The Act of Humility

2 Kings 5:13

“Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet has told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?  How much more, then, when he tells you, “Wash and be cleansed!”  

I remember my first time at the dentist office long ago.  I needed a cavity filled and this was the place to do it.  All went well up until the dentist sat above me. As I was lying down, he had a needle in his hand.  He told me not to worry and I won’t feel much at all.  Terrified, I proceeded to trust the dentist and he was right.  That little shot wasn’t bad at all, in fact I barley felt anything.  My cavity was filled and all was well.

Here is one final message about Naaman.  Right after Naaman blows up about how Elisha addressed him and what he told him to do, Naaman’s servants came to him and discussed the matter.   As a parent, I can remember instructing my children in things like this all the time.  If only you would do this….. the list goes on.  Most of the time those things are small and don’t take up much time, but somehow my kids let those little things add up until it becomes a big thing. 

Naaman was told to do something little, wash seven times in the closest river, the Jordan, and he will be healed.  At first, he gets mad as his ego jumps into action.  But then, his servants imparts some wisdom to him.  I am sure Naaman was known for his valiant deeds and courageous actions, but doing this seemed beneath him.  It took his servants to put his ego back into place that day. 

When Naaman actually listened to his servants and did what the man of God told him to do, he was healed.  Elisha did not instruct Naaman to dip once, but seven times. I can see Naaman coming up out of the water after every time and seeing the leprosy still on his body. I can imagine the humility that grew after every dip into the water. It was only after the seventh time that he was completely healed.

How often do we put our egos in front of our humility? If I am a leader or boss I still have to answer to someone, somewhere. Naaman’s ego needed to take a back seat that day and he needed to simply obey the prophet. We all have to remind ourselves of this every day.   

Maybe you are having a hard time listening and obeying.  God wants to bless you, but you have to humble yourself before he moves.  1 Peter 5:6 says “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.”

I once wore a T-shirt that said “2nd place is 1st loser.”  It reminded me to work hard and be the best I could be.  Today, be the 1st to humble yourself, be the 1st to listen attentively, be the 1st to act with humility. 

Prayer: Father I know our ego gets in the way of seeing you move in our lives. When we give into our emotions and our ego swells, it blinds us makes us deaf to what the Holy Spirit has to say. I pray today, that we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. I pray that as we humble ourselves, we remember that you will exalt us in due time. We thank you for you guidance. In Jesus name, amen.