Have You Seen Simon?

Have you see Simon lately? As I was reading the book of Acts I came across the story of Simon the sorcerer. The scene is set in Samaria, where Philip had been preaching, healing, and giving out the Holy Spirit to those around him. Then Simon, who was a popular guy in Samaria, walks up and is amazed by what he sees. You see, Simon is a sorcerer, and he thought he was all that until he saw the power of God. One interesting side note is that while Simon has this power it is not from God, it’s from the devil, so that's strike one right there. But Simon sees Peter and John (who were sent there when Samaria accepted the gospel), and he walks up and he asks for the ability to give out the Holy Spirit. Now when I come to this part I'm thinking, "Way to go Simon! Leaving the devil for Jesus", but there is catch to the story. He walks up and tries to hand Peter money, and Peter basically says "Who the heck are you? I don't want your money and you can die with it. You're not good; you are wicked and captive to sin!" The thing is, Simon did not want this power to help others, he just wanted it for himself to make a profit. How many people call themselves Christians, but don't want to help others and instead only seek to help themselves? Have you seen a Simon lately? A "look out for number one" kind of mentality? God doesn't want us to be greedy, He gave us this gift of life so that we may share it with others. Jesus said "no one puts a lamp under a bowl, but puts it on a stand for all to see". We are supposed to go out into the world, and share the good news but if we think we can keep our faith quiet, we may look into the mirror and see some of Simon in ourselves.