The story of Naaman, the Syrian commander, is a powerful reminder of humanity’s deep need for God’s grace and the futility of seeking fulfilment outside Him. Naaman was a man of great power and influence, celebrated for his victories and status, yet he carried a devastating flaw—leprosy. This affliction is a metaphor for the condition of every human soul: no matter how much glory we attain in the world, there is always a “but,” a spiritual nakedness that we cannot cover on our own.
Glory, in its truest sense, belongs only to God. His perfection, fullness, and sufficiency make Him completely glorious. While the Bible attributes a sense of glory to humanity, it is never on the same scale as God’s. Adam was created with glory, but he lost it when he fell into sin. This loss left humanity naked and ashamed, constantly striving to regain the weight and significance we instinctively know we were made to possess. Yet, no pursuit apart from God can restore us.
We often look to power, influence, relationships, or material success to fill the void within us. Like Naaman, we attempt to use our achievements to mask our souls' brokenness, but no worldly success can heal spiritual leprosy. It is not wrong to desire glory—God placed that desire in us—but true glory can only be found in Christ. The problem lies in our attempts to find fullness where it cannot be found, settling for things that are beneath us instead of looking to the One above us.
Naaman’s journey to healing began when he humbled himself and submitted to God’s terms. Initially, his pride resisted the simplicity of the prophet Elisha’s instruction to wash in the Jordan River. It seemed too ordinary, too beneath his dignity. But this was God’s way of showing him—and us—that we cannot dictate the terms of our salvation. We must abandon our glory, recognize the corruption within us, and come to Him in humility. Naaman’s eventual obedience led to his physical healing and, more importantly, a revelation of God’s power and sufficiency.
God’s dealings with Naaman reveal a universal truth: we are far more unworthy than we realize, and our need for grace is greater than we often admit. Yet God, in His kindness, invites us to experience His glory and be made whole in Him. We must surrender our illusions of control, trust His wisdom, and recognize that His ways are higher than ours.
This story is a call to stop striving after things that cannot be satisfied and instead look up to the God who can. It reminds us that no man, beast, or earthly substance can elevate us; only God can restore the glory we have lost. Like Naaman, we must come to Him as lepers in need of grace, acknowledging our brokenness and trusting in His sufficiency.
May our prayer be, “Lord, show me who I am so I can look up to You. Help me to abandon my glory and come to You as I truly am, in need of Your healing and grace.”