Few of us like to think of ourselves as greedy, but you and I both know it is woven into our Adamic heart. This is why Jesus (in the midst of a hugely poignant teaching in Luke 12) says:
“Beware (be actively discerning), and be on your guard (push away) every form of greed; for not even when one has an overflow does his life consist of his possessions.” Think with me for a moment.
I identify several avenues of greed from my own fight of faith – based upon the Word of God. The first is obvious: un-satiated pursuit of possessions. When is enough enough? When this is unbridled (it is not necessarily tied to an amount) the heart is carried away by self-thirst, and the ends begin to justify the means. This, in turn, impacts our judgement for what is right and wrong. It is a bottomless pit.
Greed is also unleashed when we want to be lifted up in the eyes of others. Recognition is a consuming master which is never satisfied. The bad part about this one is that other people will pay the price for our greed – always. People become diminished because our view of ourselves is elevated. Greed inevitably leads to some form of oppression of others.
Finally, self-gratification is probably the most insidious tool of the evil one to capture our souls. Instead of making a list, it is more helpful to begin evaluating our inner-selves for the things which steal our heart intentions away from God. The whole two masters thing. (Matthew 22:34-40)
Greed has been with us since the beginning. It is chilling to think of the serpent’s lie to Adam and Eve: “you will surely not die.” The second Adam (Jesus) shows us the way to subjugate greed to the will of the Father. It is a lifelong quest to allow Jesus to master the greed which flows from our fallen hearts.
Passages: Proverbs 11:6; Romans 1:29; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 2 Peter 2:3,14
Join me in identification and Spirit-subjugation of all forms of greed. Selah.