Daily Butter: Outspoken

Outspoken

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/30/2013):

But his servants approached and said to him, “My father,
if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would
you not have done it? How much more should you do it
when he tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”
(2 King 5:13)

Today's ODB author, David C. McCasland, pointed out the role of the Jewish servant girl in this "I remember that from Sunday School" Old Testament story. Her suggestion led to the healing (both physical and spiritual if I read the story correctly) of her master. The input of the servants that traveled with the Naaman quoted above struck me especially as I read today. It was not a comment to their master in the course of their normal service like the girl's seemed to be (v3), but verse twelve ends "So he turned and left in a rage." These servants faced an angry military leader to point out the foolishness of his thinking. What boldness!

As I look at my current employment situation, I am very frustrated that my attempts to speak up about the situation get lost. Just as the girl's simple "He should see God's prophet in Samaria" became a mess involving kings, tribute offerings, official diplomatic papers, and a delegation sent to the capital rather than Samaria and they nearly cause a war in their misinterpretation save that the Lord's man heard about the situation and calmed the king. It just feels as though the people doing the work are not even listened to when we speak up about how things are (or are not) working in day-to-day operations. It makes me wonder after six years if it is time to look for a different employer.

But yet the lesson from Sunday School those decades ago has not changed: God's solutions are often not in the shape we are looking for them to take. Naaman's transformation and commitment not to "sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh" (v17) did not preempt him from doing what his employer demanded in his duties, but rather to ask forgiveness for it (v18). Maybe I need to

The "You would have done a difficult thing, so why not try the easy thing?" message of the servants is echoing in my mind with the Matthew 11:28-30 that was the undercurrent of the book I just finished -10 Things Jesus NEVER Said (And Why You Should STOP Believing Them) by Will Davis Jr.. While changing jobs is not an easy thing, leaving the organization to be fixed by those in charge of it would be less stressful than trying to ride out these rough waters.

Finishing up my last couple days of vacation, I have some time to be in prayerful search as to my path and I would appreciate your prayers for me and my family as well.

All scripture quoted from the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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