reason for being. In that moment my heart became burdened for her because everything she was describing was a situation I’ve been all too familiar with.

We were able to lay out the entire gospel in full and although the language barrier was difficult at times, it was evident the Holy Spirit was moving in her heart! The fact that she was wearing a hijab and admitted to reading the Qur’an and yet was still open to us sharing about the God of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus was an indescribable open door that showed just how much the Lord is pursuing her and how tender the soil of her soul is. To see someone that had seemingly lost all resolve hear that she was created on purpose for a purpose and given a glimmer of hope was an experience I’ll never forget.

The matter of being created on purpose for a purpose also came up in an English class I was in when one of the students brought up the topic of Ramadan (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which encompasses fasting from sunup to sundown, heightened worship, reflection, good deeds, and abstinence). The teacher explained to me that the main focus of Ramadan is to (hopefully) please Allah, to (hopefully) earn his favor and to (hopefully) be forgiven for sins previously committed. While it is one thing to read and learn about Islamic beliefs, it is a completely different ballgame once someone is directly telling you what they believe in and what they have staked their eternity on.

The students then began asking me what I believe and what my religious affiliation is and what an open door that was! After explaining that I am a Christian and a follower of Jesus, one of the students said point blank, “Could you tell more about Christianity? I’m very interested!” I laid out the entire gospel, through the help of the teacher translating. After each pause for the English to Russian translation, the teacher would look at me and say “Same in our religion!” She was overjoyed at the fact that, to her, Christianity and Islam seemed extraordinarily similar. As I answered questions about prayer, fasting, and attending church, she had a smile on her face, thinking that as a Christian, my motives for these practices were the same as hers, a Muslim.

I carefully explained that the key difference is that it is not by works that I am saved, but through Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and His atonement on the cross. There is not enough good I could EVER do to outweigh my bad. No amount of obligatory mindless habits, fasting or money I give to the poor will ever be enough to pay the debt I owe. But the GOOD NEWS is that Jesus Christ already paid my ransom. He covered the cost so that I didn’t have to. I don’t have to earn God’s love or salvation because it was already freely given to me, in full.

Whether or not that teacher and those students will ever accept that gift that has been freely given, I might not ever know, but I am overwhelmed with hope that I will see them again someday in heaven!

If you’ve heard the story behind my tattoo of the lightbulb with a heart inside of it you’ll know that it is based on John 1:4-5, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.” Jesus doesn’t merely contain light, He is light! Everything dark that was once in me; my sin, shame, depression, unforgiveness, anger, pride, and so much more, could no longer survive once illuminated by the life of Christ which is the light of men. There was a point in time when I did not want my own life, but there was Someone that desperately did, so much so that He saved it by giving up His own. It is only because of that light and that life, that very mercy and grace, that I am still here today and in Kyrgyzstan of all places. He is my reason for being and my sole purpose and I know that the Lord is actively drawing our Muslim brothers and sisters to Himself, offering them the same hope and joy I’ve found! He is pursuing them relentlessly and it is a blessing and a privilege to witness how ready the harvest actually is!

As today marks the beginning of Ramadan, would you join me in prayer for:
– Muslims around the world to be open to hearing the gospel
– Laborers sent into the harvest to love them and share the good news
– the Lord to give them dreams and visions of His glory and goodness
– Courage to step out in faith and obedience when converting from Islam to Christianity because in Muslim cultures conversion is punishable by stoning, rape and ultimately death
– Hope, joy, and provision for believers in Muslim cultures to be bold in their faith and in living a life set apart for the Lord