Life stealing greed

So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners. – Proverbs 1v19

Children playing together can be a real reflection on society. We are seeing a lot more of that now with our grandkids. Two of them, Maddie and AJ, are something to see. They seem to always be in conflict over toys or food or anything else that either one has. If one of them has it, the other will try to take it, even if they already have the same thing. It is a pretty constant battle. The only reason that one needs to take something from the other is because they have it.

I don’t get too concerned about greed in 3 and 4 year olds. We work to train and teach them, but the reality is that one day they will outgrow that childish greed.

Or will they? The Bible often addresses the topic of contentment. It is a vital Christian virtue. Discontentment, or covetousness, is referred to as idolatry. Greed, discontent, or covetousness is idolatry. It will lead to further sins of heart and mind, or of action.

This passage in Proverbs addresses another aspect of greed. Instead of the impact on others it addresses the impact on self.

Greed takes away the life of its owner.

If greed goes unchecked it takes total control It runs our lives. All we can think about is what we don’t have and how we can get it. It is tragic to see lives that are controlled by greed. Nothing else matters and before you know it life is gone.

We can’t let greed steal our lives, we need to learn the lesson the ‘be content with the things that we have’ because Jesus gives us all we need and He will never, ever leave us or forsake us.