Wednesday, June 20, 2007

wanting more.

After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 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." (2Kings 5)

It is so easy to justify greed; it is so easy to be selfish. Gehazi saw all the gifts Naaman had offered Elisha, and coveted. There was so much of it! Now, as this thought of getting some of the goods was conceived in his mind, his justification was that Elisha was wrong; Elisha was "too easy on Naaman."

Surprisingly, Gehazi didn't ask for much. He only asked for a couple tunics and a couple of shekels; at least he showed some reservation. Or perhaps this was a more convenient way of hiding these items; Elisha would never suspect it. Regardless, Gehazi, the servant, didn't trust Elisha's decision and he was only thinking about his own needs.

It is easy to justify sin, even if it is the smallest, most minute compromise. I sometimes...okay, often times, think that I am entitled to do something questionable because I was mistreated or I didn't get what was fair. Sometimes it's just because I am plain selfish. I want, and therefore, I get. It all starts off in a thought, a justification, which then births itself into sin. And as we all know, sin progresses into worst sin.

No comments: