MBB Global

There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So, the one who fears is not complete in love. (1. John 4: 18)

I grew up in an Arab country within a strict Muslim family, where religion dominated every aspect of my life, leaving no room for discussion or independent thinking.

I grew up believing that strict obedience and fear were the only correct path, and when I got married and moved to live in a European country, my fears for my children increased.
I decided to build a fortress of rules and strictness around them, raising them to adhere completely and warning them against any different ideas, especially the Christian faith.

I thought that by doing so, I was protecting them and creating an ideal model, and the community around me praised me and considered me an example of a successful mother.
But suddenly, everything collapsed when all my children decided to leave Islam and follow Christ. It was a harsh shock that shook my very being.

I strongly rejected their decision and cut them out of my life, feeling that they had betrayed and let down everything I had taught them.
The community’s view towards me also changed; I became cast off after once being admired, and I lived in deep agony and brokenness.
Despite my harshness towards them, my children responded only with love. They would check on me and show me unexpected affection.
In one confrontation, my daughter explained to me how she had been living in constant fear and pressure, seeking acceptance through impossible perfection.

She told me that she found in Christ unconditional love and salvation based on grace, not fear or deeds.
I began to observe their lives from a distance and saw in them genuine peace and joy that I had never seen before, even though they had left the path I had imposed on them.

Doubts crept into my heart, and I began to rethink everything I had built my life upon, wondering if I had been wronged all those years.
In the end, I realized that love and grace are stronger than fear, and that true faith stems from a relationship based on love, not harshness and strictness.

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. …
If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
Luke 6:27-28, 32

It is easy to glaze over when you hear, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.” It is easy to write off Jesus, as if he must not really mean it, as if in saying this he is being a rather gentle-souled, naive idealist. Does Jesus's call imply that he hopes that people “can just be nicer to each other”? Is Jesus unaware that this sounds like, “Let people walk all over you”? Nothing of the sort. The love and goodness he is talking about has more grit than sweetness, more hard-as-nails realism than niceness. You can't separate what he did for us: Blood, and sweat, and tears from what he calls us to do. He means what he says.

To do good to someone who does wrong, who has hurt you or others - this is a marvel. It's so much easier to give back in kind. Charity does what the recipient doesn't deserve. Someone deserves payback because they did you or others wrong. But you do charity.

Anger grips tightly a wrong, points it out, prosecutes it, punishes it. Mercy acts generously toward a wrongdoer, rather than claiming your pound of flesh. Anger thinks this way: "Tve been wronged, so I will deal out fair and just punishment to the malefactor." But generosity, like patience and forgiveness is "unfair." You treat with purposeful kindness someone who treated you or others badly.