Sharing Our Pasts

Sharing Our Pasts

The Woman At The Well

Read: John 4:39-42

I tried not to look shocked as the woman spoke about her life. After going to church with her for a couple of years, I had decided that she must come from a perfect family background and enjoy a problem-free life. Otherwise, how could she always look so sweet and serene? Now, she told about the violence in her family as she grew up and how she still struggled with its aftereffects.

The Samaritan woman came to the well in the middle of the day to avoid other people, but after a conversation with Jesus, she ran into the village to tell everyone that she had found the Messiah. She no longer worried about what others thought about her or how they might treat her. She had one burning desire—to share what she had learned about God. The people knew her reputation, but they now saw something different about her.

As a result of her testimony, the people listened to Jesus’ message, and many believed in him as the Savior of the world. Because of her shady past, the woman became a powerful witness for Jesus and his ability to change people’s lives.

When we become Christians, we sometimes try to act as if our lives were perfect. But we all come with baggage from our past. God may instantly set us free from some of it, while allowing us to work through other parts of it our whole lifetime. When we share our struggles and problems with others, our lives become testimonies to God’s grace and power. Since God loves and accepts us, we are free to be real with other people. We can admit that although our lives have changed, we may still have baggage, but now we have a different destination.

We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Philippians 1:30