In the Kingdom of God there is power but that power is unleashed through humility

Naaman begins to move towards his miracle using the methods of the world, using tricks of power and influence and money, believing that in this way he can get from God what he needs but that God had another plan. Before we receive what God wants, we have to stop trying to use the mechanisms of the world; the manipulation of the world, the techniques of strength and false manhood to get our way.

And in this case we see that Naaman launches towards his miracle obtaining letters of authority from Syria who is very willing to write the recommendation letter so to speak, Naaman gets luxurious clothes and money, and all these things with which he tries to bribe or pay him to the prophet Elisha for the miracle that he needs but we say that in the Kingdom of God things do not work like that, but rather they operate according to contrary methods where the humble and the simple of heart is the one who receives the miracle of God, the broken person It is the person that God blesses, not the haughty-eyed person as the Bible says, because God looks at such people from afar. So God wanted to do more in Naaman than just a physical miracle.

It is interesting that when the king of Syria makes his letter he uses a language of power and almost as offensive. He says to the king of Israel, imagine, this is a king writing to another king. He says to him: "When these letters reach you, you will know from them that I am sending you my servant Naaman to heal him of his leprosy." That is to say, it is a completely, almost abusive language, I would say, disrespectful where it says: look at this letter, know that when you receive it I hope you do this and this, and this. There is no please here, I respectfully ask you to use your royal influence to motivate your servant Elisha to do this, this and this but the king of Syria speaks as a superior addressing a subordinate not giving him any alternative but telling him what to do.

It reminds me a lot of those letters that we sometimes receive from the authorities of our city in a request for payment of a tax that we owe or that they want us to appear in court. You are never going to hear a civil authority saying: please, we would like you to come and do this, but it is a blunt order, clear under penalty of imprisonment or a fine. This is how man moves.

The Lord Jesus Christ said that in the world kings and superiors use their servants, their subordinates, but that in the Kingdom of God it will not be like that, but that the older will serve the younger, and the younger will be like the older. In the Kingdom of God, humility is what is expected of the rulers and superiors, of the Pastors and of the leaders they lead.

How many times do we see in the world, Christian many times, these leaders who think we are like movie stars and abuse the authority in our Congregations, whether they are Pastors or they are also minor leaders in the churches and we see leadership as an occasion of exhibit our influence and assert our will, and elevate our ego when what God wants is simple leaders and humble of heart who are accountable to others, who are mutually subject to the people they serve, who use the character of Jesus Christ, and God's methods to be used by God.

And paradoxically those leaders who are gentle and humble of heart are the leaders that God is going to use with the most power, not the ones who are simply out there giving orders and feel like they don't have to give answers to anyone or account to anyone, they are very dangerous and often prepares such arrogant leaders for a terrible fall and temptations from Satan.

I think that in leadership what protects a leader the most is simplicity of heart and humility of heart, and while I say that, it is not that I pretend that I have already achieved it because every day I have to take a pill of humility and reexamining my ways, and many times I know that I fail too and fall in pride myself. But I understand that what God wants is humble and simple hearts, that we be servants and not lord it over the people that God has placed under our authority.

And we see the opposite here, right? This king of Syria who has hegemony over Israel instead of treating his equivalent in Israel with respect sent an almost insulting letter not giving him an alternative but saying: this is what you have to do, and how there is a slight suggestion of threat in this not? I send you to my servant so that you can heal him, period and if he does not, heed the consequences. That is the way the world works.

I think that this passage, among other things, wants to show us that idea, right? In the Kingdom of God there is power but that power is unleashed through humility and not through oppressive and controlling techniques and force. In the Kingdom of God God sometimes makes us weak to make us strong as he told the apostle Paul, right? "My Power perfects you in weakness."

Many times we want to import the techniques of the world into the Kingdom of God, right? The change of mind has not occurred in us, that renewal of the mind that shows us that we have to use other forms and other mechanisms to have access to the power of God, and part of this lesson is that, right? humble yourself to be lifted up. Become weak to be strengthened. Serve others so that they then put you in legitimate authority.

I remember the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 2: Let there therefore be in you the same mind that was in the Lord Jesus Christ, who humbled himself, stripped himself of his glory, became obedient and obedient to the cross and experienced a Shameful death for obeying the purposes of God and serving others, says that for that reason God gave him a Name above every name so that before the Name of Jesus every knee of what is in heaven, on earth and underground.

Many times we have to go through humility first, learn the methods of the Kingdom of God so that we can then see His Power unleashed on our behalf. Let us not use human or worldly techniques in the Kingdom of God but rather use the techniques of weakness, love, compassion, simplicity of heart, asking permission, giving an account to others because in that humility there is great power and great effectiveness in our leadership. God bless you and until our next meditation.