As I continue to read and reflect upon the story about how Jesus ministers to the Samaritan woman at the well, I am compelled to think about my own life when it comes to sharing the truth about Jesus as the only true hope in a world full of hopelessness. I first think back to my child hood being raised in a very protected environment. Lost in sin, but innocent according to the world’s standards. My life quickly became something unfamiliar when my parents divorced and my dad fell back into his addictions. This was the start of a season in my life that the Lord would use to shape and to mold me in ways I never could have expected. For years I spent much time by my father’s side, experiencing many different places and people that had been brought down by the powers of addiction. I saw a whole new side of life. One that lacked the security and assurance that so many of us have gotten used to in a typical American lifestyle, but more importantly it was a side of life that was so evidently broken and in need of a work that only Jesus can accomplish. My parents had their divorce when I was about 8 years old and the Lord delivered my father from his addictions during my early years of high school. As I lived out my high school years, the Lord continued to pursue me and work in my heart until the summer after my junior year of high school when I decided to put my faith in Jesus and commit my whole life to Him.
When I began to fully pursue Jesus, he placed a burden on my heart for ALL those who did not know Him. One of the reasons why this passage about the Samaritan woman weighs so heavy on my heart is because just like the Jews who looked down on the Samaritans and saw them as dirty and impure, I have seen many people look at those who suffer from poverty and addictions with a similar mentality. My point in making this distinction is not to point to how much people suffering from addictions need the gospel because those who look down on them need it just as much. My point in writing this is to remind you of the fact that Jesus chose to reveal truth to this Samaritan woman despite any social, cultural, or political influences that would oppose His choosing to do so. Jesus did this because He desires that all would come to know Him (Mark 16:15).
It has been so long since I have lived a life like the one I experienced during my father’s addictions. That time in my life has become faint and I have recognized in my own life that as an American citizen that has experienced so much privilege and opportunity since then, it is easy to fall into the trap of a comfortable Christianity where we do not allow ourselves to minister to anyone if it means we must become uncomfortable. I am not bashing America. I feel blessed to be able to live in this country, but as followers of Christ we must careful not to fall into the mindset that is so often pushed here, which is one that focuses on oneself. God has called us to put our own selfish desires aside and to step outside of our comfort zones so that all might come to know Him, even if they look a little different, are not as clean as we are, or the influences around us tell us not to.
Journey With John 