Influencers Weekly Devotional

The Story of the Man at the Well By

Bryan Craig

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”

John 4:23

How can we reach the men? This question has been pondered by many pastors and many ministries. It is obvious that, in our society, men still hold the highest positions in politics, business, entertainment, church. They truly are the power brokers of our day. It is also obvious that men have abused their strong position and have lead the way to abuse, corruption, crime, divorce. So, if you wanted to target one people group to which you want to minister which has the greatest potential for societal impact, you should target men. In our quest to minister to men, however, we have, perhaps, missed something. We feel as if we have to relate to men through adventure, competition, entertainment. We have to plan activities, service projects and barbecues in order to capture man’s short attention span. For most men, the world revolves around them, so we feel we must join that orbit, with hopes of sending a few asteroids that might penetrate their planet. Maybe we can learn a lesson from Jesus and the “Woman at the Well.” This story is found in John 4:7-26. It is an intriguing story, but one which men might dismiss too quickly since the main character is a woman. Jesus approaches the woman, one on one, and asks her for a drink. This begins a dialogue with the Savior where Jesus reveals Himself. He creates in this woman a thirst to know more, to know of this “Living Water” which she has never tasted. As she seeks this water, Jesus convicts her of her sinful behavior. It seems she cannot taste of this water until she is willing to turn from her sin. This elicits a response which turns the conversation to worship. Jesus invites her to the mountain of worship and though she doesn’t understand everything fully, she discovers that Jesus is the Messiah. This story could be about a Man at the Well. He is all by himself, doing his work, keeping to himself. He is not seeking Jesus. He is just walking in quiet desperation, knowing all his private sins and his unanswered questions about life. This is his lot in life, this mundane trip to well for the millionth time, providing water for his family. All of the sudden, unexpectedly, Jesus meets him face to face. He reaches out his hand to the man. The man is taken back, not prone to enjoy conversations with strangers, but somehow drawn to this warm smile and this kind gesture. Jesus asks him for something…to share his water with Him. Jesus is invading his privacy, and his selfish nature wants to withdraw. Before he can complete his consideration of this request, Jesus tells him, “Why are you being so selfish? Don’t you understand that I have water to give you that you know nothing about? The water I can give you will save your life.” Jesus continues, “My water will deliver you from your bondage and give you a new purpose in life.” The man says, “Okay, give me some of this water.” Jesus says, “I’ll be glad to give you some, but first, I’d like you to stop looking at pornography,” or “First, go call your mistress and tell her it’s over, “ or “First, quit cheating on your taxes,” or “First, quit lying,” or “First, quit having such a foul mouth,” or “First, quit holding so tightly to your money.” It could be any number of things. The man knows that Jesus knows. He stands at the crossroads. Jesus is holding out his arms, offering life to this man. He is looking back at his secret sins, trying to decide if he will let go of them to receive what Jesus is offering him. Jesus gives him further encouragement, “If you follow Me, I will take you to new heights. You will become a true worshiper. You will become a beacon of light for others to follow. You will find more fulfillment and more joy than you can imagine. So, what do you think?” The man stands there for a minute, seeking the courage to take this step of faith to join this stranger on a new adventure. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for God to show me the way,” he says. Jesus says, “Son, it’s Me! Let’s go.” So many men are waiting at the Well. They are just waiting on someone to show them the Way. They are not looking for a Barbecue or a Football Game. They are looking for Jesus. This is why I believe in Influencers and The Journey. We have a God-anointed process to introduce men to Jesus. They may have had glimpses of Him in their life, but they have never followed Him. We just make introductions and Jesus does the rest. He meets men where they are and takes them places only He can take them. Who are the men standing by the Well in your life? Invite them to join you on The Journey and see what God might do in their life. Download file