2 Kings 5:9-13 Faithful in a Little

 

Observation: Naaman, the powerful and well-known Syrian military commander, has been laid low by leprosy. He hears about the prophet Elisha, from Israel. Naaman is angry when Elisha, without even leaving his house to address Naaman directly, simply sends him away to wash in the Jordan and be healed. Yet his servants talk him down, by saying, "if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'wash, and be clean?'" The story concludes, of course, with Naaman doing what Elisha says, and being healed by the Lord.  

Application: A hard lesson I have to learn over an over is that the small stuff counts. Even the tiny choices matter. The other night I found myself talking with my sons about manners. Just basic stuff, like saying "thank you" for a gift, even if it's not our heart's desire, or saying "I'm sorry" if you hurt someone, even if it's an accident. My oldest son especially has problems understanding why you can't just be honest about how you feel, and why any of this is a big deal. I remember as a kid, and even as a teen, thinking something similar: a lot of the social conventions my parents drilled into me seemed kind of "fake," like putting on airs, rather than just leveling with people about how you're feeling. Why say "thank you" if you're not thankful? Why say "sorry" if it isn't your fault? 

What I found myself saying to my kids is something that relates to this reading about Naaman. If you believe in big acts of kindness, then little ones are great practice. If Naaman would have been willing to do something big to be healed, then why not do something little? Not every day will be a great hero's journey. Some days will just be to the bus stop and back. Yet God gives you the short trips to make you ready for the longer ones. How we treat others when the stakes are low can have an effect on how the bigger days will go. I don't know who said it, but I think Elisha would agree: "If you're too big to do the small things, you're too small to do the big things." 

Prayer: God, train me to be faithful in small things. Help me value this day, no matter how big or small the choices in it will be, as a gift from you.