7TH MARCH
John 4:10-12
“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink’, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.’”
You must learn to let gospel conversations develop naturally!
Jesus doesn’t begin with the big truth this woman needs to embrace in order to be right with God. He makes a statement that could take the conversation in a meaningful direction and then sees where his Father takes it.
As you read this account, the conversation doesn’t seem at all artificial or contrived. It just grows out of the current topic. Jesus says something about thirst and water that will cause the woman to engage more deeply.
What Jesus is modelling for us is a lifestyle that trusts God to work through us. You don’t need to launch into a scripted gospel presentation that you have memorised. Rather, start conversations moving in a spiritual direction and trust God to take them where he wants them to go, in his time.
If the person doesn’t want to go in a meaningful direction, you can trust God with that too. Remember that God, not you, is the one drawing that person to himself. Trust him and start talking!
MAKE IT PERSONAL:
What ‘current topic’ in the news can you use to start a conversation with someone you meet today? How could you take that conversation in a spiritual direction?