HOW TO BE A GOOD ASSISTANT - ELISHA AND GEHAZI

ELISHA AND GEHAZI
INTRODUCTION
During Elijah’s time in ministry, God told him to anoint Elisha son of Shaphat as his assistant. In the scenario, all Elijah did was to throw his cloak around Elisha, he immediately started following his master. Even when Elijah had to be taken away, he tried several times to persuade his servant, Elisha, not to follow him. Despite all his
persuasions, Elisha still followed him. Finally Elijah said to him “You have asked a difficult thing yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours “[2 Kings 2:10]. When the man of God was being taken away, he still hadn’t said anything yet. It was this same Elisha who had to call out to Elijah, saying “My Father, My Father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel”. [2 Kings 2:12]. He had to do all these before he had the double portion of anointing he requested. But how could Elisha have passed on this anointing to Gehazi, the rebellious assistant?
If you rebel against authority, how will there be anything left for you. Gehazi started nicely as a servant, and then when he rebelled he became leprous and lost his ministry and as far as concerned he never got healed. In assisting, serve so well that when it’s your turn, you will also be served well.

  OBJECTIVES.
       By the end of this material you should be able to understand that;
1. In Ministry, you have to push your way through and advance forcefully with prayer and hard work so that you will be where you are supposed to be.
2. Leaders are not to be blamed for their assistants’ rebellious acts.3.

A LEADER AND AN ASSISTANT.

Elijah was a leader, and he had an assistant, Elisha.  Elijah was able to successfully bring up Elisha to be more powerful than how he Elijah was. But Elisha, the powerful successor, on the other hand didn’t succeed in doing same.

 It is true that the man Elisha had a double of Elijah’s anointing, yet he wasn’t able to bring up any one to take over the mantle of leadership. But think of it, was it his fault? Have in mind that it doesn’t take anointing to bring up good assistants. Even among the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, there was one rebel, Judas. Would you conclude that Jesus Christ made a mistake in selecting Judas Iscariot?
Like Elisha, every good servant can get a double portion of the Lord’s anointing or favor or blessing, but if it doesn’t happen that way, please, don’t blame it on the leader.
    ACTIVITY 1.0
PUT SOME QUESTIONS AND IDEAS TO THINK ABOUT HERE AS AN ACTIVITY FOR THE FIRST POINT EXPLAINED

THE ASSISTANT`S DUTY.
[2 KINGS 3: 11]
But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah [NKJV]
In the Bible, water signifies the Holy Spirit, the word of God, or God’s presence. The hand also represents one’s labor, his toil or hard work. So in other words,
from the verse quoted above, Elisha, son of Shaphat, was supporting his leader, Elijah’s ministry, by pouring on it God’s word, through his hard work and labor. He wasn’t gossiping, he wasn’t opposing Elijah, his leader. All that Elisha was doing was this; he was forcefully advancing his leader’s ministry and vision through hard work and prayer.
Are you pouring water on your leader’s hands? Or you are waiting for an opportunity to prove that you know more than he does?
The officers of the king physically saw Elisha’s hardwork, not once but several times hence they were an able to give such good commendation about him. Do people see you as an assistant? Our God is a generational God .He continues all that he brings .In Elisha’s case, he received a double portion, but Gehazi blew his chances. Maybe you are the next person to receive God anointing, but remember, service is the only experience that can prepare you for the task ahead.


  ACTIVITY 2.0
PUT SOME QUESTIONS AND IDEAS TO THINK ABOUT HERE AS AN ACTIVITY FOR THE POINT EXPLAINED