Lessons From The KingsSample

When Greed overtakes Need

Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” 2 Kings 5:20

Gehazi, the servant of Elisha was suddenly blinded by greed when he saw the attractive gifts that Naaman offered Elisha. As a servant of the Prophet Elisha, he must have been well-taken care of and provided for. He had also just witnessed the miraculous provision to the widow and her 2 sons through the prophet. The Lord used a small jar of oil in her hands and made her debt free.  2 Kings 4: 1-7

We live in a world where materialism and consumerism have taken such a toll, that if we don’t watch out, we will all get caught in this whirlwind. To meet this overwhelming desire for things and money, many have plunged themselves neck deep in debt. Every so often greed entices people to lie, cheat and covet like Gehazi did.

When someone in the crowd requested Jesus to ask his brother to divide his inheritance, Jesus’ response to him, and those around was, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." Luke 12:15

There’s an amazing equation that Paul shares with Timothy: Godliness + Contentment = Great Gain, and he also gives the reason why: “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:6,7