"So Naaman went with his horses and chariot and stopped at the entrance to Elisha's house. Elisha sent a servant out to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan River, and he would be completely cured of his disease. But Naaman left in a rage, saying, "I thought that he would at least come out to me, pray to the Lord his God, wave his hand over the diseased spot, and cure me! Besides, aren't the rivers Abana and Pharpar, back in Damascus, better than any river in Israel? I could have washed in them and been cured!" His servants went up to him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. Now why can't you just wash yourself, as he said, and be cured?" So Naaman went down to the Jordan, dipped himself in it seven times, as Elisha had instructed, and he was completely cured. His flesh became firm and healthy like that of a child. He returned to Elisha with all his men and said, "Now I know that there is no god but the God of Israel; so please, sir, accept a gift from me."" 2 Kings 5:9-15
Sometimes it is the small shifts that lead to the greatest changes and transformations in our lives. It is easy to refuse the simple things feeling there must be something more.
Naaman was a man of great wealth and influence. Something that stuck out to me, even though He was not an Israelite, but a Syrian military leader, was that he should have been isolated due to the leprosy. It is contagious, but he was traveling with not just one servant but the scripture says servants. They provided him with front door service to the prophet Elisha.
Clearly he felt entitled to have this man of God come pray for him. He was expecting something more than instructions to dip in a dirty river (The river in the picture is the actual Jordan River taken in 2020) from the prophet. He was offended that the message was not even delivered by the prophet himself. Initially he refused, but eventually Naaman listened to the voice of reason from a servant.
I am often that voice of reason for clients. I often hear from clients "I didn't try what we talked about because it seemed too simple. I didn't think it would help." I get it, there are things that God has asked me to do in my own healing journey that were counseling techniques, but I didn't know they were in the moment because I had not been trained in the techniques. I used them and watched my life transform not even knowing they were a thing in the counseling world. Things that Holy Spirit directed me to do in my own life that yielded big transformations. I have learned it is those simple things that often yield the biggest success for my clients too.
I too like the large drastic changes that lend to massive results. I have done most crash diets at some point over the past twenty-eight years. I like the quick results, but I have learned, they don't lead to lasting results because I don't sustain the efforts. I was never meant to live on a crash diet, it is not healthy for my body. I need small things done consistently to bring lasting change and long term results. Things I can naturally build into my life to create a healthy lifestyle.
Naaman didn't see the results he wanted the first six times. It was only when he completed with consistency the small tasks that he found healing. So it is with out small tasks. When we stop and realize small things done consistently can yield results and even complete healing.
Prayer - Lord, thank You for placing voices of reason in my own life and for the simple things You have taught me that have transformed my life. Thank you for the privilege of being a voice of reason and showing the small things to others to help bring transformation in their life too.
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