Who really thinks of themselves as greedy? Sure, those “rich” people are, but I’m not like them. It may be easier to see in others, but unnoticeable in yourself. A poor person can be just as greedy as a rich person. It’s not about the money itself; it’s about the heart.
Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 6:13). Other versions translate “mammon” as money or unrighteous wealth. But mammon is more than money—it’s the materialistic desire for stuff. It’s what you put your trust & hope in—what’s going to take care of me, meet my needs, & make me satisfied. And so it becomes your master.
You see greed in little children whining & demanding, “Mine! Gimme! I want….” You see it in the ungrateful faces of teens demanding more clothes, tech, & toys. It’s that voice we hear coming from our own mouths about how our house is too small, our car is too old, or our TV is too small. Isn’t greed the true motive behind purchasing lottery tickets & taking trips to casinos? It masquerades in spiritual form as prosperity theology—that God actually wants you to be wealthy.
It can appear disguised as ambition or being frugal. It’s the taskmaster that drives us to work so much overtime to be able to buy more stuff. It makes us want to possess to impress. It keeps me prideful of what I have, & worried about losing it. It also keeps me discontented in what I don’t have. It makes me envious & covetous. It justifies stealing & cheating to get it. It makes me stingy in hoarding it, & uncaring in not sharing it.
Jesus said, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Stuff can be useful & enjoyable (1 Tim. 6:17). It’s when lust for stuff becomes what life’s about. Mammon makes a terrible god, making big promises, but delivering little because you always feel it’s not enough.
Greed is a rejection of the God who promises to meet our true needs (Luke 6:25-34). Have you come to grips with that part of the 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not WANT”? When we see our cups of blessing as only partially full instead of overflowing, we become greedy instead of grateful.
We take for granted how good we have it. Life is way better in most ways than it used to be, yet people are wallowing in want. It’s like we live on another planet compared to our great-grandparents. Go back 100 years, when most still lived in rural areas without electricity, clean running water, modern appliances, or indoor toilets. Do you realize how much backbreaking labor it would take just to live modestly–the amount of time & effort to grow & can your own vegetables, to wash your clothes by hand, hauling & heating water to cook your meals from scratch on a wood stove?!
Nearly all children live past childbirth now. We have painkillers, anesthesia, antibiotics, & dental care. AC, ice machines & air fryers. Computers, satellites, & smartphones. Instant access to all the music & movies in the world. We have international foods & flavors, trucks & SUVs, international communication & transportation. We can order practically anything online & have it delivered by the next day. We have far more material blessings than kings & queens of the past ever did! Still, it’s not enough, is it?
“But godliness with contentment is great gain… For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim. 6:6-10). It’s not the stuff itself – it’s the love (or lust) for more. It becomes an idol that you sacrifice your soul to. In the end, what good does it do to gain the world, but lose your soul (Mark 8:36)?
When you go to a financial manager & entrust him to make sound investments, a good one will always ask, “What are your goals? What would you like me to do with your investment?” He knows that it’s your money, & he’s simply a manager trying to help you accomplish what you want. Could it be that we need to better acknowledge that all we have has been entrusted to us by God? So we ask, “God, what do you want me to do with your stuff? What are your goals?” That perspective about stewardship shifts how we manage money.
Do you remember at the start of the COVID lockdowns, how shoppers stripped store shelves of toilet paper far beyond any realistic need? It had almost nothing to do with actual shortage & everything to do with the fear of being left with less than the next person. Greed treated toilet paper like gold! Ultimately, even gold will be like worthless toilet paper (Matt. 6:19-21). That’s why Jesus told us not to stock up stuff on earth, but to store it in heaven where it’s not only safe, but it hugely compounds (Matt. 19:29).
Jesus isn’t saying don’t save money for retirement or your kids’ college. There are Proverbs about saving wisely & living responsibly. He doesn’t want you to be reduced to begging. Does it mean I should never get a new iPhone? Do I have to keep wearing my old clothes forever & have to shop at Goodwill? Can I never get another car, or take a vacation?” Not necessarily. “Storing up treasures in heaven” is Jesus’ code language for generosity (Luke 12:31-34). It’s another way of Him saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Giving breaks the death grip of greed in my heart. It re-orients our lives to what matters by getting my heart in the right place & making me more like Jesus.