Not Too Proud To Listen

Not Too Proud to Listen

Naaman’s Wife

Read: 2 Kings 5:1-19

The mother sat in the waiting room, anxiously hoping for news about her son’s surgery. She couldn’t help feeling responsible for the accident. It had been only a month since his babysitter had told her that Nathan was out of control and needed professional help. The mother cringed as she remembered her response. She hadn’t seen the wild behavior described by the girl, and the thought of being given parenting advice from a teenager had angered her. Now, she wished she had listened to the babysitter instead of firing her.

Naaman’s wife wasn’t too proud to listen to the advice of a young slave girl. As the wife of a powerful army commander, she enjoyed a position of wealth and prominence. Her maid came from a different culture, where the people worshiped a God who seemed strange to her. Many women in her situation would have indignantly brushed off a servant’s opinion. But because Naaman’s wife longed for her husband to be cured of his leprosy, she told him what her maid had said. Her willingness to listen to someone in a humble position brought her the reward of her husband’s being healed of a serious disease.

We all have our own ideas about the right way to do things, but sometimes pride causes us to miss out on the best way to handle our problems. We rarely hesitate to seek advice from professionals or experts in the areas of health, finances, technology, or decorating. But in everyday life we may ignore the suggestions of others, especially if we think they’re not qualified to offer an opinion. The Bible says that wise people listen to the advice of others. Although God’s Word is our best source of advice, we never know when someone else’s ideas or experiences may benefit us, or even save us from serious consequences—as long as we’re not too proud to listen.

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

Proverbs 12:15