‘…Naaman…went away in a rage.’
2 Kings 5:12
As a general in the Syrian army, Naaman was accustomed to having things his own way. So when Elisha told him to dip seven times in the muddy Jordan River to be healed of leprosy, he ‘went away in a rage’. He said, ‘Aren’t there cleaner rivers? Couldn’t the prophet just lay hands on me and heal me?’ Fortunately, he listened to his servants, swallowed his pride and received a miracle.
There are important lessons here. Since all progress calls for adapting to change and overcoming obstacles, ask yourself:
1) What’s at the core of my fear and anger over this situation? Am I afraid of the unknown and the changes it may bring?
2) Am I being inflexible and trying to impose my will and wishes in this situation? Am I willing to forfeit God’s perfect will by resisting a change He’s orchestrating? Many of us miss God’s best. Why? Like Naaman, we are accustomed to being waited on and having our ego stroked. E.G.O. means Edging God Out! Are you doing that?
3) Am I being lazy or incompetent, not wanting to invest the necessary time and effort into the change? Unless you’re willing to change, you won’t grow. And if you don’t grow, you won’t position yourself to receive the blessing God has in mind for you.
Charles Franklin Kettering said, ‘The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress.’ Today ask God for the emotional and spiritual strength to embrace the changes He’s bringing into your life, and to help you to see them as being for your good (Romans 8:28).
Jer 32-33, 2 Tim 2
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