For the final post in this series, I want to focus on the heart. As much as we may want to say we base our beliefs on logic and facts, that simply isn’t true. No one is unbiased. Not Christians, not Muslims, not Atheists, and the list could go on. In our hearts we are prideful and never want to admit that we are wrong. Though we may admit that we were wrong about a choice or fact, admitting we are wrong about our beliefs is much different.
We function and live out of our beliefs. They aren’t just a fraction of who we are, or a topic that pops up every other week. Multiple times a day we make decisions based on what we believe about the meaning of our lives. This is why people may claim that what they believe is based on facts, but don’t realize they’ve already filtered out the facts they didn’t want to hear. They may make the claim that they will change their minds if they ever hear some convincing reasoning or evidence, but yet they disregard such facts based on a lack of understanding or by being overly skeptical.
Studies show that factual evidence or logic isn’t in the top five reasons a Muslim will put their faith in Christ. I don’t mean to say that historical evidence and logic do not back Christianity, but that people follow their hearts. Instead, most Muslims become Christians after seeing the love-filled and radically different lives that Christians live. They see how we live and they desire that. Which brings me to the first point.
Stick to the Truth
Do not bash Muslims with the errors of what they believe or by quoting verses from the Quran that make Muhammad out to be a bad person. Doing so will only make them angry and start up an argument. If we win people through their hearts, then I can hardly think of a more counter-productive approach. Deep down Muslims know how they feel about their beliefs. They are unsatisfied, but they don’t believe there is anything better. Even if they don’t realize how dissatisfied they are with Islam, they will start to see the truth of their situation as they begin to see the life we find in our faith.
If God is the perfect example of everything good, then certainly it would be impossible for man to create a better love story and a better deal than what God has already offered. Muslims will see this. If they see that Christianity is better at its core with its beliefs and teachings, then all comes down to whether or not they will humble themselves to follow it. They need to see that the Christian God is more loving than the God of the Quran.
Share and re-share the truth. Show the love of the true God. Don’t just keep repeating the gospel story over and over in the same manner, use the Bible. There are thousands of stories in the Bible that demonstrates God’s goodness. Arab Muslims love stories, and what better way is there to pierce the heart than with a captivating story. Just ask yourself; how many times have you gotten emotional while reading a list of facts about God? Now, how many times have you felt goosebumps rise on your skin as someone told you their testimony?
Pray
Yes, this really is as simple as it sounds. If people will most often trust in Christ by following the deepest desires of their hearts, then who better to call on for help than God? As much as we may try, we cannot change hearts. Only God can do that, and he listens to those who pray according to his will. I know very few people who have ever heard God’s audible voice, but I know many people who have felt God speak to them through their hearts.
I may not be qualified to speak on how to pray, but I can admit that prayer has played a significant role in all that has happened so far with my friends. Pray before you meet up with your Muslim friend that they will come hungry and open to God’s truth. Pray while you are talking with them for words from God that will penetrate their heart and boldness for them to ask the hard questions. Pray after you meet them, that the words God shared with them would continue to resonate within them and that they would have a desire to search for God’s truth on their own.
If you don’t have any Muslim friends, pray that God would bring one into your life. Pray for your friends who are reaching out to Muslims, or anyone else. Prayer is the most untapped resource the Church has at its disposal. How can we be so arrogant to think that we can change hearts by our own doing?
I’ll close out this series with this reminder. Our lives are short, and our end is near. We aren’t promised tomorrow. My greatest concern is that I’ll wake up in heaven with little or nothing to show for all the years God gave me on Earth. I don’t want to get to heaven and spend an eternity with the realization resting on my shoulders that I could have done more. We have all of eternity to rest in ease and comfort, but we only have these few short years on Earth to be a part of the greatest rescue plan ever conceived. Now that’s a cause to rally behind, fight for, and die defending.
