GREED

What causes greed? For some people it may be fear. Fear of running out of something. Fear of losing it somehow. Fear of going without. Fear that someone else will have more. Fear there won’t be any more to get.

What does God say about fear? 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Where do you stand on greed? Here are some questions to help figure it out.

1) Can you be bribed? Can someone offer you enough money to do something illegal that you would do it?

2) Do you take a bigger slice of pie leaving the smaller piece for someone else?

3) When you were a child and went out trick or treating with your friends, how did you act when you saw an unsupervised bowl of candy? The sign said “take one”. Did you take one piece? Or did you grab a handful?

4) Walking along the aisles in a grocery store and you see a sign that says “free samples, take one”. What do you do? You are not a child anymore – is your behavior different or the same?

5) Let’s say there is a great sale on a certain product. The price is so good, you just can’t pass it up. Do you buy all of it, leaving none for anyone else?

6) When you go to an “all-you-can-eat” buffet, do you pile your plate high? How many trips will you make to get more – 2, 3, 4? Do you eat until you are so full you can barely move?

7) Do you steam roll thru the crowds on Black Friday to make sure you get the “door buster” item? Did it make you mad when you saw the exact same item on sale for even less later in the year?

8) How do you act during extreme weather events such as hurricanes? Do you run to the store and buy as much water as you can, leaving the shelves empty for others?

How did you do? I think we all can answer yes to at least one of those questions.

We are tempted with greed on a regular basis. Stores tempt us. Manufacturers confront us with sales. “Prices will never be this low again! Buy now!” The greed in us makes us react to those offers. TV commercials play with our greed. They entice us. Seduce us. Make us think we need this item and then we will be better than someone else. It is all a lie.

Even when a store is going out of business, we feel this “need” inside to buy up whatever they have because it is 90% off. Later, we see that we don’t need any of it and we have a yard sale.

Greed can also lead to gluttony. Oh, you wanted to get your money’s worth at the “all-you-can-eat” buffet? If you eat to satisfy hunger and you are full – you have gotten your money’s worth. When you continue eating, you have entered into greed and gluttony. And then you have regrets . . . your tummy hurts and you don’t feel well at all.

Are you consumed with getting more? To the exclusion of all else? Then you are wasting your life and causing problems for yourself. Proverbs 15:27 He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.

When you are greedy, it runs your life. There is no room for anything else. Relationships suffer and families are broken. At the end of the day, all you will have is your greed and nothing else. Greed is never satisfied. Proverbs 1:19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners.

Generosity is better than greed. Proverbs 11:24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.

Greed can be stopped. But you will need God’s help. Start with prayer. Focus on God’s Word. He is willing to speak to those who are willing to listen.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture verses are from the New King James Version of the Bible.

GENEROUS vs STINGY

Proverbs 22:9
He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

Proverbs 22:16
He who oppresses the poor to increase his riches, And he who gives to the rich, will surely come to poverty.

Proverbs 31:20
She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.

Proverbs 22:22-23
Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate; For the LORD will plead their cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8
If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.

The Bible has a lot to say about the poor and how they are to be treated. Are you poor? How does it feel to know that God has made provision for you in the Bible? And yet, no matter how poor you may be, there is always someone who has even less than you. How do you feel about those people?

Being poor will mean different things to different people.  Is a homeless person, who lives on the street, poor? Quite possibly he/she is not.  Some people have chosen this way of life. They would rather beg for money and live on the street than do anything that would change their circumstances.  There are many organizations that will help a person get back on their feet.  Job training, food pantry, free medical clinics, etc.  Amazing as it may seem, some people don’t want a job or a home.  They would rather rely on the kindness and generosity of strangers.

How do you help the poor? When you see a homeless person on the street corner with a sign asking for food, what do you do? You may not want to give him/her money because “they will only by alcohol”. Is there something else you can do? What about donating to a local food pantry or soup kitchen or volunteering at a homeless shelter? I know of someone who keeps a “homeless kit” in their car. It is a Ziploc bag with some toiletries and non-perishable snacks. When they see a homeless person, they give it to them. You could also include a tract telling them about Jesus – He is what they actually need!

One afternoon, my husband and I were out running errands. There was a homeless man living under a bridge by the interstate. He was not begging for anything – that was just where he lived. We went and bought him a sandwich and a drink and gave it to him. He had some apples that he couldn’t eat and he gave them to us. A homeless man wanted to bless us! He happened to be a Christian and talked about Jesus and he wanted to make sure that we knew His Savior! We found out that he witnesses to everyone who stops to talk to him and he offers to give them a free Bible. He was giving – not taking! He didn’t complain about his life and he shared what he had. What was his secret? I would have to say it was his faith in Jesus.

Back in biblical times, God had set up a system for the poor. The poor were usually widows and orphans with no family to take care of them.

Deuteronomy 24:19-21
When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

Even though God has provided for the poor, the poor still need to go and get it. It is not delivered to them. They would still need to work in the fields to get what was left for them. Even Adam and Eve worked in the garden (Genesis 2:15)

Where do you fit in? Are you poor? Is it because of circumstances beyond your control? Do you avail yourself of the services and organizations available to you that can help you get back on your feet? Do you make a cardboard sign and stand on a street corner? Do you take advantage of people to get more? The choice is yours.

The phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible. God helps those who call on His name. And God is honored when we bless those who are less fortunate. Choose today to make a difference in someone’s life. Share Jesus with those you come in contact with. Give them the Bread of Life!

Do you know the story of the sheep and the goats? It is in Matthew 25:31-46. Check it out!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture verses are from the New King James Version of the Bible.