One Life To Live

Read 2 Kings 5:1-15

We all have one life to live. The question is - how are you going to live your life?

There's a great story in 2 Kings 5 that tells us about a young servant girl who gets kidnapped. Now you'd think her life was over. You'd think her life would result maybe in bitterness and complaints, excuses and anger. But quite the opposite happens. While serving her captor's wife she said - If only my master (Naaman - commander of the army of the king of Aram) would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.

She does what many of us might consider at a minimum questionable. How could she consider what's in the best interest of her kidnapper? Helping him with his leprosy by advising his wife that he needs to go see the prophet in Israel. But isn't that exactly what God sent Jesus to us to do? Jesus came to do the unthinkable. Offer a solution to people like you and me who are not worthy of the solution provided. But God's love trumps all things when He sends us Jesus to cure us of our illness, much like Naaman who would eventually be cured of his sickness.

However, we're a lot like Naaman. When told what it's going to take to be cured, Naaman scoffs at going into the water and immersing himself seven times and then he'd be healed. He expects; he wants something bigger and greater than this. And so do we. We want to be able to do something for ourselves so when we're told there's one way to a right relationship with God; there's one way to being cured of our sickness we'd prefer to do it our way instead. Listen, only when we submit to God's plan of grace and mercy can we receive this greatest gift that's ever been offered to mankind.

Friends, we can learn from this servant girl and we can learn from Naaman. We have one life to live. How do we intend to live it? Live life with the understanding of God's plan that only Christ can save us from our sins; and live life with willingness to submit to His way instead of our own.