How to Stay Standing by Alli Patterson

Author:Alli Patterson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Living;Spiritual formation;Jesus Christ—Example;REL012120;REL012070
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2022-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Ouch. But it was true. That was her story—five husbands. Any of the potential backstories there must have been bad for her. Jesus pointed out the obvious: her life wasn’t working very well. That’s likely what had landed her at the well at that time of day; she knew no one else would be around. It was clear in their exchange that she was like many people I know today, interested in what God is doing but not really sure how to fit her life into it. Even though she saw that Jesus was somehow different, she was hung up on how things had been in the past.

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (vv. 9–10)

She wanted something more but overlooked the person right in front of her who was the key to something new. “‘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’” (vv. 25–26). Jesus was standing in front of her with an invitation to a new story. If she could hear it, she could find life. Jesus is the key to yours as well.

But you need to see him, know him, hear him to follow. And that’s where the Bible comes in. As you read, you’ll get to know Jesus through his past.

This is true for anyone. If you learn about someone’s past, they always make much more sense. It helps you get where they’re coming from when they speak or act a certain way. When I learned my friend’s past about the sudden tragic loss of both her mom and sister, I understood why she got anxious when I was unresponsive on our group text. If I hadn’t known, I might have brushed it off or just told her to calm down; but when I understood her past, I knew her. I was able to understand her, know her, love her better. When you know someone’s story, you know their heart and how it was formed. You can start to anticipate how they’ll feel about things. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said things to my kids like, “You know that makes Dad grumpy.” Or, “You know how I feel about crumbs right after I’ve cleaned.” (In twenty-four hours I’ll have given up again, but they don’t dare brush their cracker crumbs on the floor right after I vacuum.)

Knowing someone’s story teaches you to see patterns of how that person acts in various situations. When you know the backstory, you understand someone’s motives. Over time you start to credit that person with those intentions. You assume that’s what they’re about because you’ve witnessed their character.

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