Being patient is sometimes easier said than done.
Even Christian missionaries whose calling requires the utmost patience in convincing non-Christians to accept Christ sometimes feel let down when their expectations are not met.
But what the Christian missionary group Operation Mobilization (OM) learned is that even if people ignore God's Word for a few days, a few months, or even a few years, it doesn't mean God's Word is having no impact, Mission Network News reports.
OM's Nicole James shares the story of a missionary assigned in the Middle East who finally achieved his goal at a point when he was about to give up.
The missionary, named Timothy, and his team members have been hosting weekly dinners for the past few months for their non-Christian friends in the region in the hope that they could share with them the Gospel and eventually convince them to become followers of Christ.
One night they prepared a sumptuous feast. But to their dismay, every one of the local guys they called did not answer their phone calls.
Earlier that day, Timothy saw a Facebook post from one of the locals warning his friends about the missionaries in the city wanting to evangelise them.
Timothy then thought of calling Hamid, a local who lives just down the street. Hamid had once shown interest in Christianity but lost his interest and resumed worshipping in mosques again.
At least Hamid did not disappoint them and showed up for dinner that night. But Timothy wasn't really that happy. "The only guy coming over is a guy we had so much hope for, and he's been such a disappointment," he thought.
Nothing happened during dinner. After partaking of the meal, Hamid left and returned to his apartment.
But then after a short while, Hamid returned. To Timothy's surprise, he said, "Okay, I'm ready to become a Christian. What should I be doing? Reading the Bible? Praying?"
Timothy and two fellow evangelists then began sharing with Hamid their testimonies on their personal relationship with Jesus.
Hamid and Timothy continued talking the following morning. Timothy shared with him how Christians pray. He also read Matthew chapters five through seven about Jesus' teachings on prayer, fasting and giving alms—"how a Christian generously gives from himself to God without being a hypocrite, without it being [only] religion," Timothy said.
The next week, Hamid agreed to watch a sermon on DVD with Timothy, an hour-long account from another Muslim-Background Believer (MBB).
At one point, Timothy left the room. When he returned, Hamid was explaining the video to another guy in the room, a foreigner who didn't speak Arabic. Hamid has become a Christian evangelist himself!
"Not only was he watching and listening, he was also able to explain," Timothy said. "With all the difficulties, with all the disillusionments, it's amazing how one conversation can change your attitude and make you thankful again for being out here."
Timothy's patience paid off. He not only convinced a Muslim believer to accept Christ, but the new Christian convert is now also busy trying to convert other Muslims to embrace Christ.
