Monthly Devo - The Changemaker at the Well

One of our foundational scriptures at One Collective comes from John chapter 4—where Jesus connects with a Samaritan woman at the well. Much has been made of the fact that she was a woman, a Samaritan, and had a complicated personal history. Whether she was shamed for her past or marginalized by her circumstances, Jesus saw beyond all of that. He treated her with dignity and engaged her in the longest recorded conversation he had with any individual in the four Gospels. He revealed to her, plainly, that he was the Messiah and invited her to drink from the living water that only he can offer.

Jesus consistently sees through the barriers that culture and society place on the oppressed. He treats each person according to their true identity—as an image bearer of God. In this woman, whom society had cast aside, Jesus saw potential. He saw that one life could become the seed for transformation in an entire community.

At One Collective, we often refer to people like her as local changemakers—individuals within a community in whom God is already at work. One life that influences many and points others to Jesus. As we work in communities around the world, we try to take our cues from Jesus. His kingdom is upside down. Few would have identified the woman at the well as someone important, let alone someone who would help transform her community.

Pray with us that we would have eyes to see who God is already working in. That we would recognize the local changemakers who will be instrumental in bringing others to Jesus—the one who transforms both lives and communities. Even if she is someone the world has turned its back on.