Kid's Ministry Coffee Break | A Few Minutes of Spiritual Refreshment for Children & Youth Ministers.
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
"CARRYING DIRT" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 27: God's graciousness is always available for us to lean upon in our faith. We must lean upon it so that we can extend that grace to those whom we serve.
"CARRYING DIRT" Kids Ministry Coffee Break 27:
In 2 Kings 5, there is an intriguing and wonderful story about Elisha the prophet.
The general for Israel’s enemy’s army learns from a captured Israelite woman that an Israelite prophet can heal him from his skin disease.
The fast version of the story is that Naaman eventually goes to Elisha, does what he says, and is healed. Much of the story is controversial, but there is an act of faith which leads to belief. Naaman now wants to serve Elisha’s God.
Elisha won’t accept any of Naaman’s gifts for the healing. Naaman says he will have to bow before the God of his native land, Aram, because he escorts the king in…but his heart now belongs to the God of Israel.
He then asks for two mule-loads of dirt.
A funny thing to ask. He could just find a piece of land and take dirt and no one would think much of this, I’d imagine.
When is the last time you heard of anyone being territorial over a few square yards of soil?
Elisha permits him to take it—to bow before the god of Aram—and to go on his way.
Naaman wants the dirt because, to him, Israel’s God is god of that land. Once he goes back to Aram, he’ll be in the land of that god. He wants to take some of Israel back with him so he can bow down upon it and worship the God of that dirt.
Now…Elisha knows this is not necessary, that God is god of the the whole world…but he let’s Naaman take the dirt.
He could stop him and explain to him what he has come to know and correct Naaman’s thinking, but he doesn’t.
Elisha blesses Naaman by allowing and affirming Naaman to worship the only way he knows how.
That is grace, my friends.
As ministers, we often come across situations and conversations where we have to decide…is this worth speaking to?
Should I correct this kind of thinking?
Should I make sure this person, student, or parent understands things like I understand them…or do I bless them by affirming them to love and live the best they know how?
There are times when teaching is the right thing.
But there are times when we nod and let people carry on the way they know how.
…because God is already there for them.
God will be what God will be (that’s the very name of God, actually),
so we can let God be what God will be.
Chances are strong we have a different understanding of God and faith today than we did 10 years ago, right?
Chances are just as strong we will have as much of a different understanding 10 years in the future as we did 10 years in the past.
God has met us where we are every time.
So praise God for that!
Smile at God’s grace.
Whatever it is that is your mule-load of dirt today—whatever is a simple enough understanding—celebrate God’s gracious love to welcome it.
And extend that grace to others.
We serve a beautiful God, don’t we?
God is good, all the time…and all the time…God is good.
Message brought to you be Rev. Joseph Sanford of Sanford Curriculum (Student ministry resources available on The Sunday School Store written by he and Lauren Sanford).
Music by The Muse Maker
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