May 18: He Told Me Everything

What would it feel like to be completely known and not rejected?

The Samaritan woman came to the well at noon, the hottest part of the day, probably to avoid the other women. Her life had been complicated. Five husbands, and now a man who wasn’t her husband. She was used to people talking about her.

Then a stranger, a Jewish man, asked her for a drink. They talked. And He told her the truth about her life, plainly, without cruelty. He knew everything.

And she didn’t run away ashamed. She ran into town and told everyone: come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.

Think about how strange that is. The thing she’d been hiding from, people knowing her past, became the first thing she talked about. Being fully known by Jesus didn’t crush her. It freed her. She left her water jar behind and went straight to the people she used to avoid.

Something like this often happens after Step Five. You’ve just said everything out loud to another person. They heard it all. And they didn’t walk away. Many people describe a lightness they haven’t felt in years. The hiding is over.

That doesn’t mean you now tell everyone everything. Wisdom still matters. But the fear of being found out loses its power. You don’t have to manage your image so carefully. The worst is already known, and you’re still loved.

If you’ve already done your Fifth Step, notice that freedom today. If you haven’t yet, let this story give you a glimpse of what’s ahead. Being known is frightening right up until it happens. Then it’s one of the best feelings in the world.

Jesus didn’t just know her past. He offered her living water, a thirst-quenching gift that drinking could never give. That offer still stands.

One thing today

Think of one thing about your past that you’ve been afraid people would find out. If it’s already been shared in your Step Five, thank God for the freedom. If not, add it to the list for that conversation.

A prayer

Jesus, You know everything I’ve ever done, and You still offer me living water. Thank You for loving me fully. Help me stop hiding and start living free. Amen.

Read about Step Five.

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