Doing it our way
by Malcolm Wood
As a boy, whenever I expressed my surprise that something had happened contrary to my expectation and said “Well! I thought…”, my father would respond by saying “Naaman thought things too - but he was wrong!”
We often get it wrong, don’t we? We think we know how things are going to happen, and how God will act in response to a particular situation. But the problem is with our perspective. We only see things from our viewpoint – not God’s.
Isaiah 55:8-9 tell us quite clearly that God’s ways are different from ours, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”. Yet it’s a lesson that He has to teach us over and over again.
It’s a lesson that Naaman had to learn. He eventually came to acknowledge the sovereignty of the one true God - the God of Israel. If only we could learn to ‘enquire of God’ as David did (1Chronicles 14:10 & 14). Instead we charge off and fight the battle our way and then wonder why we aren’t successful. We need to learn to ask God for direction and join in with His plans. But instead we make our own plans, and then ask God to bless them.
Although Naaman was a successful and highly respected leader he had a problem and sought an answer. In the process he learnt to listen to others, humble himself and submit to what God was asking of him. The result was his complete healing and all the glory went to God.
The same can happen for us whether we’re a leader or not. Frank Sinatra’s song ‘I did it my way’ was extremely popular for many years, but the truth is we must learn to do it God’sway, not our way.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I’m sorry for so often wanting to be in charge and doing things my way. Please help me to learn to ask You to direct my plans and give me the grace to submit to Your way for my life, so that You get all the glory. Amem.
Malcolm Wood and his wife Anna became part of the Ellel family as House Managers at Ellel Grange in 1990. Since then they have been involved with many aspects of the developing Ministry. From 2001 until 2015 they were Directors of Ellel Scotland where they hosted several International Schools and Operation Blairmore and helped pioneer the exciting Creative Inspiration Weeks. They have three sons.
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