Have you ever felt too ashamed of your past to share what Jesus has done in your life?
The woman at the well in John 4 had every reason to hide from her community. Five failed marriages. Living with her boyfriend. A reputation that preceded her everywhere she went. Yet when Jesus showed up at that well, everything changed - not just for her, but for an entire city.
Her story reveals 5 life-changing lessons about shame and redemption that can transform how we see our past and our purpose. Let's dive into what we can learn from this remarkable encounter.
Lesson #1: Your Shame Doesn't Disqualify You From God's Love
Let's be honest - we live in a culture that loves to dig up dirt from people's past. Social media makes sure nothing is ever truly forgotten. But here's what the woman at the well teaches us: your past shame can become your present testimony.
In John 4:28-29, we see something remarkable: "The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"
Think about that for a minute. This woman - who had every reason to be ashamed - goes straight to the men of her city and essentially says, "Come meet the man who knows all my dirty laundry, and guess what? He's the Messiah!"
Lesson #2: Jesus Cares More About Your Soul Than Social Traditions
The disciples were shocked that Jesus was talking to this woman. Why? Because Jewish tradition said a rabbi shouldn't speak to a woman in public - not even his own wife or daughter. But Jesus didn't come to fulfill culture. He came to save souls.
Here's what hit me: Jesus is fine violating your tradition, but He's never fine violating scripture.
The disciples would have rather Jesus follow their tradition and ignore this woman than follow God's heart for lost souls. Sound familiar? How often do we get more upset about someone breaking our church traditions than we do about people going to hell?
Lesson #3: Redemption Transforms Shame Into Unstoppable Witness
When Jesus comes into your life, you can't stay the same. It's impossible. This woman went from hiding at the well during the heat of the day (to avoid people) to boldly witnessing to the entire city.
But here's the beautiful part - her witness wasn't perfect. She probably fumbled her words, gave wrong answers to questions, and felt nervous. But she started somewhere.
In verse 39, we read: "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did."
Her imperfect testimony led an entire group of men to Jesus. These guys literally stopped what they were doing and ran out of the city to find Him for themselves. Do you know how hard it is to get men to stop a project? But there's something about Jesus moving into a man's life that makes him willing to drop everything and run to the Savior.
Lesson #4: Leaving Your "Water Pot" - What Needs to Change
The woman left her water pot - a symbol of leaving her old life behind. But notice something important: Jesus isn't telling us to quit our jobs and daily responsibilities. This woman was a hard worker, and Jesus was fine with her working.
We need more women who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, who can work hard and still serve Jesus. We don't need Baptist Barbie dolls sitting pretty in church - we need women who can haul water, raise kids, work the farm, and still boldly witness for Christ.
So what's your water pot? What do you need to leave behind to serve Jesus more effectively?
Three Questions to Consider:
What's in your life that can be used as a testimony to point someone else to Jesus?
What work has God given you to do for His kingdom?
Are you living for Jesus, or just trying to see if Jesus fits into your lifestyle?
Lesson #5: True Discipleship Means Seeing Souls, Not Labels
When you look at people, what do you see? Pretty or ugly? Rich or poor? Black or white? North or south? Or do you see thirsty souls who need Jesus Christ?
The disciples kind of missed it. They saw a Samaritan woman with a questionable past. Jesus saw a burdened soul who needed living water.
At a recent festival, I met a man who spent ten minutes telling me about crooked preachers, stolen logs, and Masonic lodges influencing churches. When I asked him what any of that had to do with his soul being right before God, he couldn't answer. He wanted Jesus to fix all his earthly problems but wasn't interested in dealing with his sin problem.
Life's problems aren't promised to go away because you trust Jesus. But your sin problem will be taken care of - that's gone forever.
Your Meat vs. Their Lunch
While the disciples were worried about lunch, Jesus said in verse 34: "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."
When you're truly excited about serving Jesus, you don't care if you miss lunch. When you're in the will of God, serving with God's people, time flies. You look at the clock and can't believe how late it is because you're just enjoying fellowship and kingdom work.
That's the difference between having Jesus as an addition to your life versus having Him as the center of your life.
The Bottom Line
"Thy will be done" isn't just a prayer - it's a lifestyle. Are you living for Jesus, or are you trying to get Jesus to fit into your will, your water pot, your movement?
This woman teaches us that it's not about getting rid of our jobs, families, or responsibilities. It's about putting them in the right place so we don't have the whole thing backwards.
Your past doesn't define you. Your shame doesn't disqualify you. Your imperfect testimony can still be used by God to reach souls.
Just like this woman, you can leave your water pot - your shame, your excuses, your fear - and go tell someone about the man who knows everything you've ever done and still loves you enough to save you.
Want to dive deeper into this powerful passage? 🎧✨ I encourage you to listen to the entire message for the full expository preaching experience. This verse-by-verse Bible teaching contains so much more than what I could fit in this blog post. The complete sermon will challenge and encourage you in ways that might just change how you see your own story!