14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. - 2 Kings 5:14-16
The last lesson from the story of Naaman is a challenging one. Once again, I don't want to talk about Naaman, but rather about someone else in the story. There seems to be a common thread as I read about events in Elisha's life. When the widow's oil miraculously multiplied, Elisha was not present. When Naaman was cleansed of his leprosy, Elisha was not present. Elisha told the widow to work behind closed doors and sent his servant to instruct Naaman. Now, in today's passage, Elisha refuses all gifts of gratitude from Naaman. Over and over, Elisha keeps himself out of the spotlight and lets the focus be wholly on God. He is obedient and does his job efficiently and effectively, yet without seeking praise. I believe Elisha is a powerful example for me to follow in my own life. I believe he is the stark contrast to Naaman's attitude in this story. A challenge to be used by God for His glory and not my own. Elisha is doing things I can only dream about doing. I'm scared to think how proud I would become if I could perform miracles! My struggle lies in that last statement. My problem is that I would focus on my ability to perform miracles which in reality is nonexistent. Elisha couldn't perform miracles, God could. Elisha did not multiply oil or heal leprosy, God did. Elisha was humble enough and wise enough to realize this. I am afraid I would not be so humble and wise. Even now, in the little things, I must follow Elisha's example and give all the glory to the Lord. My talents and abilities are from God. The blessings in my life are not from anything I have done, but from God. The ability to take my next breath is a gift from above. When I keep this in perspective, the Creator of the universe is able to perform miracles through me. When I lose focus, I will quickly be reminded of just how powerless I really am. May Elisha always be a humble hero I strive to emulate.
Thanks for this, well done :). I wonder if perhaps Elisha shared our weakness and that is why he stayed out of the way when God moved. Perhaps he knew he also would feel pride at the moment of glory. Speculation of course, but perhaps you have picked up on Elisha's humanity and the practical steps he took to stop it hindering his ministry. Perhaps he wasn't that different to us after all...
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