“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” ~ Erich Fromm
Is there such a thing as enough is enough? When do we ever have enough wealth, power, and food? In 2020 we watched greed enormously rear its ugly head. The pandemic struck chaos and fear throughout the entire world. Greed oozed out of the pores of society as people scurried for toilet paper, paper towels, disinfectants, masks, etc., harboring all they were allowed to buy.
For most people, the fear of scarcity won out over trusting a God of abundance.
In Western culture, greed is off the charts. Compared to the rest of the world, the greedy West uses the majority of the resources worldwide. Checkout what greed looks like on the world scale:
Humanity is outstripping the Earth’s resources by 50 percent — essentially using the resources of one and a half Earths every year. How are we at being stewards of the Earth’s environment? U.S. FACT: Americans constitute 5% of the world’s population but consume 24% of the world’s energy.¹
Because greed is rooted in SELF, we do not see, nor care, what everyone else is doing or their needs; we only care about ourselves. Once we have our share, maybe just maybe, we will share some with others. Greed is ugly, it takes no prisoners, and devours everyone in its path.
How greedy are you when it comes to wealth, power, and food?
When will you have enough?
When will you start sharing more generously with others?
Scripture gives us countless warnings when it comes to the subject of greed, but the biggest of them is that greed will prevent us from entering the Kingdom of God. “Wait, what?” God is straightforward when it comes to justice, righteousness, and shalom/peace. If we choose our greed over the needs of others, we intentionally disobey the love commandment that God gave the world, which is to love our neighbor as ourselves.
15 Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourself against all kinds of greed. After all, one’s life isn’t determined by one’s possessions, even when someone is very wealthy.” (Luke 12:15 CEB)
10 thieves, the greedy, drunks, abusive people, and swindlers won’t inherit God’s kingdom. (1 Corinthians 6:10)
Trusting that God will provide everything takes a giant leap of faith, especially when it comes to putting other’s needs before our own. Greed has its teeth in all of us more than we care to look or admit. Our greed has cost us plenty, and it’s cost others even more. The good news is that it is possible to let go and let God as it relates to our greed, but it will require deep surrender, intense reconciliation, and a commitment to obey the love command.
Are you ready, or are you content with the strong possibility of forfeiting your ticket to enter the Kingdom of God?
The proof is in your actions, not your words.
God of love and equality, You made humanity in Your image, and then we fell prey to greed. Instead of accepting who You created us to be, we, in turn, desired to be You. We continue to live in a fallen world and exist in a failed state. Our extreme self-centered fear drives our pursuit of wealth, power, and food, leading to a bottomless pit. Countless others suffer because of selfish ways and our quest for more. God, please forgive us, remove the scales from our eyes and help us see our greed for what it truly is. Grant us the strength to surrender our greed over to You, and please grant us the willingness and courage to live out Your spiritual principles in all of our affairs. In Your Spirit and Name, we pray these things. May Your will not ours always materialize, now and forever. Amen.
Image By Harold Long / Canva
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