#22 God’s Way, Not Ours
You know, everybody has things that they desire and wish they had. Money, Fame, Power, Relationships, and the list goes on. Now, as Christians, we go to God with our desires in hopes that we get what we're asking for. This is not in the context of using God as a genie, but more in line with hoping that he gives us the desires of our hearts. Now, the funny part about these requests is that sometimes when we pray, not only is there something we want, but there's also a certain way that we want to receive it. For example, if we're asking God to give us more patience, what we want is for that effect to be instant. Instead, he'll send us somebody that stretches our patience to its absolute limit. Both accomplish the same task, but the latter is much better for our development in the long run. There's a story in the Bible that exemplifies this idea.
In 2 Kings 5, we read about an individual named Namaan. He was the commander of the Syrian army, and either had or could acquire whatever his heart desired. However, even in this state of success, he had one vulnerability that could instantly take away everything. Namaan was a leper. Leprosy was "THAT'' sickness nobody wanted. Those who had it would be cast out from their communities and forced to live among those who were also sick. They had to verbally warn people that they were unclean, creating a situation that dissuaded anybody from caring for them. He was the embodiment of power trapped with a secret vulnerability. Later in the story, he encounters a prophet Elisha, who tells him to wash 7 times in the Jordan river if he wants to be cleansed of leprosy. Namaan, unimpressed and slightly confused, responds with a list of what he thought were "better options." "Couldn't you just lift your hands and heal me?! Why the Jordan River?! Surely, there are better rivers I can use." For some time, Namaan was not open to the response of his plea. Instead, he had his own idea of how his deliverance should work, and in doing so, rejected the answers that were brought before him.
Now, this story does have a good ending, but it ended well because of Namaan's obedience. Eventually, he does as he's told and washes in the Jordan 7 times, being cleansed of leprosy. On the other hand, I’m not sure if I would’ve put myself in that river. Matter of fact, I often wonder what “rivers” God is trying to use in our lives to heal us but we reject them. There have been many moments where I have prayed and asked for guidance but did not like the response God gave me. Instead, I went my own route and decided to use my own judgment to advance my agenda. It never ended the way I wanted. We, as people, have things that we desire and really want God to give us. Asking in earnest, we wait with expectation for not only what we asked for, but also in the way that we asked for it. When rejection comes, we force our agenda in an effort to get what we want. Here's the thing though about God, following Him plays to our advantage. Once we realize that his intentions are only good for us, then we can begin to rest in the fact that he would never do anything to destroy us, but instead to constantly build us. Even if we don't get what we ask for in the manner in which we want it, we can rest in knowing that God's best is always the best option. Besides, if He looks after the birds in the air, how could He not immensely care for and adore that which he created to mimic himself? Pray for all things, but always be open to God's answer. It'll work out.
This week's verses:
2 Kings 5:1-14
Matthew 6:26
"Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?"
