Jesus, My Source!

by Luciana Silva Sousa, Brazil

Secular life is always directing our purposes towards achievements – achieving an ideal life. Society establishes plans, dreams, goals, objectives, which consciously or unconsciously attract us. We can become convinced that these ideas will provide joy, fulfillment, peace. As a single woman and a mature Christian, I continually feel pressure from common and widely held ideals:

"God will bless you with a good husband."

"God will bless you with a beautiful family."

"You like children so much, God will bless you with beautiful children."

“God has great plans for your life!”

For many years I embraced these ideologies in my life. Internally I believed that I would be more fulfilled if I were married, if I had my children, if I had a partner! Maybe because of my pride, I presented ready-made phrases, like, "God knows what's best for me;” but I was wanting to fulfill these paradigms established by society, I didn't feel blessed for not having achieved these purposes in my life. I felt like there was something in me that didn't allow me to make these dreams come true. I cried with God, I didn't feel (I don't feel) ready to talk openly about how these ideologies hurt me for years, even though I lived a Christian life.

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

Seeing Christ in this context, in this ideology of life, in this paradigm, is definitely liberating! But the liberation process is not quick. It is not immediate!  However --Jesus is the source of living water! Jesus meets my needs!

To have this message become true in my life, I had to endure some negative experiences in my relationships inside and outside the Church. I needed to recognize that, first, my pride is my biggest enemy. I had to see that my paradigms, my ideologies were contaminated by these secular thoughts and ideologies. I had to see that not realizing these dreams saddened me, did not make me feel blessed.

The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”- John 4:18 NIV

What you just said is true!

Telling the truth makes all the difference --  not saying what people want to hear, not saying what you want to be true, but saying what is really true. Saying what deeply bothers you, how you feel deeply, is how we live out this Scripture:

However, the time is coming, and indeed has already come, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. These are the worshipers that the Father seeks. - John 4:23 NIV

Be a true worshiper!

Reading about the life of Christ always inspires me, regarding life’s simplest questions as well as the most complex ones! Jesus spoke openly and deeply with this Samaritan woman, breaking many rules and taboos that existed at that time to present God's plan for her life and also for a generation!

Currently, it is no different. Jesus wants to bring transformation to our plans, our ideologies, our paradigms. To know God's plan is to listen with the heart and soul.  It is necessary to give up the paradigms and ideologies that permeate our secular life. Even though we are Christian, we need to identify the ways in which we bring thoughts and expectations from secular life to our spiritual life.

It is necessary to pray every day to be deeply transformed and convinced about the vision of full life that Jesus invites us to live.

Author Bio

Luciana Silva Sousa, is a Brazilian single professional teacher. She is 48 years old and was baptized in 2001 in the ICOC in Salvador, Bahia, while finishing her studies in languages at the Federal University of Bahia. Luciana is part of the singles ministry and has served in the Next Gen ministry as a coordinator since 2010. She loves the children’s ministry because the children are sincere, lovable and kind. She likes being in Bible studies with teens and young adults and is involved in planning and organizing church events, retreats and parties.