God's irresistable call

I had one of the most fascinating lunches at work a few weeks ago with a co-worker who recently came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It’s always so exciting and so refreshing to hear the excitement and joy of a new believer, but this conversation was one that renewed my commitment to evangelism and reminded me again of the awe of Christ’s saving power. Before I delve into that lunch conversation, I’d like to share some background that led to her conversion.

My co-worker is a Japanese woman whom I’ve worked with closely for the past 5 years. Although Japanese, she grew up in China and received a Chinese education. All her life she had been an atheist and believed the common world view of, “do good to others and others will do good to you.” In the past 5 years of lunches I have shared my faith with her more times than I can remember, trying with all my ability to explain to her the sinfulness of man, the inability of man to do good, the reality of the spiritual realm, the holiness and justice of God, and the solution to man’s sin problem through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Time and time again I would receive very polite “no thank yous” sprinkled with some intriguing questions about the Christian faith. Intriguing as her questions were, they were void of any spiritual regeneration.

In those 5 years, our company had its fair share of dot com booms and dot com busts. It was during those busts that terms like “operating reductions” were thrown around which worried many employees of the company. However, if there was one person that everyone knew to be the worry Queen, it would be my co-worker who was so quick to become dismantled with all her questions about uncertainty and the what-ifs of the job market.

Fast forward 5 years and the company we work for announces that we’ll be acquired by another company. Our entire floor was immediately huddled into a conference room were the terms of the acquisition was overviewed for all employees. After that meeting, my co-worker walks over to my cube and quietly whispers to me the most amazing words, “Patrick, I believe in God and I’m no longer worried about the future or losing my job.” It was then I realized that she recently placed her trust in the Lord. I knew this conversation would take longer than the typical office room chit-chat, so we decided to discuss it over lunch.

With excitement in her eyes, she began telling me her testimony. She reminded me that 3 weeks ago, she stopped by my cube to tell me how she lost her wallet at the airport from her trip to DC. She then tells me that someone mailed her wallet back to her home address. She was obviously elated and told me how thankful she was to God. She reminded me of my response which was, “That’s great, glad you got your wallet back.” However, it was in that discreet way, she wanted to tell me that by thanking God, she started believing in God. She further explained that what prompted her to pray was this Chinese Christian tract that she found in her son’s room explaining to her the Gospel in her native tongue. It was then she prayed to God regarding her wallet and to her surprise, her prayer was answered. She started researching on Google more about Christianity, finding as many Chinese Christian websites she could about Christianity. It was amazing what she found because in our lunch conversation she clearly explained to me her awareness of sin in her life, the inability for her to do good without falling again into sinfulness and that by repentant faith her sins would be forgiven through Jesus Christ who died in her place at the cross. She told me of her sense of peace knowing that God would take care of her. However, her testimony was not absent of the predicted cost of following Christ. She started telling me how her husband forbade her to pursue becoming a Christian and to not speak about Christianity in their home. However, the reality of who and what Jesus was to her now, caused her to remove the idols she had in their house. She somehow knew that those idols were dead and lifeless compared to who Jesus Christ was as her living Savior. Interestingly, her husband who is also an atheist responded by saying that because of what she did to those idols, bad things were going to happen to her. Interesting response coming from an atheist who does not believe in God but believes in “bad things will happen if you remove idols from the house.”

In my mind I could not help but think of how Paul commended the Thessalonians from how they turned from dead idols to serve the living and true God.

For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God,

She also explained how in China she committed some very serious sins in her life, from which I assured her was all forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. She understood the breadth of God’s forgiveness, but what’s amazing is that the past sins that she covered for so many years all of a sudden were awakened in light of the holiness of God that she has now experienced.

In light of her testimony, I had to ask, “what about all those times I spoke with you about the Gospel?” She replied saying, “I just didn’t want to believe and I really didn’t want to become a Christian.” What’s amazing is how she can precisely recall conversations we had 2-4 years ago, all of which I almost completely forgot!

Ever since my co-worker has been hungering for the word, almost daily asking me questions about Christianity, serving God, the local church, giving away her money for God, asking how to evangelize others especially her husband. It really is amazing to see how all her sensibilities have been heightened as she has become more aware of her sin and her desire to follow Christ. I’ve since given her a bible which she is struggling to read, but finding help through an online Chinese/English interlinear bible. She has also attended a local Chinese church that a neighbor of mine recommended. To Christ alone be the glory for answering prayer and calling another one of His sheep into the fold.

[updated 11/23/2005 -- My co-worker informed me that the idols in the house were actually her own idols! They were not her husband's but her very own with which she believed in]