Greed

During today’s discussion I’m going to discuss Greed.

Greed is a type of personal enslavement. I say this because greed makes us stray from the path of righteousness. Greed is a desire for more. It might be for more money, fame, or material goods. Greed gets us so caught up in its “process” that we tend to de-prioritize the truly important things in life.

Greed is nothing more than a short-term high. I say this because a greedy person can ever have true happiness. It’s my feeling that those who aspire to be rich have a false sense of reality. Does money truly buy happiness? Can money save you from an illness? Can money change who you are? Can money make you invincible? Of course not.

Money gives you a false illusion of reality. Can it make life easier at times? Sure it can. But the desire to accumulate more is always there. When one is burdened with the desire of greed the job is never done.

Remember the words that Jesus spoke in the story of the Rich Man…

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"

"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."

Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Mark 10:17-25

Final thoughts –

Most often the desire for power outweighs greed; however, both go hand-in-hand and it would be difficult to have one without the other.

The sin of greed changes who we are and how we treat others. Remember that Jesus was born in a manger. He was not born in a lavish place with warm blankets and an abundance of food. This of course, was the will of God and it teaches us a lesson to trust in his ways and he will take care of us.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"

Luke 12:22-26

The opposing virtue of greed is Generosity and I pray that scripture will influence you more than my words. Therefore, I’ll end today’s discussion by sharing with you the Parable of the Rich Fool…

Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'

"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Luke 12:13-34

God bless you. And this is for His Glory!