A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” John 4.7

Get your mind in gear!
The Apostle Peter wrote his second letter to the followers of Jesus in Asia Minor to encourage them to get their minds in gear for serving the Lord (2 Pet. 1.12-14). His instruction to them is good advice for us. Teaching moments pop up in front of us all day long. But we need to be paying attention.

If we can set our minds to focus on our primary calling throughout the day – the calling of being witnesses and making disciples – then we might be more alert to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as He calls class to order and opens the book of truth with the people around us.

In the Church today we have become so accustomed to teaching and learning taking place in classrooms, at scheduled times, and at the feet of those appointed as teachers, that we just don’t have the mindset for making the most of every teaching opportunity that presents itself all day long.

But this is where we need to cut some new grooves for our walk with the Lord. Paul calls us to pay attention to what’s going on in the as-you-are-goings of our lives, so that we can make the most of every opportunity the Lord brings our way (Eph. 5.15-17). Begin your day in prayer, asking the Lord to give you many teaching moments during the day ahead. Think about the people you will see, and get ready in your mind for how you might talk with them about the things of the Lord. Keep that attitude of prayer going throughout the day, so that you are in constant conversation with the Spirit whenever He wants to prompt or guide you in some way or another. Then, listen carefully for His cues or prompts. They will surely come.

This is a discipline that takes time to develop, but it’s one we can all learn. It won’t just happen; you’ll have to devote your mind and heart to the task of seeking the Lord daily, and throughout the day, for just the right situations in which you can bear witness or help another believer grow as a disciple of the Lord.

Take the initiative
You’ll also need to be prepared to take the initiative at such times, just as Jesus did with the woman at the well.

Sad to say, those who are our potential students won’t normally be as ready for class to be in session as we are. So we’ll need to get the conversation started, and Jesus shows us how we can do just that.

With the woman at the well, Jesus started where He found her. He could have sat at the well and said nothing to this woman. Or He could have prayed earnestly that the Lord would lead her to bring something up that might allow Him to engage a teaching moment with her. But He didn’t do either of these things, and neither should we.

Realizing that this woman had come to the well with water on her mind, Jesus started where He found her and asked her for a drink.
Now, don’t miss the extraordinary strangeness of this. The woman certainly didn’t. She knew who she was, and she could tell that Jesus was a Jew and perhaps a teacher of some sort. Jews and Samaritans in those days had no dealings with one another. Further, it was unusual – and perhaps even a bit suspect – for a man to engage in a conversation with a woman unknown to him. Jesus brushed these taboos aside, and the fact that He did startled the woman a bit, but it didn’t put her off.

What are we afraid of when it comes to initiating a teaching moment with others? What “taboos” keep us from starting a conversation? Will we appear forward? Will some think we’re being nosy? Do we fear how they might respond as we start to turn the conversation toward spiritual matters? If we can ignore these caveats and look for a starting-point for conversation that is evidently already occupying our potential student, we won’t have much trouble going on from there.

Be open
Notice the second thing about Jesus’ comment: He put Himself in a dependency role with this woman. He didn’t say, “Here, let me get that for you.” He, in effect, invited her to engage Him by meeting some small but obvious need. He opened Himself to this woman, and that made all the difference.

When we launch into a teaching moment, we need to think of an opening that will engage the other person with us. Here it would be appropriate to ask a question, or perhaps to solicit an opinion on whatever our potential “student” may be thinking about or doing. Keep the focus on the other person and what they’re presently engaged in doing. Ask them to explain something. Make an affirming or complementary comment.

And then, get ready to listen, because the work of teaching will have just begun.

For reflection
1.  What would you say are the skills of a truly excellent listener? Why is it important to acquire these skills?

2.  Think about the day ahead of you. What can you begin doing now to help you prepare to make the most of the teaching opportunities you will surely have?

3.  “What are we afraid of when it comes to initiating a teaching moment with others?” How would you answer this question? How can believers encourage one another to overcome those fears?

Next steps – Preparation: Where will you be going, and whom will you be seeing there today? Can you envision something you might ask, say, or do that could launch a conversation about spiritual things? What could keep you from doing this? How will you overcome it? Take some initiative today, then share with a Christian friend how the Lord led you in this effort.

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Learning Jesus, is Part 5 of a 5-part series on Following Jesus.Each week’s study is available in a free PDF which you can download by clicking here.

Christians learn best when their learning is framed within a Christian worldview. Our free online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, is available any time, and at no charge. Click here to learn more about this helpful and challenging introduction to Christian worldview, presented in 12 diagrams by T. M. Moore.

Take up the challenge of your Personal Mission Field – and do so with a friend. Watch the video on our Mission Partners Outreach for more information about how you can begin to follow Jesus in your Personal Mission Field (click here).

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.