Giving God Our Weaknesses

What is your Achilles’ Heel? Achilles warrior in ancient mythology

Believed to be invincible in battle

Except for one weakness in his heel, touch it Achilles helpless

What are your weaknesses? What is your Achilles’ heel?

Weaknesses or vulnerabilities that hold us back

May be a nagging physical illness,

All insecure at some level about our looks

Maybe you are aggravated by emotional pain you carry

Just can’t get rid of it, broken r-ship, or abuse, or some guilt

Maybe it’s a memory you have some baggage that suffocates you

Want to talk to you today about a great General

And how God dealt with his Achilles heel

His name is Naaman listen to how he is described

Naaman was commander of the army..a great man…highly

regarded…through him the Lord had given victory..

valient soldier…BUT HE HAD LEPROSY. Vs 1 TNIV

He was the equivalent of a 5 star general successful feared warrior

He had everything. He was at the height of his career.

BUT he had Leprosy We all have those buts in life don’t we

Call them Achilles heel, weakness, Jay is great BUT

Leprosy was an infectious skin disease

lepers had to live in colonies, banned, away from everyone

Naaman’s leprosy meant his days as general were soon to be over.

Like Naaman had AIDS or flesh eating virus threatened his position

He had been to all the medical experts but to no avail

Everyone knew about his little problem

Just like we feel everyone knows about our weakness or failures

Apostle Paul in NT said he was given a thorn in flesh

He said something to keep him from being conceited weakness

We wish and pray for miraculous removal of our weaknesses

Sometimes god doesn’t take them away but works through them

1. God may ask YOU TO DO THINGS THAT SEEM BENEATH YOU

Remember Naaman is 1 of most successful military minds in world

He is used to being in control and in charge

God sometimes works in our lives through things seem beneath us

Naaman was probably feeling as low as he could feel.

It seemed like there was no hope. His body had betrayed him,

the whole world had let him down. He was all alone.

Notice who helps Naaman; A JEWISH SLAVE GIRL

The only reason she was in Aram she was a spoil of war

She had no standing she was a mere servant in Naaman’s house

She is the hero in the story says I can help Naaman

“Go see prophet in Israel name is Elisha - He’s a man of God.”

“He can get in touch with Heaven and you can be cured”

Naaman had to be willing to listen

He may have been so desperate would try anything

Are we that desparate for God?

So Naaman gathers a fortune SILVER GOLD AND CLOTHES

He’s man of power so he comes on strong every man has his price

So he gets together $50 K in silver, $5,K in clothes, $1.2 mil gold

Brings gets a letter from his king to Jehoram of Israel

which in effect says if you help Naaman you are helping me

sending him to you so you will cure him of his leprosy

Big military entourage with Naaman King of Israel blown away

Assumes Syrian king is starting a war Am I God?

Interesting doesn’t say king calls on God

Just worries tries to deal with it himself

Elisha hears about the fretting king who is dismayed

And says send him over to me, I’ll talk to him

King Jehoram doesn’t have a lot of options

He is thrilled to get Naaman off his hands

Naaman takes riches, & warriors rings doorbell at Elisha’s house

Elisha doesn’t even come to the door

Just sends his underling out telling Naaman what to do

Naaman is used to dealing man to man with leaders

He has got enough $$ to make Elisha rich,

How dare you disgrace me? You come out and see me

OUR GREATEST STRENGTHS CAN BECOME WEAKNESSES

Naaman is a successful general, he is wealthy has influence

But our greatest strengths can become weaknesses

Decisive take charge

I can speak well but mouth got me in trouble

Look at response Vs 11 NLT Naaman became angry & stalked away.

“I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said.

“I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy

and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!

Doesn’t this guy know who I am? He is supposed to pray

Wave his hand and get rid of all my problems

One of the worst things we can do is get angry and go away

Story would not have happy ending if Naaman remained stubborn,

Sometimes we walk away from God we don’t get our way