When was the Last Time You Wept for the Nations

A cross-cultural labourer serving in a South Asian country asked the question above at an Asia Pacific conference last year. At the time, it had been several years since I had wept for people lost to God, let alone for people in other nations. This heart attitude changed when I saw firsthand the commitment of pioneers in an unreached nation and the transformation of people by Jesus.

Last year, I had the privilege of visiting cross-cultural labourers who were working in an unreached nation in South Asia. These pioneers are living in cities among large Muslim communities that have no other Christian presence. As a team, they run businesses that employ local people, which gives them a legitimate identity to be present in this country and many opportunities to develop natural relationships with local people.

The first five years in this country were very challenging for these cross-cultural workers. They developed many relationships but saw little fruit in terms of people believing in Jesus. This situation has changed in recent years as people have responded to the Good News about Jesus. As these new believers grow in their faith and remain in their Muslim families and communities, they are living and sharing the Good News about Jesus. The message of Jesus is spreading in their communities and beyond to neighbouring areas and even to other cities and people from other religions.

One evening, we enjoyed an elaborate dinner in the home of a local family. There were eleven of us in a room that was smaller than the office in my house, yet this room served as the dining room, lounge and bedroom for the whole family. The husband came to faith in Jesus last year. He was from a difficult background, and he openly shared about Jesus with his family and friends. Seventy people are living in his building. His wife and daughter are now listening to stories from the Bible.

The daughter of another man who is following Jesus believed in Jesus on Christmas day last year. She has been boldly sharing about Jesus with her extended family and even started a study group amongst children in her neighbourhood after first asking permission from their parents. I heard other stories of believers boldly sharing about Jesus with family members, friends, and co-workers. Some of these believers have gathered groups of close friends and shared their testimonies of believing in Jesus, encouraging their friends to consider Jesus for themselves. Individuals in the community are seeking them out privately, wanting to learn more about the transformation these believers have experienced. Their sharing about Jesus is an overflow of their experience of Jesus and the transformation He has made in their lives. This boldness has encouraged and challenged me to talk more freely about Jesus with my non-believing friends.

As I reflected on the commitment of the cross-cultural labourers I met and the stories of people transformed by Jesus, I found myself moved to tears and to prayer for these people. I also pray that God grows the commitment and excitement I saw for Jesus more in me and you and that this overflows into how we live and share about Jesus with the people we live among.