“Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, ‘Will you give me a drink?’ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?’ (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.’”
John 4:4-10
I’ve always been flat-out interested in people and their struggles. If I meet someone in a wheelchair or dealing with chronic pain, I pepper them with questions: “How are you doing? What are your challenges? How do you cope? How can I pray for you?” I’m reminded of how Jesus took a personal interest in people when He walked this earth. He probed the deepest needs of a Samaritan woman at the town well. He invited himself to Zacchaeus’s house for lunch and met all his friends. He asked the father of a young demon-possessed boy, “How long has he been like this?” (John 4:4-26; Luke 19:5; Mark 9:21). To this day, Jesus remains deeply interested in the lives and thoughts of every person you will ever meet.
Today, you will no doubt come across someone who needs a helping hand and a listening ear. Be a good ambassador of Jesus. Take time to ask questions and really hear their situation. Pray for them and, if you’re able, lend a hand.
Lord Jesus, please love people through me today. Forgive me for being so wrapped up in my own stuff that I don’t take the time for others. Forgive me for being so impatient and so intent on my own schedule. Help me to see men and women through Your eyes and to respond with Your heart toward them.
