Reflection
(Further reading: John 4:1-26)
I recently bought — for research purposes! — a bottle of sugary drink whose manufacturer clearly saw a way to capitalise on the current obsession with wellbeing. You just had to add the powdered vitamins stored in the lid to the plain water inside and shake vigorously in order to “transform water into wellness.” 600mls of the stuff set me back an exorbitant $4.80, but in light of the promised payoff — fulfilment, satisfaction, purity, flourishing, wellness — that’s a small price to pay… isn’t it?
Despite the gap of two millennia, the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 could be us today. We’re still on the hunt for the kind of satisfaction — through love, career, family or achievement — that no earthly good can satisfy. Like the woman, the only thing that will slake our thirst is the ‘living water’ offered by Jesus — reconciliation with our maker that will refresh our spirit and sustain us now and forever.
Where are you looking for fulfilment and satisfaction?
Prayer
Our loving Father, forgive us for chasing satisfaction everywhere but in you. Keep our eyes on you, and remind us through your word, and inscribe upon our hearts the knowledge that nothing less than you will satisfy. Amen.