I Used to Avoid Sharing the Gospel with People from Other Religions

“…because I thought it was a lost cause, or at the very least a waste of time. I felt like I didn’t know enough about other religions to have real conversations with anyone. And from what I did know, encouraging someone to leave the religion they had trusted and allowed to shape their entire life felt like something I had no business trying to address. But I know the gospel is for all people, that Jesus died for everyone, and that even though Christianity is the only faith I have personally known, I was just as separated from God as my Buddhist or Sikh neighbors until I made the decision to follow Christ.

I decided to attend a Global Gates mission trip with my church so I could better explore the tension I was feeling. Our host missionary came from a Muslim background, which was incredibly eye opening. He shared how, in his home country, he only knew Islam to be true. Looking back, he can now see how blind he was and how much hate filled his heart until he came to know Jesus. After being given pages from the New Testament and learning about Jesus, he knew he needed to surrender and repent. When he publicly professed his faith in Jesus Christ to his family and friends, they responded with both verbal and physical hostility. That could have made him question the goodness of God. He could have walked away and stopped pursuing Jesus, but instead it sparked an even deeper passion in him to see his people come to know Christ.

That’s when the tension I had been carrying eased. If I truly believed that salvation comes only through Jesus, then the most loving thing I can do for my neighbor is to tell them about Him. No cultural, political, or religious barrier, and no intimidation, should keep me from sharing the beautiful story of God’s redemption and the salvation He offers through Christ.

On that trip, God allowed me to have my first real conversations with people from Muslim and Hindu backgrounds, right here in the US. They shared what they believed and gave me the chance to do the same. My heart broke for their lostness, yet I rejoiced knowing they heard the gospel, maybe even for the very first time, and some even took copies of the New Testament in their heart language.

I praise God for the work Global Gates is doing for the multiplication of His kingdom, and I now look for opportunities to share the hope of the gospel with people from other nations and religions.”

– Individual who attended a short-term trip with Global Gates this year

If you’re encouraged by this story and want to learn more about partnership opportunities, reach out to us at connecting@globalgates.info.