Sound Advice

Have you ever made that gesture where you put your hands over your ears to indicate to someone that you do not want to hear what they have to say? Sometimes we resist advice given to us because of pride, control, or fear. In the Old Testament of the Bible, there is an account of Naaman, a powerful Syrian commander who was apparently successful and prominent in society. There was just one hiccup: he had leprosy. Leprosy was something that couldn’t be ignored and had the potential to change his prominent position to one of being an outcast.

Naaman’s wife had a servant girl who believed in God and told her mistress about a prophet named Elisha who could heal him. The wife passed on the information to Naaman and with great reluctance, followed her advice and traveled to Israel. He brought with him gifts of silver, gold, and fine clothing, no doubt wanting to make a favorable impression and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome. When Elisha heard about Naaman's arrival, he sent his messenger out to tell Naaman to bathe seven times in the Jordan River.

What? A prominent Syrian leader comes to visit, and this prophet won’t even give him the time of day? And worse yet, the instruction given to Naaman was to go wash in a local river. How embarrassing and humiliating! Naaman was angry. The Bible records, “But Naaman went away angry and said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.’” He went on to boast that his rivers in Damascus were superior to the Jordon river. “He turned and went off in a rage.”

Fortunately, Naaman was accompanied by some level-headed servants who confronted him and said, “If the prophet had 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’? So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.”

There is more to this story and you can read the entire account at 2 Kings 5:1-26, but we are given enough wisdom and guidance here for us to stop and ponder. What gets in the way of us making good decisions? Pride, control, fear, sense of superiority, jealousy? How do we decide what advice or instruction to heed? The Bible has many accounts of God using ordinary, everyday people to share His good news with others, just like the servant girl in this one.

Sometimes we need to swallow our pride and step out in faith as God leads us. That was the good advice Naaman received, even though it was humbling. In our daily lives, we may encounter situations where we are called to step outside of our comfort zones or make difficult choices. For Naaman, he had the support of his wife and his servants to help him see the wise choice. For the servant girl, she had her faith and the reputation of her God to rely on. The servant girl's personal testimony about the healing power of Elisha was instrumental in guiding Naaman to seek help.

4832 Ponderings:

• Who are the people you count on in your life when you make decisions? Are they reliable?
• Does your faith in God allow you to step out and trust the guidance you receive from his word?