OVERLOOKING YOUR BLESSING

2 days ago
3 min read

In the lovely book of 2 Kings, we meet a man named Naaman, the commander of the Aramean army. Naaman was a mighty warrior and a man of great importance, but he suffered from leprosy.

At the time, Aramean raiders had invaded Israel, and among the people they had taken captive was a young Israelite girl who became a maid to Naaman’s wife. One day, this young girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” When Naaman heard what the young girl had said, he went and told the king. Further on in the chapter, Naaman eventually meets Elisha. Elisha instructs him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River so that he can be healed. Initially, Naaman becomes angry. He feels that Elisha should have come out to meet him personally and healed him in the way that he expected. But then something interesting happens again: Naaman’s servants speak to him and reason with him. They essentially tell him, “If the prophet had asked you to do something difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So why not simply do what he has asked?” Naaman listens, humbles himself, follows Elisha’s instruction and is completely healed (2 Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬).

What I love about this story is that your help can come from anywhere. Look at the people God used in Naaman’s story. A young servant girl pointed him towards his healing, and later, his own servants encouraged him to humble himself and obey the instruction that ultimately led to that healing. Neither of these people appeared to have the same status or importance that Naaman had, yet they carried something that Naaman needed. That colleague who seems like they are “no one.” That neighbour who doesn't have much. That person who barely speaks. That person you constantly overlook. You have no idea who God may use to help you. This is why the way we treat people matters.

Sometimes we are programmed to be nice only to the people we believe we can receive something from. We respect people because of their position, their money, their connections or what we think they can do for us. But that is the wrong mentality. Imagine if Naaman had treated that young servant girl so terribly that she had no desire to help him. Would she have cared enough to tell his wife about Elisha? And imagine if Naaman had been too proud to listen to his servants. He could have walked away from the very instruction that was connected to his healing. Respecting people can take you further than you think. The Bible says that: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”(1 Corinthians 1:27). God does not always send help packaged in the way we expect. Your destiny helper may come in a different age, position, background or form than you imagined.

Sometimes the person God uses will be someone you would never have considered important enough to help you. This is also why Hebrews tells us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”(Hebrews 13:2). Imagine living with that mentality. Not being fake. Not being nice because you secretly want something from someone. But genuinely choosing to respect and treat people well simply because they are people created by God and worthy of respect. You never know who God has placed around you. You never know who will mention your name in a room you are not in. You never know who carries the information you have been praying for. You never know who God will use to open a door, give you wisdom, correct you, encourage you or point you towards your breakthrough.

And sometimes, just like Naaman, the person God uses may be someone you would have been tempted to overlook. So treat people well. Honour people. Be humble enough to receive wisdom regardless of who it comes from. Your help can come from anywhere. And I pray that God surprises you in ways you don't expect, through people you don't expect, and through opportunities you never saw coming. May God bless you as you learn to open your heart to people and respect them for who they are, not simply for what you think you can receive from them.