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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: GREED (03/08/18)
Greed…



Believe it or not, greed got a head start, of all places, in heaven! Greed made Satan rebel. Not satisfied with being the highest archangel (Ezekiel 28:12-15), he wanted it all: God’s throne, God’s worship, and everything God had created. And we all know what happened to him, don’t we? He was hurled out of heaven, and his rebel accomplices were heaved out with him.



Greed was the motivating factor behind the fall of mankind, too. Eve got greedy and feasted on the forbidden fruit. She thought it would make her wise and become like God. Unfortunately, she got neither. Instead of becoming a god, she died…spiritually at first, and then ultimately physically. Adam got greedy, too, and it killed his kinship with the Creator.



Greed has never left this bold, blue planet. In fact, greed is behind the mindset of today’s New Age movement. Such adherents believe they can become gods, as Shirley MacLaine asserted in her mini-series Out on a Limb. The consequence of these peoples’ misguided mindsets is that they shall spend an eternity in the lake of fire without God there to alleviate any of the horrors of hell. Yes, their shrieks of torment will fall on deaf ears. Forever!



Moreover, greed is the motivator of most of the wealthy and elite. They can never seem to fill that hole in their soul that only God can fill. And so, they try to plug it up with…well, stuff. And we all hear the headlines about many of their pathetic lives. Such lives are characterized by divorce after divorce, alcohol and drug addiction, and untimely deaths because a family member coveted their cash and killed them for it! Yes, money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).



And greed is not confined to the fallen world, either. Many believers want to grab their bowl of the gravy they think they are entitled to, also. For instance, many of them seek positions of authority in the church, power hungry to be admired and accepted. Some want as many friends as possible, so they can present the illusion that they are somebody popular. And sadly, some people preach only so they can lord it over others, feel important, and have everyone in the room hanging off their every word.



Yes, greed is grabbing everything one can get his or her grubby little hands on in the quest for satisfaction because, after all, we are entitled to it. James put it perfectly: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). But greed isn’t completely motivated by self. No. Satan is right there alongside people, whispering in their ears, telling them they need more! More!!! And he uses “I” statements so folks will believe the thoughts he plants in their precious heads are their own thoughts. You see, the serpent knows that if he can get people’s minds on materialism, they won’t think about God or about the destiny of their damned souls. In short, he wants to drag as many people down with him as possible. And those he can’t drag to hell, like us believers, he seeks to ruin our relationship with our Redeemer, pulverise God’s plan for our lives, and tatter our testimonies to shreds.



Greed is a real grabber. It will grab our hearts, clench them in its vise-like grip, and grapple us out of the joy of having a real relationship with God. It also wears many masks and it will grab all of us at one time or another because, even if we hate to admit it, it’s a part of all of us, for the seed of every sin is within us all, “……for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23). And always getting what we want makes us forget about God, too, and that breaks His heart because we are acting like the enemy. Yes, God cries, too, whenever we pursue. He weeps because greed stunts our growth.



So, the Scriptures say godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:6). They don’t say, “Godliness with great gain will help us maintain.” It might hurt, but no pain, no godly gain…



All scriptural references have been taken from the New King James Version Bible, 1985
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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This article has been read 537 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
03/15/18
Good message, well done!
Blessings~
Shaudonna Bryant
03/15/18
I love how your writing engages the reader. It was like we were having a conversation;and you were right next to me. The message is quite powerful too. Keep using your pen to God's glory. You have an anointing and talent for writing. Great job
Dennis Gallemore
03/18/18
"Greed is a real grabber." How true!
Larry Whittington
03/21/18
I think you touched on everything except the need for the greedy Christian to repent before it is to late or he will be the one in torment because he has made "getting things" his idol instead of remaining faithful to the God who gives all good things.

Good reminder for all to remember.