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.