Dealing With Greed

I want it! I want it! I want it! Do you ever have to deal with your inner 2 year-old? Sometimes I do and I tell her to shut up or she gets no ice cream after dinner (Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia, dontcha know?). Many words have pictures for me, and to me greed looks a lot like Jabba the Hut off the Star Wars movies. It's a big, nasty, slobbering, icky, toad-looking thing.

I'm a habitual clipper of interesting news articles I salvage from the many newspapers I speed-read after work each day. I have an article from the Wall Street Journal dated May 2, 2007 by Jonathan Clements entitled, "No Satisfaction: Why What You Have Is Never Enough." In it, Mr. Clements makes the opening statement that we have life and liberty; that we have the privilege of living in the wealthiest country, but that we can't seem to figure out what will make us truly happy. He rightly observes that we always want a bigger paycheck, a nicer vehicle, etc. He also notices that these things only bring us temporary happiness. Like the Preacher of Ecclesiastes that we've been studying in our Sunday School class, we're chasing that "one more thing" thinking it will make us finally and forever happy. Mr. Clements goes on to say that we aren't built to be happy, but to reproduce and keep society functioning. He also says that we're bad at forecasting because we can only think of what will make us happy for now. We're such temporal beings in our thought processses. If we happen to snag that nicer, bigger, more luxurious home, we soon start taking all the new space for granted. We get that promotion that we thought we had to have, only to find that it's a letdown. I guess that's what the old cliche', "be careful what you wish for" means.

Forgive me if I've said this before, but God is not opposed to our becoming fiscally and materially wealthy. He's more concerned with it possessing us (1 Tim. 6: 6-10; Luk. 12: 15; and Jno. 10: 10). Greed is a soul eater (Matt. 16: 26). God loves to give His children gifts. He's already given us the most generous gift we could ever receive (Jas. 1: 17-18). Are we truly grateful?

I don't have nearly as much as my peers that make more than I do, but I can honestly say that I want for nothing. In spite of this being a year of unemployment in our household, I still view it as "glass half-full." I can say that because I am blessed in so many ways that money can't buy. Mama taught me how to handle myself in the most formal circumstances even though I'm of humble estate. It gives me confidence. That's priceless. My husband gives unconditional love that I can trust. That's truly priceless. I'm not saying that I wouldn't be pleased to own a newer vehicle or a nicer or bigger home, but they're not priorities with me. In fact, I find the drive to acquire such things a frustrating and malicious cycle. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes thought so too (Eccl. 2: 17-23). Jesus told us where we should invest in Matthew 6: 19-21. Are we sending up nice grade brick for the construction of our eternal homes or worm-eaten barn wood? Remember, U-hauls don't follow hearses.

Back to my glass half-full theory: I get contentment by leading a simpler life (1 Tim. 6: 6-10). I learned how wealthy I was when missionaries would return giving reports of their trips into poverty-stricken, third-world countries. I thought to myself, 'How dare I take my luxuries for granted!' I learned from the smiles of those newly saved souls that wealth is immaterial (Eccl. 12: 13; Luk. 12: 16-21). I vowed to keep putting the kingdom first (Matt. 6: 33 and 1 Tim. 6: 11-16); and to be a good steward of what God has already blessed me with and to help others as much as I can (Rom. 12: 8; Prov. 28: 27; and 2 Cor. 9: 10-12).

Remember, this season loves to cloak itself in "peace on earth, good will toward men," but people will run you over in the aisle to get to the last whatever that's on the shelf. Don't get caught up in the hype. Go home, stoke the fireplace, make some cocoa, and do your shopping via catalog while watching football in your rattiest jammie bottoms and your husband's oversized sweatshirt like I do.

Love Ya,
God Bless!