Escape Greed, Coveting and Selfishness

Ever spent money foolishly? I have.

Years ago I would buy lottery tickets hoping  I could hit the jackpot and pay off my credit card debt. Greed, coveting, and selfishness cause negative behavior that we easily spot in others, but we just fail to recognize it in ourselves. See if you identify with any of these: Greed is wanting more of what you already have. Coveting is wanting what someone else has. Selfishness is using what you have exclusively for your own benefit. No one else, but God, may know that we suffer from these sins, but they impact the financial decisions we make and often prevent us from helping others. These attitudes propel us to justify anything we want or think that we need. They cause us to make really foolish decisions.

The Bible is full of examples. Greed drove the foolish farmer to build bigger barns. Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard, so he justified murder. Nabal’s selfishness temporarily deprived David and his starving soldiers of the food they needed. We’ll stay trapped in a life of vanity and insignificance until we escape these traps. Paul instructed the Colossians in this way: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

How is that possible? Well, first you ask the Lord to guide your decision making by keeping a proper focus.  Be grateful for what you have right now. Learn to be content by living one day at a time. Seek to make giving your highest financial priority. And if you want to be a better steward of your resources, access Crown’s online studies and tools. They’ll help you on your spiritual and financial journey. Find out more at crown.org.