A little over a year ago, my wife and I became friends with a woman that we find truly inspiring. In fact, just recently I had the opportunity to attend a seminar on team-building and organizational leadership that she put together for business and ministry leaders.
Years ago, I don't think she could have ever pictured herself giving that seminar. At an earlier season of life, she was homeless, living from her car, and pregnant with her first child. She lived in an area that didn't seem to offer her many opportunities, and she had no idea what to do with her life.
Eventually, she started to get her life onto a more stable footing, but she was still painfully broke. Being without a job, she got the idea that maybe people would pay her to clean their houses. She had no experience doing this, but she went to the dollar store, bought some empty spray bottles, and looked online to see how she might be able to create some basic, homemade cleaning agents. Then she attempted to get clients, and succeeded.
As her business and income started to grow, she hired people to work with her. She eventually took on more clients and began the process of hiring additional cleaners. Other companies took notice of her business growth and started asking her for help to organize their businesses better. From there, she started creating online courses on how to run a cleaning business and people started paying her the equivalent of college tuition to take them.
Now, she runs a successful business, employs multiple people, is loved by those who work with her, is considered an expert in her industry, and people regularly pay her to teach them everything she knows. She's in her mid-30's, and in the past year, she earned more income than all the the previous years of her life combined.
If you went back in time to the days when she was pregnant, living in a car, scared and depressed, I don't think she would have believed you if you told her that the day was going to come when people would be eager to learn from her and hang on her every word, but that's exactly what has happened.
What about you? Do you believe it's possible that you might have something valuable to say to others? Do you dream about helping people who might only listen to you, or are you still convinced that those people don't exist? Mentally speaking, does it feel like you're still abandoned, depressed, and living alone in a car?
If so, consider what Jesus revealed in His conversation with a discouraged woman from Samaria.
I. Do you struggle to believe anyone would listen to you?
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’ (John 4:16-17)
The story that we're told in this portion of John's gospel fascinates me. In this passage, we see a woman who was going through a very difficult season of life. She was discouraged, seemingly avoided by her peers, and going through the motions of her daily responsibilities without much hope until Jesus graciously reached into her life.
The Scripture tells us that this woman was surprised that Jesus would speak to her because she was from Samaria and He was Jewish (and both groups tended to avoid each other). Jesus was also a rabbi and a man which would have also made her unlikely to believe that he would want to have a conversation with her.
One other thing that isn't directly stated in the text, but I believe may be implied, relates to the fact that she was at the well to collect water during the hottest part of the day. Most often, women would gather at the well in the morning or evening when it was cooler. This was also a form of social interaction for them. The fact that she was alone at the well at noon probably meant she didn't have very many friends.
But Jesus was willing to be her friend. He was willing to speak with her and associate with her. He even showed her that He knew the precise details of her home life and past relationships. This obviously shocked her for many reasons, including the fact that up to this point, it doesn't appear that too many people demonstrated much interest in her or anything she might say.
What about you? Do you struggle with the same concerns this woman faced? Does it seem hard to believe anyone would listen to you?
II. Jesus sees you, hears you, and is paying attention to you
"for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet." (John 4:18-19)
Recently, Andrea and I took a friend out to eat. He lives alone and seemed eager for the company, but he spent most of the meal on his phone. He kept answering it mid-conversation which made it abundantly clear that he wasn't terribly interested in our conversation. Here's a hint: If someone takes you out to eat, make eye contact with them and put your phone on silent.
I'm grateful that Jesus didn't convey an aloof or disinterested attitude to the woman from Samaria. In fact, He demonstrated to her in vivid detail that He saw her, heard her, and was paying attention to her.
Jesus gave this woman a recap of her relational history up to this point. She previously had five different husbands, and I get the impression that one at a time they may have abandoned her most likely for worldly or selfish reasons. Now, the man she was with wasn't even willing to make her his wife.
As Jesus made it clear that He knew these things about her present situation and the life story that led her to this point, she became convinced that He was a prophet. He knew things about her that were very clearly divinely revealed, and that amazed her.
Isn't it interesting to consider that the Lord pays that kind of attention to those He has created in His image? I struggle to remember the birthdays of many of my blood relatives, yet Jesus sees, hears, and pays attention to us on a deeper level than I think we often realize.
If that isn't something you typically allow your mind to dwell on, I hope you'll let the example from this portion of Scripture encourage you.
III. God is seeking worshipers. You can join Him in this search.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. (John 4:21-23)
Having a sense of mission in this world is helpful. When you gain a sense of what you're here for, you stop needing an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning. You smile when you think about your responsibilities. You daydream about how you can do what you've been called to do better.
Take a look at several mission statements from some well known companies and ministries:
“Uber is evolving the way the world moves. By seamlessly connecting riders to drivers through our apps, we make cities more accessible, opening up more possibilities for riders and more business for drivers.” -Uber
“To attract and attain customers with high-valued products and services and the most satisfying ownership experience in America.” -Toyota
“To follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.” -World Vision
God the Father has a mission as well, and Jesus makes it abundantly clear. The Father is actively seeking people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. And the wonderful part of that mission is that it's something the Lord invites us to join Him in as He fulfills it. In fact, a key component of that mission is His desire to use people like you and me to see that mission through to completion.
Do you wake up every day excited to join God in this effort? Do you even believe He wants your involvement and participation?
IV. There are some people who won't listen to anyone else but you
So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” 30 They went out of the town and were coming to him. (John 4:28-30)
Here's something amazing that stands out to me from the account we're given in John 4. After speaking with Jesus, hearing what He could reveal about her, and being told that He alone could satisfy the deepest thirst of her soul, this woman left her water jar and went back into town to tell others that she believed she had just met the long-promised Messiah.
I think it's possible to tell when someone is lying. I believe the Holy Spirit points our hearts toward the truth, and I think He convinced the people of the town that this woman was sincere. We're told that after she said what she said, the people of the town stopped what they were doing and went up to the well to meet Jesus. In that moment, I think this woman became the world's most unlikely evangelist, but she was the very person the Lord used to communicate the hope that her entire town needed to hear.
Most people think they need all kinds of credentials to actually be listened to. What kind of credentials did this woman have? The only credentials she had was a hard life and a broken spirit. But something changed inside her when she met Jesus, and I think the people who knew her best could clearly see it. She went from feeling ignored and unloved to possessing a message and a voice that could not be ignored. Her faith in Jesus was her credential.
There are people in your life who will never listen to a pastor or a professor. They won't listen to an author or an expert. They don't even listen to the advice of their doctor, but they'll listen to you because they know you, observe your life, and can tell that you're speaking the truth. The only credentials you really need are a genuine faith in Jesus, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, and a burning desire to share the hope you possess with someone else who needs it.
© John Stange, 2021
