Tag: Success

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Naaman and the Idols of Our Hearts

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In my last post, we looked at the various idols of ministry, including the worship of ministry itself, idolizing God’s blessings toward us, or even idolizing our own public recognition, and the fact that we need to repent. As I have had several conversations with people who were touched by that post and some who were hearing the same thing from God at the same time, I have continued to look at how ministry can become an idol, alongside many other things in our lives.

Truly, idols can be made of anything. We can idolize fame and fortune, success, money, houses, cars, clothing, status in society. We can idolize our family, spouse, kids, or names. We can idolize celebrities, politicians, and sports teams. So, though last week I was speaking primarily to ministers, I want to go a little broader this week in exposing the idols of our hearts.

To do this, I want us to look at a particular passage found in 2 Kings 5. It is a story I studied and shared about a few years ago but has a lot of value for us as we look at this topic today.

The Story of Naaman

Naaman was a commander of the Syrian army, a warrior of great standing who had won many battles. Because of his success, he had found great favor with his King, and they had become close. The only negative mark found on Naaman’s life is that he suffered from leprosy (2 Kings 5:1). In those days, leprosy was a death sentence, and given the Jewish law (though Naaman was not a Jew), made you ritually unclean and an outcast from society. This makes Naaman’s journey into Israel a questionable idea from the start.

In the story, an Israelite slave girl tells Naaman about the prophet Elisha, living in Samaria, who has the God-given ability to heal him of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:2-3). Naaman, therefore, goes to his king and requests to go and see this prophet. The king, however, sends Naaman with a letter to the king of Israel instead, asking him to heal Naaman (2 Kings 5:4-5). At this, the king of Israel goes into a rage. This letter asks him to do the impossible. Rather than looking to his God for the miracle, he tears his clothes and makes a public showing that his kingdom is intentionally being set up for an attack by the king of Syria (2 Kings 5:7).

Elisha hears what happened and sends a note to the king for Naaman to be sent to him, seemingly promising to heal him (2 Kings 5:8). Naaman goes, but instead of meeting Elisha, he is greeted by a messenger who tells him to dip himself in the Jordan river seven times, and he will be healed (2 Kings 5:9-10). Instead of rejoicing in the news that he will be healed, Naaman throws a fit. “Does this prophet know who I am,” he seems to ask. “And are not the rivers back in Syria much better than the Jordan.” Naaman, feeling that his own personal status has been attacked because the prophet wouldn’t look him in the eye, and had sent a messenger telling him to do some detestable thing, ignores the message and starts to return home (2 Kings 5:11-12).

Fortunately for Naaman, there are men with him who did not share his level of pride, and they press him to “do this simple thing.” Naaman does and is immediately healed from his leprosy (2 Kings 5:13-14). He returns to Elisha’s house bearing gifts of silver and gold and many new clothes, but Elisha refuses to accept them (2 Kings 5:15-16). Naaman then takes some dirt from Israel home with him and vows never to worship any god but the God of Elisha (2 Kings 5:17). He then makes this request: “Please forgive me, because when I return home, I must go into the temple with the king, and as he bows to worship, I will bow also.” Elisha sends him away in peace (2 Kings 5:18-19).

Shortly after Naaman is gone, Elisha’s servant, a man named Gehazi, decides that Elisha had made a great mistake by not taking the gifts. He goes after Naaman, makes up a story as to why Elisha had changed his mind, returns with the gifts and hides them for himself (2 Kings 5:20-24). The problem for Gehazi is that his boss is a prophet, and God had shown Elisha exactly what went down (2 Kings 5:25-26). Elisha then tells Gehazi that his punishment for what he had done is that from now on, he and his children would carry Naaman’s leprosy (2 Kings 5:27).

Each Man Had His Idols

As I studied this story out, thinking about heart-idols, each of the four characters caught my attention because of where they focused their attention, to build and maintain their identity.

The Idol of Power and Success

The first character is the King of Israel. He is the king of God’s people. He knew the stories of how God had delivered them over and over again. He knew the law and the promise of God. Yet, when time came to look to God, he doesn’t. He instead laments that his Kingship is being threatened. 

For the king, his identity comes through his success as a leader and his ability to maintain peace. When it seems that may be taken away, the King cannot handle it. His relationship with God is hurt by his desire for power and success. This was his idol.

The Idol of Wealth

The second character that sticks out to me is Gehazi. He is a prophet and had served under the leadership of Israel’s greatest prophet for some time. He wasn’t even the “lead pastor” in their ministry. Anyone in full-time ministry knows that it is safe to assume his pay isn’t that great. 

Unfortunately, when the opportunity to get rich quick comes his way, Gehazi throws everything he has away. His mind is angry about Elisha’s wasted financial opportunity. His eyes are fixed on the treasure walking away. Yet as his heart becomes consumed with getting the money, his relationship with God is hurt by his greed. Wealth was his idol.

The Idol of Social Status

The third character, and the one that stands out so prominently to me, is Naaman himself. 

Naaman has attained great social status in Syria. He is friends with the King, and can do or have anything he wants. He is a national hero. A celebrity of sorts. When he comes to Israel, he is offended when the King can’t give him what he wants, and then the prophet refuses to even see him face to face. This is one of those “do you know who I am” moments.

Still, God does an awesome work in his life, to the point that Naaman vows to never worship any other god. The one thing Naaman refuses to do, however, is to live that out in front of others in such a way that it might remove him from among the elites in Syria. 

It is clear that he has no intention of letting his newfound ‘love’ for God get in the way of his social status. He will go through all the motions necessary to maintain his friendship with the King and his celebrity status in Syria, even if it means making the appearance of worship in the temples of Syria’s false gods. Naaman’s relationship with God is hurt by his idolization of social status.

True Worship Overpowers Idolatry

The final character in the story is, of course, Elisha the prophet. 

Elisha has a history of committing himself to his relationship with God. He spends time in fellowship with the Lord, and his life exemplifies that, no matter what anyone thinks. 

Elisha could have publicly embarrassed the King of Israel by making a show of what he could do. His own “power” was greater than the king’s. 

He could have made a great friend of Naaman, the commander of the army of Israel’s enemy, and never worried about an attack on himself. This could have opened the door to nations and Kingdoms, and all the fame that comes with it.

Elisha could have used what God was doing through him to, televangelist style, make a name for himself and get very very rich, even greater than what Gehazi could have imagined. 

However, through it all, Elisha cared more about his relationship with God, than he did for money, success, or status. His worship of the Lord trumped all the allure of these false idols in the hearts of other men.

Where are Our Hearts?

Just as all of these men had made decisions regarding what they would pursue above all else, the challenge for our lives comes when we, too, have to make the decision of who or what we will love more – our creator, God, or the stuff He created. 

The truth is there is nothing wrong with success, or money, or status, so long as you can still fully submit yourself to God. But if those things hinder your relationship with Him, they have become idols of your heart, and need to be destroyed. That is the lesson Gehazi learned the hard way. What is it going to take for us to learn it ourselves?

So, sincerely, I want to encourage you. What is your highest pursuit right now? Maybe its one of these three things, or maybe its something else completely. If it isn’t the Lord, then the truth is your life is heading the wrong way, and only by returning to Him for relationship will turn it around!

Let’s Connect

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© Anthony Scott Ingram 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Photo by Gary Meulemans on Unsplash

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Please note that I do get a small kickback from Amazon for any purchases made using the links on this post. Should you choose to purchase from them, I just want to say thank you for further supporting my work in ministry!

(An earlier version of this article was first published February 24, 2011, which has been revised and edited for this post.)

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The Destructive Power of Always Being Busy

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I hate the word “busy!” 

Each year, as the summer months approach in the U.S., our ministry enters the most packed season of work. This season is filled with conferences, travel, international visitors, trainings, and outreaches.

In the last week alone I have travelled to three different districts of Uganda. I did a two-day training with a small group of leaders in northern Uganda. Back home, I hosted our monthly prayer breakfast, then visited the construction site of one of our churches in the mountains two hours away. I preached at our ministry’s church an hour away on Sunday. I travelled there again on Monday to sign legal documents to receive a land donation.

Still ahead this week I have to finish editing a 100-page training manual for pastors and leaders in discipleship and I have to file our annual Form 990 with the IRS next week. We have 7 upcoming training conferences through the beginning of June, and then we kick off the annual Global Outreach mission, which runs all day every day for 3 weeks. All of this is among the normal, daily work that is required to keep the ministry functioning.

All of that is to say, the word ‘BUSY’ absolutely describes my life right now… It probably describes yours as well, as it does most people in the modern world. 

Busy is also my most hated word in the English language.

It seems like not too long ago, when someone asked how we are, the standard reply was “I’m fine.” It didn’t matter how we actually were. “Fine” let us respond in such a way that would not be a burden to the one who asked, yet still convey that, despite minor frustrations, life is progressing as normal. 

Today, however, in most conversations I engage in, it seems the expected response when asked how you are has changed to “busy.” This is oftentimes even said with a certain pride. It is meant to convey a level of importance to the other person. “Not only do I have a life, but I have so much of a life I can’t handle it all…”

Busyness is Not a Core Value in Life

Years ago, as I began my international ministry travels and was learning to balance the practicals of my calling, God made it very clear to me that busyness is not something that should be sought after or valued. Being busy is not a mark of success. In fact, instead of proving you have a life, it usually means you are incapable of having one at all. 

The worst part of busyness for me is that my most important relationships are usually the first things to suffer.

Busyness Separates Us from God

My relationship with God IS a high priority for me. Yet what has been proven true, over and over again, is that if I don’t intentionally make time to spend with Him in my daily schedule, it won’t happen. Nobody accidentally takes time to read the Bible and meditate on it. We will never stumble into a quiet place of prayer and reflection.

Over the long term, this becomes very dangerous. When we don’t take time for Him, our whole attitude toward life and ministry can begin to change. The thing that keeps us busy will begin to consume us and give us our value. Rather than seeing ourself first and foremost as a child of God, we begin to find our identity in what we are doing – pastor, missionary, CEO, entrepreneur, teacher, etc. Our work eventually becomes the way we identify ourselves. Success in those things begins to give us a sense of self-worth.

Eventually, we begin to lose sight of God’s reality and value for our lives. We actually begin to believe we are capable of doing life on our own. Just like Adam and Eve, we decide, “we don’t need God.”

This automatically leads to a fundamental shift in the way the mind works. Instead of living in light of the Gospel, we functionally begin living as if our own work ethic determines our ongoing salvation and sanctification. As we succeed, it validates our self-imposed identity, and we continue to elevate ourselves in our own eyes; reaffirming the lie that we can go on without God. 

Busyness Devalues Other People

I am a hard worker. My goal is to be the best at my job, so I try to learn quickly and demonstrate my competence. I want to do more than what is expected of me. I desire to be able to help others in their work as well. A lot of this comes from the rural, west-Texas culture I was raised in, and these are good traits to have. 

The problem is that looking through the lens of a heavy workload, most people will eventually begin to get arrogant about how hard they work, comparing themselves to how lazy or incapable others are. This gives birth to pride and self-importance, and a belief that we are somehow more valuable than others. The self-loving ego rises up, and others are devalued in the process. 

Worse yet, when staying busy becomes the standard practice in our lives, we can actually begin to sacrifice others (their feelings, efforts, time, gifts, etc.) in order to attain our own success, because they don’t matter as much as the things we must get done. This is in direct opposition to our call to be witnesses for the gospel!

Busyness Self-Sabotages

In its wake of destruction, this endless cycle of busyness actually begins to take us out as well. The constant frustrations and stress, combined with a lack of rest leads to feeling overworked, burned-out, sick, or too exhausted to continue. For many high achievers, this moment of realizing limitations will lead to serious self-doubt and self-loathing. We begin to criticize and condemn ourselves for not being good enough. 

These frustrations in turn, can lead to a compromise in our personal moral standards. We begin giving minimal effort at work or leaving our own responsibilities for someone else to do. We spiral downward until we develop a “screw it” attitude toward the work, and just give up.

At the point of burnout, we can become so numb to the self-imposed standards we are not living up to, that we simply quit trying. When this happens, the frustrations and lack of self-worth spill over into other areas of our lives. Everyone around and everything we touch begins to suffer. We begin to compromise our family, our finances, our health, and even our holiness before the Lord. Unfortunately, compromise comes in many forms, and it leave an untold amount of destruction in its wake.

Busyness vs. The Gospel

Although our daily work is usually viewed separately from our ‘spiritual’ life, all of this undeniably has a major effect on our life in Christ. When we are not living up to the moral or ethical standards we are called to as believers, it is sin and it separates us from fellowship with Him.

(I am NOT saying that meeting those standards makes us acceptable to Him. It is by Christ having met those standards that makes us acceptable. Yet our disregard and even blatant rebellion against those standards makes fellowship with God difficult to maintain. It grieves the Holy Spirit, and makes room for the devil in our lives.)

To put it simply, it is easy for me to build my relationship with God when things are stress-free and I have margin to give to worship, prayer, and time in His word. However, when things get busy and the “work or die” attitude hits, I can too easily cut myself off from Him in an effort to find my own value in pursuit of success. I will end up working harder and longer until I succeed, reinforcing the negative cycle once again. Or I will wear myself down until I’m fully exhausted, spiritually worn down, and give up, devalued.

To make it simpler still, when things get too busy, I turn from Christ and look to my ability to be successful in all things to be my salvation. And it fails every time.

Busyness hurts my relationship with God because it undermines Christ’s role in my life. In a self-centered and self-seeking push, I go forward ignoring the help of the Holy Spirit in my sanctification.

Confessions

So, I confess that it is sometimes too easy for me to find my identity more in what I do than in Christ. I confess that when I successfully handle my busyness, I feel acceptable to God. I confess that when I fail at handling my busyness, I feel unworthy. And I confess that I know these are all false truths found in my sinful, prideful, idolatrous heart. Repentance is necessary. The only fix is in the Gospel.

What about you? How has busyness taken over your life? Has it proven to be a destructive force, or a beneficial and life-giving undertaking? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

In the next few posts, I want to share with you the lessons I have learned to overcome busyness as being ‘normal’ or ‘expected.’ How to manage my heart before the Lord, in the day-to-day realities of life. And the method I’ve been using to manage my time to achieve the goals I have set for my work, without sacrificing those around me. Let’s go.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

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