“New Motivations” (Samaritan Woman)

Sometimes organizations lose sight of why they exist. They become focused on the non-essentials, while the essentials are lost. We call this “missional drift.” Over the years, plenty of churches have lost sight of their mission. Suddenly, they become consumed with budgets, programs, &/or events to the point that their gathering times are filled with lots of activities, but no real purpose behind any of them. If we are not intentionally guarding against such a trap, we will also become its victim. For the disciples of Jesus, there were times when they forgot why they were doing what they were doing. It wasn’t that they lacked love for God or even commitment to following him. It was that they “got lost in meaningless details” when great opportunities were right in front of them. This was one of those times. Instead, of seeing the Samaritan woman as a possible convert to their Jesus movement, they saw her as a social outcast. Instead of having a sense of urgency in the moment, they pushed Jesus to eat some food. While it is noble that they cared about his physical health, it is equally disappointing that they didn’t sense the opportunity right in front of their faces. Sadly, we often make the same mistake. Filled with perceptions of pride, prejudice, or pleasure, we miss out on impacting the “most unlikely” of persons. Make sure that you see people the way that Jesus saw people – with love and compassion. Just as Jesus challenged his disciples, we must “open our eyes” and see the incredible mission field in front of us. We have moms, dads, sisters, brothers, classmates, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone in between who may need Jesus! What are we doing about it? It’s time that we invest in our “circle of influence” for the Gospel’s sake. Then, you have the Samaritan woman’s instant passion to share the Gospel with everyone she knew! This is such a blessing to see as a new Christian with an unmatched hunger to live for Jesus tells everyone he or she knows about his or her “new Savior!” Maybe some of us need to go back to the “beginning” when we first came to Jesus Christ and how he changed our lives! The Gospel creates momentum and excitement like nothing else!