No matter who we are or where we are from, all of us are looking for
answers to the same questions of life: Who am I, and why am I here? What
am I worth? Who will love me? How will I cope? How can I know what is
right? The questions are worded differently in each generation, but this
search for meaning is a normal part of the human experience. However,
we have a tendency to look for answers to these questions in wrong places.
As women, we might expect that all of our needs will be met in marriage
and sometimes measure our worth in terms of marital status. Those that
are married are looked upon as worthwhile, while those that aren't are
often times viewed as having something wrong with them. We even become
prejudice toward single women... Consequently, some are devastated when
they find themselves without those relationships that we feel give life
meaning. But ladies, married or unmarried, we are all single individuals
who have the opportunity to find all we need in Christ!
In keeping with this thought, where do women today look for love, self-worth,
and meaning in life? Where do you look? How do women satisfy their hungers
and thirsts in life, the longings of their hearts? Over the next few days,
we are going to spend some time in John chapter 4 in verses 1-42 to find
the answers to these questions, so please take a moment to read through
them before we begin.
The story of the Samaritan woman is very contemporary. Like many women
today and similar to myself before I knew the Lord, she was looking for
love in all the wrong places. She was a most unlikely candidate for entering
into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and yet nowhere is Jesus'
care and concern for women seen more clearly than in her story. Through
His dialogue with her we learn the principles of personal evangelism.
The setting opens with verses 3-7...
He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And He must needs go through
Samaria. Then cometh He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar,
near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's
well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus
on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of
Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
So much information is given to us to digest in this portion of scripture!
Today though, we will be looking mostly at Christ's attitude and approach
in this Samaritan woman's life. We first see that Jesus was compelled
to go through Samaria. There were no social barriers in His life. Now
we know for certain that Christ was not driven by car to Samaria, but
we do see that the "Cadillac of compassion" drove the Savior around! (What
is the driving force behind what you do?) His care, His concern, His love
for this single woman drove Jesus to the place where she went. As a matter
of fact, Christ parked Himself right on the well she was headed for! That
Cadillac of compassion brought Him to the well at just the right time
too, for soon after the woman arrived... If that doesn't prove to you
that Jesus was placing Himself specifically in her path I don't know what
else could prove it! (When is the last time you purposely placed yourself
in a setting where you could engage in a private one-on-one discussion
with another woman for the gospel's sake?) Notice the Bible says that
the Savior was wearied with His journey. However tired and worn He may
have been, the need of only one woman was esteemed greater than His own
rest! How often we fall short in this area, amen? Ladies, compassion is
hard because it requires the inner disposition to travel with others to
the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken...
Lamentations 3:22
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions
fail not.
What value our Savior always placed on others first; God never dismisses
compassion toward others though we often do. When we are tired with our
everyday responsibilities, we would do well to follow such a sacrificial
example both in our homes and churches! Jesus Christ went out of His way
to meet the needs of others, but did not speak to them of how much it
cost Him to do it. He did not tell this woman, "My feet are killing me,
I hope you know just how far I've traveled to deal with you! I hope you
know how worn out I am because of your situation! Do you realize I could
be resting right now?" The woman at the well never sensed that Christ
was inconvenienced. Ladies, are you and I guilty of causing others to
feel this way? Do people get the impression they are a pain in your neck
or a bother to you? God help us if this is true! Christ WANTED to help
this woman; it was not a chore or just an obligation He had to fulfill...
2 Cor. 9:7
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not
grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
While Christ's attention was fixed on her, this Samaritan woman's attention
was most likely consumed with the daily task of getting water as the women
did at this particular hour. Jesus was determined to get her attention
and He skillfully adapted Himself to her needs. He met her in the middle
of her routine... Often times Jesus does have to place Himself in our
paths in just this way, doesn't He, ladies? We just get so busy we don't
see Him and yet there He is, right at the heart of our daily duties, quietly
waiting to talk to us. Praise the Lord for such an intimate God who thoroughly
acquaints Himself with our whole soul and conduct! May we be as sincere
in getting to know other women...
Psalm 139:1
O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Next Jesus speaks to the woman directly and says, "Give me to drink."
He opened the conversation with a sentence that would encourage further
dialogue. He did not approach her with a sermon; He did not approach her
with a haughty attitude because He had answers she didn't; He didn't approach
her with a desire to show off His scriptural knowledge and bully her into
a corner of feeling like a moron. Christ just wanted to speak with her
and draw her into a closer understanding of Himself and therefore asked
something that would keep the conversation going. Jesus asked her something
that related to her world not His, with the intent of leading up to that
point.
Ladies, how do you approach others who don't know Christ? Do you cram
the gospel down their throat in thirty seconds? "Here, read this!" Do
you leave them wondering what in the world just entered their presence??
Do you find yourself compelled to deal with the t-shirt or mini-skirt
they are wearing before you deal with their heart?? Are you too distracted
by their sinful circumstances to develop a Spirit-led discussion and evangelize
with any integrity? Do you get stuck talking about yourself the whole
time rather than listening? Let's be sensitive to the ways we set out
to reach others! Let's open our mouths with wisdom and have the law of
kindness upon our tongues as Proverbs 31:26 instructs. Some of us Christian
women act like we are street preachers and end up turning people away
with our abrasive and abrupt manners! Learn from the Lord's example the
proper approach to take and pattern yourself after Him. What Jesus said
at the well was well said! His heart's desire was to reach the Samaritan
woman, not send her away... His timing was perfect and His words were
wise and fitting for where she was coming from. Jesus drove up to this
woman in His Cadillac of compassion...
What type of evangelistic vehicle are you driving around in, Christian?
Are you pulling up to others in your spiritual hot rod, engines rumbling,
ready to peel out of their presence shortly thereafter, leaving the lost
in the dust of your pride? Better check your rear view mirror once in
awhile and see what kind of damage you may have left behind you. What
kind of a license do you think Christians have?? Take care that you aren't
guilty of committing "hit and run" accidents wherever you go! Start out
on your journey toward the lost and needy with the same intentions that
Christ had. There are women out there searching for answers that need
to be reached for the Lord. Let's carefully bring them to Christ!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
