A Greedy Generation

"You can be sure of this: The Kingdom of Christ and of God will never belong to anyone who is impure or greedy, for a greedy person is really an idol worshiper—he loves and worships the good things of this life more than God."  Ephesians 5:5

As a girl growing up, I can remember my mother needing to bake a cake one day, yet she was short 1 egg and 1/2 cup of sugar.  

"Prissy, go across the street and ask Mrs. Montgomery if we can borrow an egg and 1/2 cup of sugar.  We'll pay her back with beans and tomatoes when the crop comes in."

I came home with the items Mother needed, and her friend knew she was good for the beans and tomatoes in just a few weeks.  That was the extent of the debt we knew and the debt most families knew, too.  Neighbors snapped beans together on the back porch and cracked pecans on the front.  They shared the bounty of nature together.  Children did chores, splashed in puddles, played hide-and-seek and make-believe, and went to bed exhausted.  

Today, families have far more income than ever before and both parents work in most homes.  Yet there is more debt than ever before, too.  There is more stress, more substance abuse, and the only guidance received by many children consists of that obtained electronically by Alexa or Siri.  It is a sad state of affairs, and it is due in large part to greed and the craving for all that our little eyes see.

Make no mistake about it, God and His Word have something to say about this.

The Holy Bible says:

"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8, NLT).

"For all these worldly things, these evil desires—the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance—these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself" (1 John 2:16, TLB).

"What I meant was that you are not to keep company with anyone who claims to be a brother Christian but indulges in sexual sins, or is greedy, or is a swindler, or worships idols, or is a drunkard, or abusive. Don’t even eat lunch with such a person" (1 Corinthians 5:11, TLB).

"Don’t you know that those doing such things have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshipers, adulterers or homosexuals—will have no share in his Kingdom. Neither will thieves or greedy people, drunkards, slanderers, or robbers" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, NLT).

"The rich man thinks of his wealth as an impregnable defense, a high wall of safety. What a dreamer" (Proverbs 18:11)!

And a special caution to pastors:

"These pastors must be men of blameless lives because they are God’s ministers. They must not be proud or impatient; they must not be drunkards or fighters or greedy for money" (Titus 1:7, TLB).

The good and joyful news is that there is a wonderful and beautiful cure for greed.  It is simply giving.  I'm not talking about giving from our surplus.  No.  Real joy comes from giving when we can't afford to.

Jesus draws attention to just such an example in Luke 21:1-4:

"As he stood in the Temple, he was watching the rich tossing their gifts into the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small copper coins.  'Really,' he remarked, 'this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them combined.  For they have given a little of what they didn’t need, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has'” (TLB).

I can assure you, this woman never had lack for the rest of her days.  That's just who Jesus is and the way His Kingdom works.

May we remember that it is the devil's way to isolate and alienate.  God wants us to sharpen each other, living and thriving together in community (Proverbs 27:17).

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (NKJV).

Goodnight, Runners.