What is your “well?”
“The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” – John 4:15 (KJV)
This text can “draw” out many things that are literally found in our lives—some day-to-day, some week-to-week—but ultimately, there is a focal point that we must address. It is obvious that this woman was ostracized from her community because she came to the well at a time when most women would not want to draw water. We find there that an emotional void was present. She had been married five times, was currently living with someone, and things were not going in her favor. It was a situation where it seemed that the further in she got, the harder it was to get out.
The implications of this moment with Jesus were no accident or coincidence; it is written in the fourth verse that Jesus had to go through Samaria. Sometimes Jesus meets us in an undesirable place where our sin is, because His grace can overpower our sin. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Romans 5:20b) We don’t always want Jesus to step into our areas of sin, but He will to rescue us. In the days of Christ, Jews would avoid Samaria altogether. There were racial prejudices involved (John 4:9) and debates on where to worship (John 4:20-21). It was obvious the place in and of itself was becoming a “well.” So the question screams: what is a “well” and why was she so excited, saying basically, “give me the water so I don’t have to come here”?
What is your “well?” The truth we face is often complex, because we want to justify it, beautify it, participate in it, and ultimately, enjoy it. So, what can we do when we spot the “well” or “wells” in our lives? The “wells” of our lives are things that separate us from Christ. Sometimes it’s work: we go to work but bring it home, trying to find comfort in some area of our lives to the exclusion of Christ. That is a “well.” Sometimes it’s a relationship that we know 100 percent is not of God, but it “satisfies” us in some way, yet leaves us drained and empty when we spend time alone. While there is an abundance of “wells” clamoring for our attention, one thing is certain: the “wells” in our lives leave us returning, dry, and often not wanting to go back, but being forced to. We return because we think if we could just get “one more time,” that “maybe, just maybe, this time will be different.” Jesus gave an appropriate approach to dealing with the “wells” of our lives.
Jesus Confronted the “Well” for What It Was: Sin (John 4:16-18) Sin always introduces a destructive element into our lives. Its purpose is not just to tear us apart, bring us low, draw us to addictions, pull us into an early grave, or cause us to indulge in things we once found abhorrent. Sin's ultimate desire is rulership over you and me; its sole purpose is to separate us from the power, love, grace, and fullness that we can find in a true relationship with God.
Jesus Revealed Who He Is (John 4:23-24) Jesus didn’t want her to focus on the religious, pious, yet fake religion of her time. Jesus was about to bring a new revelation of the traditional religion that was filled with guilt, making her wonder,“what's the point, and am I doing this correctly to please God?” Jesus was about to show her grace that supersedes the Law. Perhaps you are in a traditional religion and haven’t branched into the real truth of who Jesus is: God.
Jesus Knew His Word Would Send Her Away from the “Well.” (John 4:28) Once you acknowledge your “well” as sin, not comfort, and are convicted by the Holy Spirit about what it is—sinful and tiring behavior—Jesus can step in and show you that it is empty. You can drop the façade of fake religious worship, an idol of a “well,” and the faith you desire can arise within you if you decide to take your time at the “well” and spend that time with Jesus.
The facts are the facts: “wells” are in our lives, no matter our deep devotion, no matter how much we do for God. A “well” is near us and we visit it. It is time to drop the bucket that always ends up dry and get away, once and for all.
Prayer: Father God, in Jesus' Name, I pray that if I did not receive the Holy Spirit's help to see my “well,” that it would come to mind as soon as possible. I pray that nothing stops me from understanding what it is, and at the same time, I pray that nothing stops me from recognizing it is empty—it is a “well” that ultimately draws an empty bucket. I pray that You free me from the self-life, the life independent of You, so I can live in the fullness of the power of God by Your grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.