When God Moves in Your Life: The Story of the Woman at the Well
Have you ever experienced something so incredible that you couldn't keep it to yourself? Maybe you discovered an amazing restaurant and immediately started texting friends about it, or heard a song that you had to share before it was even finished playing. When something truly impacts us, we naturally want to share it with others.
This natural response to share what moves us is at the heart of one of the most powerful encounters in the Bible - the story of the woman at the well in John chapter 4. It's a story about unexpected grace, radical transformation, and the unstoppable urge to share good news.
Why Do We Hide When We're Hurting?
The story takes place at noon, in the scorching heat of the day. This detail matters more than we might initially realize. Most people came to the well early in the morning or in the evening when it was cooler and when the community gathered to socialize. But this woman came alone, in the heat, avoiding everyone.
Her timing tells us everything about her emotional state - she was hiding. She had shaped her entire routine around avoiding people, flying under the radar, staying unnoticed. This is what shame does to us. It isolates us and convinces us we deserve to be alone.
We've all been there in some way. Maybe life didn't turn out like we planned. Maybe we've made choices we regret. Maybe we find ourselves thinking, "This wasn't supposed to be my story. I wasn't supposed to end up here."
How Does Jesus Meet Us in Our Hiding?
Here's what's beautiful about our Savior - Jesus meets us where we are, not where we think we should be. He doesn't wait for us to clean ourselves up or climb out of whatever pit we've dug. He steps right into our mess and says, "I'm not afraid of this. I'm not going anywhere."
When Jesus asks the woman for a drink, she's shocked. Jewish men didn't speak to Samaritan women, especially rabbis speaking to women with questionable reputations. But Jesus doesn't care about cultural norms or social barriers. He sees her completely and still chooses to speak with her with dignity and kindness.
What Is Living Water and Why Do We Need It?
Jesus offers her "living water" - something that will permanently satisfy the deep longing inside every human heart. This isn't about physical thirst; it's about the spiritual emptiness we all try to fill with temporary things.
We've all felt that longing inside us that we try to satisfy with relationships, achievements, possessions, or quick fixes. Psychologists call this the "hedonic treadmill" - we keep striving and trying, but we never find lasting satisfaction. We just need more and more.
This woman had been on that treadmill, going from husband to husband, hoping each relationship would finally fill the void. But Jesus offers something different - water that satisfies permanently, that becomes "a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
Why Does Jesus Expose Our Hidden Shame?
When Jesus tells her to call her husband, He's not trying to embarrass her. He's revealing that He already knows about her five previous marriages and her current unmarried relationship. But here's the miracle - He knows everything and He's still there, still speaking to her with love.
Jesus pulls back the veil on her shame not to condemn her, but to show her she doesn't have to hide anymore. He sees her completely and still chooses her. This moves her from her past into a new present where she can be fully herself without fear.
What Happens When We Truly Encounter Jesus?
The transformation is immediate and dramatic. The woman leaves her water jar behind - the very thing she came for - and runs back to the town she'd been avoiding. She goes to the same people she'd been hiding from and declares, "Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did!"
Notice what she doesn't do. She doesn't have a sermon prepared. She doesn't quote scripture or share deep theological insights. She simply shares her story: "Come and see what happened to me."
Many Samaritans believed because of her testimony, and Jesus spent several days with them. An entire community was transformed because one woman couldn't keep quiet about what Jesus had done for her.
How Can We Share Our Story Like She Did?
Sharing our faith doesn't require seminary training or perfect theological knowledge. It requires three simple elements that every believer can provide:
Who I was before Jesus: The woman could have said, "I was tired, ashamed, hiding from everyone, and thought my life was over."
How I met Jesus: "I went to the well just trying to survive another day, and Jesus spoke to me. He saw everything I'd ever done and offered me living water."
Who I am now because of Him: "I don't need to hide anymore. I'm no longer ashamed because I have peace, purpose, and I want you to meet Him too."
Every believer has this story. We just need to be willing to share it faithfully and honestly.
What Does It Mean to Ghost the Gospel?
When God moves in your life, it's never meant to stop with you. The gospel within us should never make us ghosts to the world. We're called to be lights, not hidden lamps.
If we're not ashamed of what Jesus has done for us, we need to prove that by living it out and sharing it. Every time we hide our faith or stay silent about Jesus, we're downplaying who He really is. We're ghosting our Savior.
Here's a challenging truth: ghosting the call on your life is no different than ghosting what Jesus has done for you. When Jesus meets you at your well, that's not the conclusion of your story - it's the beginning of your calling.
What Happened to the Woman at the Well?
Church history tells us that early believers gave this woman a name: Photini, meaning "the Luminous One" or "the Light-bringer." According to tradition, she became a missionary, traveling to North Africa to tell people about Jesus.
She was eventually arrested for preaching to Emperor Nero's court. When given the chance to renounce Jesus and save her life, she refused. Her recorded last words were: "I have drunk the water of life and I will never thirst again."
The woman who once came to the well in shame became known as "Photini the Martyr, Equal to the Apostles." One encounter with Jesus transformed a hiding woman into a light to the nations.
Life Application
This week, take time to answer these three questions for yourself: Who were you before Jesus? How did you meet Him? Who are you now because of Him? Write down your answers and practice sharing your story with someone.
Remember, sharing your faith is simply one formerly thirsty soul telling another thirsty soul where to find living water. Don't let anyone around you go thirsty when you have access to the source of living water.
Ask yourself these questions: Is Jesus enough for you to care about the people around you? Are you willing to be a light instead of a ghost? Will you refuse to downplay who Jesus really is by staying silent about what He's done in your life?
The way you answer these questions isn't with words - it's by telling somebody that the one who saved you is desperate to save them too. If Jesus is enough for you, prove it by sharing Him with others who desperately need the hope and healing only He can provide.