Doing Things My Way

     During the years our children were growing up, we often experienced the battle of the wills.  Of course, this is nothing new to the human condition.  We would try to lay out a sensible course of action and suggest how our children might accomplish a project.  However, they were confident at the time that they knew what was best and they would do it their way despite our pleadings.  As a result, there were some disappointments and failures they had to face.  Quite often, this is exactly how we react to God's direction in our own lives.  He has given us His Word, but we feel we know better.
     In 2 Kings 5:1-14, we meet a commander named Naaman who had become a leper.  He sought healing and one of his servant girls suggested the prophet Elisha could help him.  Naaman was a very proud man, but he was desperately ill and decided to seek God's prophet for healing.  When Elisha sent his servant out to greet the commander and tell him to dip in the Jordan River seven times, Naaman was incensed.  He felt the prophet himself should come to meet him.  In addition, he thought dipping in the river a silly way to find relief.  He was about to turn around and go home because he said to himself that he could dip in his own river.  However, the servant girl who had first advised him to seek Elisha encouraged him to follow what he was told to do.  Naaman dipped in the Jordan River seven times and was healed.
     This whole incident seemed like such foolishness to Naaman, but it turned out to be just what he needed.  I Corinthians 1:25 reads:  "God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength."  Proverbs 3:5-6 reads:  "Do not rely on your own insight.  In all your ways acknowledge God, and He will make straight your paths."  The natural tendency is to do things our way, using our reasoning, our logic and our ability.  The Word tells us just the opposite.
     When we think of the cross and the death of Jesus Christ, it seems like foolishness compared to the way we would try to save those whom God has appointed unto salvation.  Even the Lord's disciples tried to forbid Him from going to the cross.  Nevertheless, God's ways are mysterious and different than our ways.  His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  He chooses to show strength through weakness, victory through suffering and life through death.  We would never do things that way...but we are not God.
      We must remember before we enter into any new endeavor to ask the Lord how He wants us to do things rather than asking Him to bless what we have already done on our own.  His timing as well as His ways bring success whereas our ways can often bring difficulty.
     Do we want to be successful in what we attempt in our daily lives?  If so, we need to seek the Lord in prayer.  We may not always understand why God wants us to follow a certain course, but He can see the big picture.  He has infinite wisdom and we have finite wisdom.  As a result, we know we can trust Him with the out come.  Keeping our hearts and wills in tune with God will lead to blessings as we follow His plan and not our own.  Selah!

Only God's way....brings the joy we so desire!  Keeping looking up!  I welcome your thoughts and insights.