John 4:17-18, NKJV
The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
Have you ever had a tooth that was decayed, and the nerves were exposed? The moment the dentist touches that open nerve with his instrument, you will react because of the surge of pain you feel.
Open nerves are areas of need that we have in our lives. This term Open Nerves Evangelism, was coined by LeRoy Eims of the Navigators, and it has become widely used among people who do evangelism.
The woman at the well had an open nerve, an area of need in her life and that had to do with her moral life. Jesus touched on that area not to condemn her, but to bring her to the truth. Hey moral life must have been something she was not proud of, no wonder she came to the well alone and not at the time other women came to the well to draw water.
Some common open nerves that people have are;.
- Lack of purpose and meaning in life.
- Bitterness and resentment.
- Worry and fear.
- Morality
- Loneliness and emptiness ETC……
Recognizing the open nerves you had in your life and building your testimony around that will encourage those you share with to open up because we mainly face the same problem.
As you reach out to others, try to find out what the open nerves in their lives are, ask the Holy Spirit to guide and reveal to you. Relate your testimony on that issue and allow God to use you.
Reflections.
- What was the need in your life that Jesus met when you got born again? (Mine was low self-esteem and feeling invisible like I did not matter.)
- How can you use that to minister to someone else?
- Think of other needs in your life that God has met as you have walked with him. What are they? How can you use that to evangelize and encourage others?
