Greed is a Serious Matter...

Last night Caleb and I had our weekly catch up... We spoke about the serious matter of greed. We talked about the way it prevents a man from enjoying what he already possesses and can leave him discontented. Bob Schultz helped us do this in his book, 'Created to Work'.

Did you know that greed blinds a man's understanding?

The worst consequence is that a greedy man loses his awareness of God's presence.

Suppose your mate Bill has a car. For over a year he has enjoyed the efficiency of this vehicle. Last week however he went and visited his brother in law Luke. Luke had just purchased a new car which is the latest Holden model with all the extras. Now every time Bill sits in his Ford he thinks about Luke's Holden. The tendency to focus on what we don't possess prevents us from enjoying what we do.

Or imagine... It's the last afternoon of hunting season. While spotting through his scope, the hunter spies a prey. Moving his gun until the cross-hairs centre on the sure kill, he senses disappointment that this youngster should become his fall harvest. However, that's all he's seen and it's probably his last chance for any meat.

After the well-placed shot, he lowers his scope. A movement catches his eye on the right. Jerking his head toward it, the hunter sees a large, 5-pt buck bound into the trees.

This can be the way that greed works. Intently focused on something in the distance, we become blind to what is nearby. If the hunter would have removed his eye from the limited scope for a moment and looked around, he might have seen an option he didn't know existed. Greed darkens a man's understanding.

The Bible tells us that, one evening King David focused on a woman named Bathsheba. Now if he'd had put down his scope and looked around him, he might have enjoyed a walk with his wife Abigail. But that is not what he did. No, he kept his focus on a wife he didn't have. David's one-track mind led him away from the path of understanding and wisdom, into the path of stealing, lying, and murder. His coveting heart removed him from the joy of God's presence. After being confronted by the prophet Nathan, David came back to his senses, he begged God, in Psalms 51, not to cast him away from His presence but to restore the joy of his salvation. Of all the harm greed brings to a man, the loss of sensing God's presence is the worst.

Greed always thinks that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. The greedy man doesn't enjoy what he already owns, because his heart is on things just out of his reach.

Caleb and I were able to confess and repent of our own sin of greed and recognizing the tendency within us, to feast out eyes on the things that are not ours. We asked God that we would be men who are grateful for what we have.

Truly greed is a serious matter - and of all the harm greed brings to a man, the loss of sensing God's presence is truly the worst! This must be what hell will be like!