Jesus puts in us a “spring of (living) water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14).
At the very time Jesus was explaining these words to the woman at the well, His disciples were in town buying food (v. 8). But when they returned and urged Him to eat, He wouldn't...or couldn't. They asked each other, “Has anyone else brought him something to eat?”
Jesus was so fired up about what He was doing, He couldn't eat. The woman at the well “got it.” She accepted Him as Messiah.
How did He know?
After their conversation, she went into town where she not only told everyone about Christ but also brought them back to meet Jesus for themselves (verses 28-30). She had become a mentor...a disciple-maker.
And that got Jesus so fired up He couldn't eat. He replies to his disciples, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” He saw the fruit of his engagement with the woman at the well, and it inspired Him!
What did He do to make all this happen? It’s so incredibly simple:
- He loved her enough to engage her in real conversation.
- He challenged her to see herself honestly and to confront the truth about her life.
- He cast a vision for her—a vision of being a “true worshiper”—one who worships in spirit and in truth.
And what did He see happen?
She rose to His challenge. “Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony” (v.39). She became a mentor. She “paid it forward.”
And Jesus LOVED IT! …so much so that He stayed with them another two days (v. 40). And remember, we’re talking about the unclean, “half-breed” Samaritans.
Do you want to experience that exuberance? Do you want to be so excited about something that you can’t eat? Love those around you and engage them in real conversations.
Challenge them to see themselves honestly and confront the truth about their lives. Cast a vision for them as true worshipers and followers of God. And when God does His work in them, you've helped make a disciple-maker!
When’s the last time you got so excited about something God is doing that you couldn't eat? Has your passion for our Savior died down? One of the best ways to reignite your spiritual passion is to take a risk and watch God show up, especially if He’s leading you to take that risk by confronting someone you love with the truth of Jesus.
Question: When’s the last time you took a risk and shared your faith?
