2 Kings 5:3
“And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.”
We often hear the story of this little maid, but I’m afraid we don’t learn from her example. We don’t know her name and there is a reason we don’t know it because she was a slave. Slaves were not treated with the respect of those who were known by name. Slaves were often mistreated and taken from their families, and most of the time they were just told what to do unless they had grown in favor with their master.
Yet, when this little maid heard that her master had leprosy, she knew who could help heal him. She could have treated him the same way she was treated, but she was better than that because she was a child of God. She knew that the reason he may have mistreated her was because he needed to know her God the same way she did. She knew sin is what caused him to act this way and that the man of God could help him, not only with his leprosy, but also with his sin problem. For this young maid to refer her master to Elisha for healing simply revealed her Christian character.
If you were this maid what would you have done? I would hope that I would have acted the same way she did, but I’m afraid she is a much better Christian than I. Yet, it is people like this young maid who make the difference in others. There are some things she did that will reveal your Christian character.
First, do you care for those who despitefully use you? This young maid cared for her master in spite of what he had done to her. Let me ask you, do you hurt for those who have hurt you when they are hurting? Caring for people who treat you right doesn’t reveal your Christian character, but caring for those who don’t treat you right truly reveals how much you really care.
Second, do you help those who have hurt you? She not only cared for her master, but she helped him. Would you help those who have hurt you if you had the capability to help them? This truly reveals what kind of Christian you are. A true Christian will help anyone who is hurting, even those who will hurt them again.
Third, do you forgive those who have treated you wrongly? This young maid had to have a spirit of forgiveness. The greatest test of your Christian character is if you have forgiven those who have hurt you the deepest. You can talk about how many souls we have led to Christ, but have you forgiven the one who hurt you deeply? You can talk about how many you had in attendance in your ministry, but have you forgiven those who have tried to destroy you? You can brag about which national platforms you have preached on, but have you forgiven the one who is trying to destroy your ministry? The true test of anyone’s Christian character is if they can forgive those who have or are trying to hurt them deeply.
Let me ask you, what is your Christian character like? We need more Christians like this young maid who are willing to lay aside their pettiness to help those who truly need Christ. You will discover true freedom and joy in your life when you acquire the Christian character of this little maid.