I get so frustrated by my Angel.

Not by a heavenly angel. But by my earthly cat called Angel!

Almost every day she climbs up onto the bathtub. She is “begging” for water. But she blocks my hands from the faucet. She blocks me from giving her the water she’s craving!

We are often the same way. God wants to bless us by giving us “living water”. We crave such water. Nevertheless, we block his efforts to give us living water.

We resort to many of the same “obstructionist ways” as the Samaritan-Woman-At-the-Well did! (John 4:4-42).

As you may recall, Jesus had sent his disciples into a nearby Samaritan village. He was alone when a woman from the village came alone to the well in the heat of the day. As we learn more about the woman’s life, it becomes apparent  that the other women in town are shunning her.

Jesus struck up a conversation. This was very unusual in that culture. Not only because a man didn’t usually talk alone with a woman who wasn’t part of his family. It was also unusual because Samaritans and Jews usually shunned each other due to historical differences in ethnicity, nationality and religion. (John 4:9).

Jesus turned their conversation to the topic of him giving the woman “living water”.

The Samaritan woman asked, “Where can you get this living water?” She was puzzled because the well was deep and Jesus had nothing to draw water with (John 4:11).

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this [physical] water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the [living] water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up in them to eternal life.’”(John 4:13-14).

The woman asked for this water so that she wouldn’t have to keep coming to the well to draw water.

How many times do we block “living water” in our lives by trivializing its importance? Jesus offers us living water “welling up . . . to eternal life”. But all we care about is whether it means less physical work for us.

As James wrote, when you ask God for something and don’t receive it, often it’s because “you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures.” (James 4:3).

The next excuse to block the flow of living water was the woman’s marital status. She’d had five husbands and was now living with a man who was not her husband.

Nevertheless, Jesus was still glad to give her living water.

We should never believe that we’re too bad a person, or too big a failure, to drink living water.

Spouses and sexual partners may reject us. Nevertheless, God doesn’t reject us.

God still wants to be our friend. God still wants to give us living water that produces good fruit that will last in our lives and in our world. (John 15:15-17; James 2:23-24; Revelation 22:1-2).

Furthermore, we shouldn’t jump to the traditional patriarchal assumption that the woman was promiscuous and an adulteress. We aren’t told why she had five husbands and was currently living with a man who was not her husband.

Remember, in that male-dominated culture, women could not divorce men. In contrast, men could divorce their wife for any reason at any time. (Matthew 19:3-10).

Maybe the problem was that the men in her life were promiscuous and adulterers.

Maybe the problem was that she was ugly and an awful cook. We just don’t know.

The woman was impressed by how much Jesus knew about her (John 4:28-29,39). She said, “Sir . . . , I can see that you are a prophet.” (John 4:19).

The woman changed the topic from drinking living water to debating a religious dispute. This argument between Samaritans and Jews had lasted for centuries. She said, “Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” (John 4:20).

Jesus refused to be distracted by an argument about religion. He wanted her to accept his gift of living water.

He quickly brushed aside this distracting, ancient religious dispute, confirming that “salvation is from the Jews”. (John 4:22).

Then Jesus directed the woman back to the true, underlying issue. Would the woman accept his offer to give her living water? Would she stop blocking his efforts to give her living water that “will become in [her] a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).

Jesus explained to the woman:

“[A] time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24).

Don’t get distracted by abstract arguments about religion!

Paul wants us to avoid teachings about myths and endless genealogies. Why? Because such teachings about peripheral topics “promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.” (1 Timothy 1:4).

In contrast, we need to devote ourselves to teachings that promote “faith expressing itself through love”. (Galatians 5:6-7)—faith expressing itself through practical acts of “love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5).

Paul warned that “[s]ome have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.” (1 Timothy 1:5-6).

Why?

Because “they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” (1 Timothy 1:7).

So keep focusing on teachings that encourage you to drink living water, expressing your faith through love.

Don’t get distracted and discouraged by dwelling on past problems and failures!

Instead, “[f]orgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, . . . press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [you] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Stop blocking living water. Keep drinking living water.

Express your faith through love that becomes in you “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Have you ever blocked the flow of living water into your life? Into our world? How? Why?

Have you ever been distracted by abstract arguments about religion? How? Why?

Have you ever been distracted and discouraged by dwelling on past problems and failures? How? Why?

Have you ever forgotten what is behind so you can press on toward what is ahead? How? Why?

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For other blogs about Angel, please read my blogs “Stop Drinking Stagnant Water!”, “Angel Knocking My Book Out of My Hands”, “The Angel Beside Me”, “Eating Too Much Too Quickly”, “Eat the Right Cat Food!”, and “Stop Stopping Me!”.

For related thoughts, please read my blogs “Best Friends Worship in Spirit and in Truth”; “The Way of Jesus: The Truth of Christmas”, “The Truth of Easter”, “Places of Worship—Spirit and Truth”, “The Way of Jesus: The Truth Overcomes Oceans of Doubts”, “The Way of Jesus: The Truth Overcomes Oceans of Hopeless Confusion”, and “The Way of Jesus: The Truth”.