Just a few days ago I declared I was going to live a pride-free life. And whether it's a diet or a resolution, there's nothing like some positive reinforcement from the right person to keep you on track.
I was back at my home church Mt. Olive on Sunday and attended Sunday school. I've always loved that Sunday school class with my uncle teaching and many of my long-time friends always making interesting insights for discussion. While I've been in Erie, they've been working their way through the Old Testament and were up to 2 Kings...which is one of my favorite books of the Bible.
The story we touched on Sunday was about the Syrian army commander Namaan, who had contracted leprosy (for the entire story, 2 Kings, Chapter 5). Namaan was a proud man (much like I was) but had just enough humility to seek out help in a foreign land. But Elisha did something surprising when Namaan came to be healed. Elisha sent his servant and told him to dip in the Jordan. You can just imagine Namaan being furious. A commander of an army enters a rival nation to be healed by a prophet and the man doesn't even speak to him face to face? Tells him to wash in the Jordan? Sheesh! Namaan was certainly expecting a grand healing that would impress all of his entourage. Instead, God knew that Namaan needed to be humbled. Not only did Elisha's servant tell him the remedy, it was his own servant that convinced him to wash in the Jordan...taking advice from the lowly. Not only did he have to dip in the Jordan...he had to do it SEVEN times. Why seven? One is too easy. Any one can dip once. But seven times challenges your faith and snuffs your pride (it was probably embarrassing for someone to stand in the Jordan and dip seven times). The key to the story, though, is that Namaan actually did it. He followed the advice of the man of God and was healed. He overcame his pride much like I am trying to do right now. I don't need cured from leprosy, but I certainly need humbled every now and then. What happened to Namaan likely will happen to all believers at some point. I might expect God to work in some grand way through me, but it may be something simple, something small or even unnoticeable. It may even be ridiculous (dipping in the river...), but the key is to trust God, as He knows how to get the best of all of us...and above all...we must swallow our pride.
On a closing note, I really suggest reading about and thinking about Elisha's miracles. So many of them foreshadow happenings in the New Testament (Elisha feeds 100 men, 2 Kings Chapter 4; washing in water to cleanse iniquities, Chapter 5). Also, another thing we can learn from Elisha is that with his miracles, he showed them the Lord through meeting their most basic needs. We don't always need a great, emotional speech or a healing touch. Like how Elisha provided for the widow and like how he saved the pot of stew during the famine, we can show unbelievers God by giving a sandwich to the hungry or a coat to the cold. People in times of need and desperation respond when they are helped in even the most subtle ways.
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