How is it, that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?

Joh 4:42  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. 

On the way to Galilee Jesus passed through Samaria. Wearied with His journey, He sat down by a well to rest while His disciples went to buy food. A woman of Samaria approached, and seeming unaware of His presence, began to fill her pitcher with water. As she turned to go away, Jesus asked her for a drink. The woman was surprised because the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans and she replied: "How is it, that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?" (John 4:3-9).

As the conversation continued, the woman realised that the person talking to her was no ordinary person but could be the Messiah they had been waiting for. The woman was overwhelmed with joy as she listened to Christ's words. The wonderful revelation was almost overpowering. Leaving her water pot, she returned to the city to carry the message to others: "Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” Her words touched their hearts. They were interested to see Jesus: "Then they went out of the city, and came unto Him" (John 4:25-30).

Jesus spent two days with the Samaritans and they heard Him gladly. In their new joy they said to the woman: “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:39-42).

We see the growth of their faith in Jesus. It started with curiousity from the report they heard from the woman. But after two days hearing from Christ themselves, they pronounced their faith in Jesus. The faith they had was their own and not because of the woman.   

One of the saddest things that I have seen in the church is of young men and women whom I have seen them grew up in the church since the day they were born quit believing when they become young adults. These youths became Christians as a result of family background; their parents are Christians. They attended church for the most part of their life; that is, until they become young adults. It makes us wonder what has gone wrong. The answer is shocking: they didn’t have a faith of their own. They did not own their faith.

As a parent myself and an elder, I always harbour this fear that our youths may “lose their faith.” For some of them, their “faith” is fuelled by the faith of their parents; they didn’t have a faith of their own. They are like the seeds which fell on the stony ground which were not rooted deep into the soil and so endured for only a little while (Matthew 13:21).

Owning our faith happens through a lifetime of conscious and intentional choices. These are choices we make in our lives and they determine whether we draw closer or further away from God. Faithfulness begins with a real and personal decision to believe in Christ. Faith fails to flourish when we do not intentionally desire it to grow. The result is church attendance and church fellowships are just social gatherings instead of faith developments.

If you find yourself drifting away from God, you need to make a comeback. You need to forge your faith and make it yours. How can you do it?

1. DESIRE GOD – Seek God and His word. Pray always (1 Thessalonians 5:17). They way to be close with God is to get close to Him: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8).

2. SERVE GOD – A layback faith will be become laid off faith. An active faith is a lasting faith: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

3. FELLOWSHIP – You need your brethren. The journey to heaven is long and you need travelling companions to make the journey joyous and easy. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24).

4. CHANGE – Live the life that Christ designed you to be. You are called to be conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). The apostle Peter exhorts Christians to add to their faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love (2 Peter 1:5-7). The question is: Why is there the need to add those things to faith? Peter answers: “For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). Peter continues: “for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). A changed life is a necessary ingredient for sustaining faith.

As you take root downward and grow upward, you will find joy in your faith. May you have the same conviction as the Samaritans: “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42).

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.