Ministering Out of Your Mess
by Tammy Iund Woodard
Monday — 10.19.20
I love the story in John 4 of the Woman at the Well. I encourage you to pause reading this blog and go read John 4. I’ll wait. :)
Welcome back! Let’s talk about some interesting things in that story. Things to take note of: Jews did not associate with Samaritans. Jesus was a Jew and the woman was a Samaritan. Women usually came to the well to draw water early in the morning, before the heat of the day. We can speculate that this woman was probably not accepted by her own community. This would be one of the reasons why she would be drawing water at this time of day. Perhaps she was even carrying some shame about the circumstances of her life. But Jesus spoke to her with respect and compassion all while speaking truth to her. He knew the details about her life. My favorite verse in this story:
John 4:28-30 NLT
28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
She ran back to her village to tell everyone she met about Jesus. Her life was still a wreck. Her circumstances had not changed. But her life had been forever changed because of her encounter with the Messiah.
This story is the very basis for ministering out of our mess. Sometimes, we all too often want our life in a pretty package with an even prettier bow on it before we allow people in. That’s not how we minister the good news of the gospel. God has equipped us to minister the good news of the gospel, just as the woman at the well did, even when our own life isn’t all put together. We as humans like control. We like to feel in control. We like to be in control. When we become Christ-Followers we relinquish that control to God. Don’t get me wrong, we have free will. We are not robots, but there is a peace and a blessing in surrendering our will to Jesus. I love the phrase: God does not gasp. Nothing catches Him by surprise. That is a settling feeling especially in these unsettling times. A life surrendered to Christ isn’t safe or comfortable but it is settled.
We minister from our mess because it’s not about us. It’s about our encounter with Christ. It’s about leading others to their own encounter. Paul says it like this: “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 Breen, M (2016). Building A Discipling Culture. “Fundamentally, effective leadership is based upon an invitation to relationship and a challenge to change.” As we see in Paul’s statement, he invites people to be a learner with him. As he learns to be a follower, an imitator of Christ, he extends an invitation to others to learn alongside him. The woman at the well did the same.
An encounter with Jesus changes everything, even in the midst of our mess. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:1 “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” We all have a calling. We are called to be a Christ follower and we are called to share the gospel.
Call to Action
Pray and reflect on the story of the women at the well in John 4, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Ephesians 4:1
Reflections:
What does a life surrendered to Jesus look like to you?
How do you feel about sharing the good news of the gospel to others?
What are the barriers that stop you from inviting others to “imitate” you as you imitate Christ?
What do you feel Jesus has called you to do?
