When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, He encountered someone who had likely spent much of her life being viewed through the lenses of culture, history, religion, and personal experience. She was a Samaritan in a world divided by centuries of tension between Jews and Samaritans. She was a woman in a culture that often overlooked women. By the time she arrived at the well that day, there were probably many stories others believed about her and perhaps even stories she had begun to believe about herself.

Yet, Jesus saw something more.

The people around her saw one story. Jesus revealed another.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently looked beyond the outward circumstances that often define people. He saw beyond appearances, beyond assumptions, and beyond the limitations others placed on them. While many focused on what was visible, Jesus saw the value and dignity that had always been there.

As children's ministry leaders, it is easy to recognize this tendency in the world around us. Children often walk through our ministry doors carrying stories that have been spoken over them by teachers, classmates, family members, or even by themselves. Some have come to believe they are difficult, unimportant, incapable, or unwanted. Others carry wounds from experiences that have shaped the way they view themselves and the world around them.

But before we consider the stories children may carry, it is worth pausing to think about the stories we carry as leaders.

Ministry leaders are not immune to unhealthy lenses. In fact, many of us have become experts at viewing ourselves through them. We look at our attendance numbers, volunteer shortages, unfinished projects, and growing to-do lists and begin forming conclusions about our value and effectiveness. Without realizing it, we can begin to see ourselves primarily through the lens of exhaustion, disappointment, pressure, comparison, or striving.

We may tell ourselves that we are falling behind, not doing enough, or somehow missing the mark. Over time, those thoughts can become stories we accept as true.

This is why Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:16 are so powerful: “Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh” (NASB). Paul invites believers into a completely different way of seeing. We are no longer limited to evaluating ourselves or others through human perspectives alone. Instead, we are invited to see people through the reality of what God says is true.

That is exactly what Jesus demonstrated at the well.

Jesus crossed cultural, social, and religious boundaries to engage someone others might have overlooked. He did not begin with her mistakes, her reputation, or her circumstances. He began with relationship. In doing so, He revealed a truth that had always been greater than the story she carried.

The same opportunity exists within our ministries every week.

Children need adults who can see beyond behavior and into the heart. They need leaders who can recognize that a disruptive child may be carrying hurt, that a withdrawn child may be longing to belong, and that a child who appears difficult may simply need someone to believe in them. Ministry becomes transformational when we learn to look beyond the surface and see people the way Jesus did.

Perhaps the greatest gift we offer children is not a lesson, game, or event. Perhaps it is helping them discover a greater story about who they are. We remind them that they are created in God's image (Genesis 1:27), deeply loved by their Heavenly Father (Romans 5:8), and welcomed into His family (Ephesians 2:19). We help them discover truths that were already true before they ever believed them.

And maybe that reminder is not only for the children we serve.

Maybe it is for us as well.

The same Jesus who saw beyond the Samaritan woman's circumstances sees beyond ours. He is not defining us by our busiest season, our greatest challenge, our latest success, or our most recent failure. He sees His beloved children. He sees value, purpose, and possibility.
There is one final detail in John's account that I find especially meaningful. After her conversation with Jesus, the woman left her water jar behind (John 4:28). She came to the well looking for water, but she left carrying something far greater. She returned to her town and invited others to come and see the One who had changed everything.

The woman arrived carrying one story. She left carrying hope.

What she discovered at the well was not merely information about God. She encountered the Living Water Jesus spoke of (John 4:14). The One she thought she was searching for had been searching for her all along.

As ministry leaders, many of us know what it feels like to come to Jesus aware of our own needs. We arrive tired, stretched thin, uncertain, or discouraged. Yet Jesus continually reminds us that He is our source.

The beautiful reality of ministry is that we are not drawing from our own strength, wisdom, or ability. We are drawing from the life of Christ within us. The same Living Water Jesus offered the Samaritan woman is the Living Water that now flows from every believer.

When we begin seeing ourselves through that lens, everything changes. We stop serving from striving and start serving from abundance. We stop ministering from emptiness and begin ministering from the overflow of His life within us.

In many ways, the jar wasn't the only thing she left behind. She left behind old assumptions, old limitations, and old ways of seeing herself.
The woman came to the well looking for water. She left as a carrier of hope.

May we do the same.

Tish Striegel is a Children’s Pastor at Hill City Church in Southern Indiana, just outside Louisville, Kentucky, with over 25 years of experience helping kids discover who they are and how deeply they’re loved. She is passionate about encouraging leaders and families with the reminder that God is always good and always near. She’s a writer, speaker, mentor, and creator who loves strong coffee and conversations.