Another Easter Sunday celebration is fast-approaching. It’s a weekend during which we study, celebrate, worship, attend church and spend time with family, friends and good food.
We bow our heads and give thanks that Jesus Christ overcame the grave and rose again. We rejoice and rededicate ourselves humbly to follow Him, walk the narrow path and live by His word.
Many of us will conjure in our minds visions of what our Savior went through for us. We try to imagine Him being beaten and tortured, carrying a heavy cross by himself to the top of Golgotha, being nailed to that cross, bleeding from a crown of thorns placed on His head, mocked and tormented by many and left to die a horrible death. Many mourned His death. A solar eclipse darkened the skies, gusts of wind blew, the temple veil was torn in two and civilization realized the cost of its sins. Then, on the third day, came joy after the empty tomb was discovered and His resurrection became apparent.
He will once again walk among us before His ascension. Our hearts will be filled again with the realization of the joy that He Lives. He has risen indeed.
Amen, right? But wait a minute! What about all the “believers” who are sitting in church, going through all the motions, singing and praying, standing close to loved ones and sharing this wonderful season while, deep down, they feel unfulfilled and doubt the completeness of their faith? And how about all the non-believers and those who have been separated from their faith over the years? Many of these folks are watching others live their daily lives while they feel that something really is missing in their lives.
It is all around us — every day, everywhere, in people we have known for years, our loved ones and ourselves. I can assure you personally, and through the testimony of the young and old alike, that most people have doubted their faith or faithfulness at times in their lives. Perhaps we are among those who wonder whether God is going to administer a “final exam” when we stand before Him, which Matthew 25: 31-46 predicts. Many have been angry with God at times, perhaps over the tragic loss of a loved one. Maybe we’ve blamed Him because something didn’t meet our own expectations. What about the people we think are rock-solid and whole in their faith? From our perspective, they seem to believe God really loves them, but they actually may be struggling with deep-rooted problems and doubt.
And there are those who have lost their way and those who have not yet been saved. These folks are the majority of the people out there. They are not going to church. They have a lot of excuses why they don’t need Christ in their lives. They tell you that “all Christians are hypocrites anyway, so why bother?” Does this sound familiar?
In the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in John 4, we find strength in knowing that when we take a drink, we will thirst again, but when we drink from “His living water,” we will never thirst again. It is with that reassurance that we can turn to those next to us, talk to those who seem troubled, help those who are bound by their past and present and help ourselves to overcome our worries and fears. In doing so, we will see that God loves us and we can make the choice to accept His love for ourselves.
A Stephen Minister can help you, in total confidentiality, to find the answers you seek in your life. They’ll help you find a way to drink from the living water through Jesus Christ.
Call 320-7840 to make an appointment for you or someone you know.

Scherer is a crisis intervention minister and the leader of the local Stephen Ministry.