Finding Meaning in the Middle of Change 預覽

It Starts Today

Think about the most impactful day of your life. Maybe it’s the day you graduated, the day you accepted your dream job, or the day you married the love of your life. Perhaps the most impactful day of your life isn’t tied up with a nice bow. Maybe it’s the day you lost a parent or received a bad medical report. No matter which day comes to mind, it likely changed your life.

Let’s look at one example of life change in the Bible. At one point during His ministry, Jesus met a woman at a well in the afternoon, which was highly unusual because women typically collected water in the cooler hours of the day.

When their paths cross at the well, Jesus asks her for a drink of water. The woman is immediately taken aback, suggesting that she’s not used to being addressed—especially by a Jew. They enter into a conversation about Jesus’ living water, and He tells her that a person who drinks it will never be thirsty again.

The woman wants this water—maybe so that she doesn’t have to live with the shame she carries as she draws water under the hot sun in the afternoon. Jesus then tells her to bring her husband, knowing she doesn’t have one. In fact, the man she’s living with is not her husband. Then, Jesus changes her life in an instant:

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” John 4:25-26 NIV

Immediately, the woman left her water jar and went to tell the town of her encounter with Jesus. As a result, many people in her town accepted and believed in Jesus. A woman who was an outcast suddenly became a pivotal part of God’s plan. 

God wants us to experience that same kind of transformative life change.

The kind of life change Jesus offers sets us free from our past. It offers joy, regardless of our circumstances. And it allows us to live like we are loved and chosen.

But this kind of life change requires more than just reading your Bible and listening to worship songs. Why? Because truly transformative life change is more than just hearing the right information. The woman at the well didn’t just hear a conversation with Jesus, she experienced freedom in her encounter with Him.

She asked hard questions. She engaged in the conversation. And then, she took action, sharing the Good News with everyone in her community. 

To experience real, transformative life change, you need to lean in and listen to God. You need to talk with others. And you need to take action, just like James 1:22 reminds us: 

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 NIV

Prayer: God, thank You for writing my story. I trust You to do amazing things in and through me for Your glory. You have the power to change my life. And you allow me and invite me to be a part of those changes. So, God, show me what next step I need to take today. Open my heart to Your truth. Direct my thoughts toward You, and show me how to honor You in everything I do today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Challenge: Set a timer for five minutes, and ask God to speak to you. Journal what you think He’s saying to you, then talk about it with a close friend or mentor.