“But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.” 2 Kings 5:11 ESV

I was recently playing Barbies with my two-year-old and as I began having the Barbie do something that I thought would fit into our creative play, my two-year-old stopped me saying, “No Mommy! Not that way!”

As her little independent side has begun to emerge, it has given me a chance to pause and reflect on my own stubborn, independent nature. And honestly, it’s taught me how frequently I get frustrated when something isn’t done the way I want.

In 2 Kings 5, we see a great illustration of a stubborn individual who needed help but wanted the help to come in the way he expected it. Naaman was a mighty warrior who had great favor with the king, but he suffered from leprosy (a terrible skin condition). He caught wind of a rumor that a prophet in Israel could heal him of his leprosy and with the king’s approval he set off to enemy territory to find the prophet named Elisha.

Upon reaching Elisha’s house, this man of great standing was greeted by a messenger—not Elisha himself. Naaman was furious because he was used to being treated like a celebrity! Why didn’t this lowly prophet show him the same respect?!

The instructions from Elisha’s servant were simple: “Go and wash in the Jordan River seven times.” Why the Jordan? Naaman thought. Why couldn’t I have bathed in my own cleaner rivers? This isn’t the way I want it to happen! He stormed off angry, until his humble servants stepped in. Together they convinced him to go wash in the river seven times and his skin was restored.

Here’s a few lessons that I gleaned from Naaman’s story:

• Enemy territory: Naaman had to go into enemy territory to get help and healing. When staring at something like addiction, depression or debilitating anxiety we often feel like going to a treatment center, seeking out counseling or medical help is entering into “enemy territory.” Not true. That’s a lie that the devil has presented us to keep us in bondage instead of freedom! Ask for the help and be willing to go into an unfamiliar or uncomfortable area to receive total healing.
• Pride & anger almost kept Naaman from receiving his healing: All of us have met proud people who have refused to get help for their struggles. We cringe, avoid them, and pray that someday they will change their mindset—but how many times have we done the same thing? Examine yourself today and openly ask, “have I let my pride get in the way of my healing? Do I need to humble myself and ask for help to defeat this problem?” Again, it might require you to go into some unfamiliar territory.
• Not The Way I Want: 1 Peter 5:5 NKJV says, “God resists the proud. But gives grace to the humble.” Pride is in direct opposition to God’s character. In order for Him to help you, you must come to Him with a humble heart acknowledging that you don’t know everything and you need His wisdom. God has grace upon grace available for the humble, but you have to be willing to accept that the healing will probably come in a different way than you expect it to. Be open to God’s creative healing methods.

What issue is plaguing you today, friend? What is buried so deep within you that you know if it was unveiled people would judge you harshly for it?How can you put on a robe of humility, set your opinions and expectations to the side and ask God for direction regarding overcoming depression or anxiety? Remember friend, like Naaman your healing lies on the other side of your humility.

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