Day 34 | Confidence and Kindness: A Winning Combination

Reflection

So, imagine you’re a young Jewish girl who’s been taken captive by the Syrians in one of their terrifying raids into your land. You’re taken from your family and your home, you now live in their country, and you’re made to serve their army commander’s wife – perhaps for the rest of your days. I’m wondering how much sympathy you’d feel for this commander – your captor and enemy.

But in 2 Kings 5, this amazing, unnamed young girl does feel sympathy. Her words show genuine warmth and concern. They also show courageous confidence. She has confidence that her God will cure Naaman. And she is courageous enough to stick her neck out and say so.

Naaman and his wife might have been relatively kind to her – the passage doesn’t tell us, but the girl's warmth might imply it. Even if so, this girl is enslaved in a foreign land yet still manages to combine confidence with kindness.

Her three-verse cameo says so much about the attributes of confidence we should aspire to. It isn’t self-confidence she has, but rather confidence in God and what He can do, even though she has experienced disappointment in her own life.

There’s nothing arrogant in her words, only compassionate kindness. We could even say her words are delivered with competence, to the right person in the right way. And there is courageous resolve to step up and speak up, pointing to God as the one true source of hope and help.

Responding in Prayer

Lord, let my confidence be ultimately in You, rather than self-confidence.

Let my confident words always be accompanied by kindness.

Help me to have the courage to step up, to speak up, and to point up to You.