It is the last few minutes of a football game. The championship is on the line and the coach goes to the stands and puts a fan in the game. You would call this crazy. Why replace a talented player with someone of limited abilities?
Who would God send to help someone become a believer? You would think that He would send a seasoned, knowledgeable believer, right? In our story with the woman at the well, God uses a woman who has had only a short conversation with Jesus. What she knew about Jesus was limited yet she becomes an effective witness to who Jesus is.
The Least Likely
You might say she is the least likely person to lead others into the Kingdom of God. She has been married five times and is living with a sixth man. This woman avoids people as she comes to get water at the hottest time of the day. She probably wants to avoid nasty looks and gossip.
John 4:27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” 28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him. [1]
A History of the Unlikely
This may not be your idea of an evangelist, but God tells us His ways are not our ways. (Ref. Isa. 55:8-9) Throughout Scripture there is a theme of God using the unlikely to build His Kingdom.
God called out to Moses and told him to confront the most powerful man in the world at that time, Pharaoh, who was enslaving God’s people. Moses had a big problem. He was a nobody, and he couldn’t speak well. But God promised to be with him.
God told Joshua to lead his people into the promised land. There was a big problem because the people who lived there were very wicked and giant in size. God told him to be strong and courageous.
Gideon was a weak man from a weak family and people. God came to him and called him out to lead the effort against the Midianites who were oppressing God’s people. Gideon was not a mighty warrior and was a nobody. But God promised to be with him.
Joseph and Mary were poor people from a hick town, but God used them to bring His Messiah into the world. God loves to use the most unlikely of people to get His job done.
God Wants to Use You
What about you? Other people may think of you as, “unlikely to be used,” but God says, “Get in the game.” Take a step of faith and move forward with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and you will be surprised what God does.
To hear more about how God uses the unlikely, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/encountering-jesus-with-the-woman-at-the-well
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 4:27–30). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.