100 Days

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Deuteronomy 5:7, NAS.

Among Chinese in Thailand ancestor worship is a common practice. Among Thai Buddhists ancestor worship is a common practice. Siriwan was a new believer from a Chinese, Thai Buddhist background. When her grandmother died, it was expected that she would join the family in worshipping the recently deceased 100 days after her death. Like so many young Christians in her situation, she felt terribly conflicted. She didn’t want to anger God by worshipping her grandmother, but she also didn’t want to dishonor her family.

Not knowing what else to do, she began to pray and ask God to give her a way to stay true to Him while at the same time maintaining her relationship with her family. When the 100 days arrived, she shared with her mother and siblings that she could not join in worshipping their grandmother because she was a follower of Jesus. They were furious with her. Her mother called her father who was in Japan on a business trip.

Her mother handed the phone to Siriwan. She explained to her father that she could not be true to God and still worship her ancestors. Her father listened, and then asked to talk to her mother. Siriwan handed the phone back to her mother.

A few minutes later her mother came back. She said, “Your father says you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” That was the end of it. Siriwan prayed and thanked God for giving her grace in the eyes of her father.

Pray that:

Buddhist background believers will have the courage to stay true to Jesus in the face of family pressure to worship idols or ancestors.

Believers from a Buddhist background will show even greater honor and love to their parents than their unbelieving siblings.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.