The 'Naaman' Complex

There was this guy called Naaman who was a big hotshot in Aram - commander of the army, in fact - who suffered from leprosy. He heard of a man who could cure him, and went to see this healer, i.e. Elisha.

Now, Elisha did this: Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." (2 Kings 5:10)

You'd think Naaman would be overjoyed. Hey, all I need to do is go have a dip in the Jordan! Yay! At least, that's what I'd think. Do you know the cost of medical consultation nowadays? They charge you an arm, a leg, and maybe your left kidney. And that's just for consultation. But I digress.

Anyway, this Naaman, see what he did: But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. (2 Kings 5:11-12)

Naaman was willing to forsake the cure, all because God didn't quite work in the way Naaman expected Him to.

See what happened next: Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. (2 Kings 5:13-14)

Thank God for wise people around us!

The main thing is, I wonder how many Christians today suffer from the Naaman complex, i.e wanting and waiting to do something big for God, but not willing to do small and seemingly unimportant things?

Worshipping God means obeying Him, no matter how little He requires of us. Even cleaning toilets is an act of worship, if you have the right heart.