At first things were really tough for me when I chose to follow Jesus.
My RSS branch noticed that I had quit and they came to me asking why. When I explained that I was a Christian and did not want to be part of the RSS anymore, they took the matter to my family.
The RSS hounded my family, telling them that I was going the wrong way and that I had changed my religion. They pressured my family into thinking that what I had done was wrong and bad, and my parents listened to them.
That’s when they first tried to stop me from going to church.
My mother cried and told me how I had abandoned my duty as the elder brother. In Hindu families, the eldest son is responsible for leading the family in special worship of the gods at home. My father dragged me into the room with all of the gods and forced me to sit while they prayed and did the puja ceremony. The more I resisted, the more they abused me.
One day they asked me, “Who is most important to you, us or Jesus?”
Immediately I answered, “Jesus!”
“Why would I not love Jesus who gave me wonderful parents?” I told them. “When you have something happen or you are sick, I can go to Jesus and I know that he will heal you. So why would I not love Jesus after he has loved you?”
I winced, waiting for the next blow, but instead I looked up to see my father smiling.
After that, my father was on my side and still is today. He allows me to go to church and no longer forces me to worship the Hindu gods. When people come to our home and try to get me to stop going to church, my father steps in and says, “Let him go. Let him do whatever he wants to do.”
Today I still have people in the community who pressure me to come back to Hinduism. They tell me that I have to change my name because I am a Christian now and accuse me of changing my father. They make a lot of jokes about me, but it is okay. My family accepts me now and will even listen to me talk about Jesus. They haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, but I am praying that God would touch their lives as he did mine.
Would you please pray for my family to believe in Jesus? Would you also pray for my community to see the light of Jesus in me and want to believe?
This is the last part of our three-part series about an Indian pastor who was once a persecutor of Christians. This is a true story, although names and certain details were omitted for security purposes. For earlier stories about this man’s journey to faith, read our previous posts, A Modern Day Paul and Jesus Came to Us.
India is our prayer focus for Secret Church 16: A Global Gospel in a World of Religions. Join with us as we learn about India—its culture, its people, and its persecuted church. To sign up for the Secret Church simulcast, click here.
