Dear Faith Family, 

As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him, (2 Kings 5:16). 

I remember reading a book with my children when they were little about a greedy goat.  The goat just wouldn’t stop eating.  He saw.  He wanted.  He ate.  He got sick!  That sounds familiar.  Gehazi saw.  He wanted.  He took.  He got sick!  Go ahead.  Read the story.  2 Kings 5.   

What is that?  It’s called greed.  But what is it?  Interesting that Peter mentions the word a couple of times in 2 Peter 2.  And, it must be bad, whatever it is, because Peter puts it in the same sentence with adultery!  But what is it?   

Glad you asked.  Greed (2 Peter 2:3, 14) is actually a combination of two words meaning “more” and “to have”.  Wait.  Isn’t that the great American dream?  To have more?  You know, more house, more car, more money, more social media “friends”, more accolades, more….  Has life been reduced to a great big “Bigger and Better Hunt”?! 

Sometimes I feel like that mindset is engrained in my thought process!  So how do we get rid of such a mindset?  God’s Word grants us a glance at the life of Gehazi.  A careful inspection of Gehazi’s life might help. 

Elisha was focused on the very presence and practice of God in their midst.  Gehazi, on the other hand, seemed focused on quite another opportunity.  The thought of letting the material possessions (you know, the silver and the clothes that Naaman had to offer) get away was just not ok.  In fact, Gehazi took advantage of the opportunity “to have more”! 

What if life looked more like a game of “Hide and Seek” rather than a “Bigger and Better Hunt”?  Not that God is hiding.  But, He does tell us (multiple times in the Bible I might add) that we ought to seek Him.  God is working in the mundane to the grandiose and everywhere in between!  Here’s the question: “Are we looking for Him?”  Or are we distractedly seeking after something else? 

Underneath Gehazi’s (see how easy it was for me to make this Gehazi’s problem?) desire and decision “to have more” appears to be a faulty foundation.  Gehazi seemingly was not content with what he had.  Naaman became an opportunity for Gehazi “to have more”.  Rather than pointing Naaman to the living God (like Elisha did), Gehazi used Naaman for his own selfish desire.  Gratitude is an antidote for greed.  Gratitude leaves little to no room for greed to put down roots.  Practice a daily regimen of gratitude.  For what can you give thanks to your Father today? 

Ok.  One more thought?  What if instead of “to have more” we started practicing letting go of more?  Like looking for what God has placed in our hands as tools for the benefit of others to see God’s presence and practice?  What can I give away today? 

With a thankful heart, 
Pastor Karl