India is not as unreached as you may think. Yes, there are still unreached people groups but the percent of Christians is much higher than you would read about on the internet. This is because of the literal cost it takes to be a Christian in India.
With the caste system, you automatically go down a caste when you convert to Christianity by signing a document stating you are a christian. This means your job options have shrunk and you may even have to leave the job you are currently at or the business you currently own. That is a huge sacrifice to make when you are working hard to support your entire family And this is why so many believers have a hard time with this.
In most families, you would be disowned for choosing to convert to Christianity. I met several undocumented Christians who have to make up stories to tell their families so they can go to church. One women keeps her Bible hidden in the wall of her bathroom and will read it when she is in there each day because reading the Bible is that important to her.
There are so many Christians that are afraid of the costs. It’s easy for me to say “all or nothing” but what cost have I have in comparison to this? There are also so many Christians who don’t care about the cost.
I have shared this verse over and over to Christians in this part of the world because it is literally about them.
Mathews 10:29-30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.”
This passage means something totally different to me now that I am in the same room as so many people that have made the choice to leave their family for the sake of Gospel because they think it is better than denying the name of Jesus. isn‘t that amazing?
One thing I noticed about Indian Christians is that they Highly value it when someone prayers for them. So some ways we can cover India in prayer is to pray for the believers that they would be able to give up the cost in proclaiming to be a Christ follower and be able to be a witness to their families and the people in their communities. That they would make a decision to lean on God as their ultimate provider. Another way is for there to be an end to the dowry system and child marriages. Both are currently illegal but still happen.
Thank you for praying for India!
