Read John 4:1-42
A new image in spite of circumstances
John chapter four records the story of Jesus encountering a broken woman at a Common well in the town of Samaria. However, the details within this story are anything but common. Jesus takes an alternate route on his journey to Galilee. This led him to an encounter with a very unlikely person, a Samaritan woman. At this time Jews and Samaritans had hatred for one another. It was also at a very unlikely time of day. The alternate paths that brought them to this place reflected lives that were wildly different. There was no doubt that they both came together at the well with profound purpose in connection with God’s plan.
A new image that promises hope
As Jesus engaged in a dialogue with this Samaritan woman, he did so with the intention of breaking down barriers. He wanted her to understand that he was interested in her life in spite of the circumstances that found her alone at the well. This divine appointment with the Son of Man would offer her more than water to quench her physical thirst. She had no way to know that the longing she had for her life, that she had determined would never be possible, was about to be made possible. Jesus said to her in verse 14, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Through this statement, Jesus was emphatically saying, “I am for you!” In this moment, it didn’t matter what had brought her to this common place; rather, this became for her a new place in life that promised hope and healing. On this day, her journey to a deep well offered the assurance that she would never be thirsty again.
Mistruths are corrected with our new image
Likewise, the journey through weight loss often has tentacles that reach back to places of hardship and pain. This can result in one surrendering in despair and allowing for choices and patterns of life to take control. All of it can interfere with personal well-being. At the center of this struggle for a life that desires to thirst no more, there resides a life script. Continually reminding, I can’t… – I’m a failure… – People don’t understand… – There is no hope for me. It’s a collection of mistruths that keep one stuck and render one hopeless, but it’s not the way of Jesus.
Jesus gives us a new image that brings confidence grounded in the truth
Instead, the way of Jesus involves a new way – a way of truth. A way of hope, and a way of restoration. The way of Jesus involves a different type of surrender, which isn’t found in giving up. It is relinquishing the thought life and patterned approach in exchange for the hope and plan that He offers. It involves a “New Image” in which we can reimagine ourselves under His love and Lordship. Jesus offers a confidence beyond ourselves, a confidence that is deeply grounded in the truth that Jesus is for us. He will meet us where we are and guide us on the new path. We will also have the assurance that we can have a life in him.
There is a pathway to a new image
A key underlying element attached to this story is that Jesus knew everything about the Samaritan woman. He loved her without condition. This was the pathway to hope and purpose for a woman who had lost her way. It continues as the same pathway for us today. It involves thinking about ourselves differently, because Jesus thinks about us differently. It’s the pathway to A New Image from the perspective of Jesus that gives way to a new life!
Questions:
Are you in touch with any elements of a negative script that runs through your thoughts and, in turn, controls your decisions and actions?
Do you believe that Jesus is for you, and that He still meets people at wells to offer hope and healing?
Are you ready to positively surrender in a way that will open you up to new possibilities and opportunities? If so, what does this look like in your situation?
What is one thing that you can do today to begin moving in a more positive direction from the inside out?
For Clients:
Schedule time each week on Thursdays at 7:15 pm for a coaching call with Dr Jeff and Dr Cindy Tanzar. You may also choose to listen to previous coaching calls as a means of gaining encouragement and equipping for weight loss.
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