Day 97, or April the 7th. Good number twos are hard to find.
Our thoughts today are rooted in 2 Kings chapter 2 verse 3. The company of the prophets at
Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master
from you today? Yes, I know, Elisha replied. So be quiet.
The big picture surrounding this verse. Many of the miracles of Elijah and Elisha are like
Jesus' miracles, two of the most obvious being the raising of a Gentile woman's son
by Elijah, very like Jesus in Matthew chapter 15 verse 21, and the multiplication of loaves
by Elisha, similar to the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14 verse 15. These two prophets
had a greater influence for good than all the royalty they served. Elijah is finally
taken up to heaven whilst Elisha remains.
And now today's action step. Many of us instinctively strive for number one and lots of us are out
of our depth when we get there. I spent six of my happiest years as an associate minister.
I was content being number two because I was convinced that was where God wanted me and
I felt my gifting was suited to the job description of associate rather than senior pastor. I
was accused of having no ambition, but only by people who didn't know what they were
talking about. According to Professor Lawrence J. Peter, who propounded the Peter principle,
in a hierarchy, every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence. People who show
competence are promoted whether or not they are qualified to perform competently at the
next level. Eventually they go beyond their limits, become incompetent and stop getting
promoted. If this principle is true in commerce, it is most certainly true in the church. Elisha
was happy as number two with Elijah as his master. The time came for Elisha to replace
Elijah, but I am convinced that he would have happily served as number two if Elijah had
stayed around. Don't strive for the next step up. Instead, strive to be the best you
can by doing the job God has called you to do today and doing it well.