Naaman's grateful attitude

We have here this presentation of how God deals with Naaman and subjects him through this long-term process, diving in many times, breaking his pride. God I imagine that He was not only cleansing Naaman's flesh with each time he stepped into the water but was cleansing his heart, his mind, doing a work of breaking and promoting humility and submission to God's methods before Him.

What happens after the center of the text is sometimes as fascinating and as important as what happens before to some extent. We see here that ok, after Naaman is miraculously healed the chapter could have ended at that point. Ok, he dived seven times and the seventh time his flesh became as clean as a child's, period and today we could discuss this text and get the most out of it.

However, for some reason the Holy Spirit decides to continue with what happens after Naaman is healed, instead of us seeing the movie titles and credits, Naaman healed, the movie continues. And then we see something interesting, the attitude of Naaman. We see now that Naaman is already a very different man.

Look at how you talk to Elisha. Instead of coming with that false strength and that pride he says: "He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and stood before him" we already see something there, right? as he humbly presents himself before the prophet Elisha, "he stood before him and said:" Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. I beg you to receive some present, some gift from your servant. "

He is already recognizing the prophet of God as his mentor or as his superior in spiritual terms, instead of before thinking: no, I am the superior and this man has to serve me, and minister to my needs, now he is subject to the authority of the prophet and I believe that that is the order that God wants us to.

Where there is legitimate authority, where there is the Word of God, where there are solid biblical principles, integrity, good instruction, good example, good modeling, that the followers of Jesus Christ submit to our authorities and learn from them; Let's not be rebellious, let's not make life difficult for them, let's not make hard ministerial work for them to serve us then reluctantly, that's what the apostle Paul says isn't it? that they respect their Pastors so that they are not working in a way, unhappy.

And how many times do we come to Church with expectations that they are going to serve us and have to minister to our needs, and have to take care of our children as we believe they should take care of them, and have all the programs that we need, when in reality We have to come with a humble spirit, learn from our mentors and teachers, and Pastors, and God blesses that attitude and simple of heart.

When a person submits to God's treatment, when he enters the context of the Church to serve others, and instead of becoming a demanding and critical person, and when he works in the company of others in some ministry, instead of being a stumbling block, instead of lording it over the people under his tutelage, he is a person who serves, who is humble, who listens, who shows grace and generosity in the way he treats others because we know we are there by the pure grace of God. Only because God is who He is can we serve the Lord and we have to walk with humility before our authorities, and as the Word says: subject ourselves to one another, and be an influence of harmony and blessing in the places where we move. God bless that attitude.

I believe that people in the Christian life are not more blessed in the Gospel because they have an arrogant and demanding attitude. Sometimes we go from Church to Church waiting for that place that will finally recognize our greatness or they will treat us as we deserve, since someone does something that we did not like, we immediately put our feet up annoyed, and if the Pastor says something that we do not We liked it well, we have already left the Church.

Recently a sister from my Congregation told me, a person who came to the Church very happy until one day I preached in a very critical way about her favorite presidential candidate. He did not like my comment that I believe it was based on Scripture and was intended to provide our Congregation with sound criteria on how to vote in national elections, and that that is the role of a Pastor, right? give the Word of the Lord, establish principles of how to make healthy and wise decisions in the things of the Spirit.

But this sister was very happy apparently up to that point and had heard many good things about our Church, but since she heard something she did not like from her Pastor, she immediately put her foot down and left upset, and we never saw her again. watch. I didn't even know what had happened to her until this friend of hers, to whom I had entrusted this sister to take care of her and help her because they live in the same city near our Church, got upset and then this sister left me know why he had not returned to church.

And so the Church is full of this type of arrogant people who do not submit to their authorities, who want to be always served and taken into account, without being ministered to their needs continuously. How beautiful this attitude of Naaman is, he humbly presents himself chastened before Elisha and puts himself at his disposal, and tries to bless him too, and in a sense pay him because that is what he knows how to do, it is the way he understands. God has used you, he has done a miracle in my life, because as a doctor or a psychiatrist has served me, I am going to pay you and here, please, tell him: receive something from me; he regards this as a favor that the prophet would do him rather than a payment in receiving something.

Interestingly Elisha steadfastly refuses, even though he insists on giving him some valuable gifts, Elisha tells him: "By no means. As Jehovah lives in whose Presence I am, I will not receive anything from your hand."

Very interesting, very instructive this and in our next meditation we are going to meditate a little about the integrity that God wants from His servants, whoever it is, I think it will be very interesting. We speak in our next meditation, God bless you.