Struggling with greed. It’s something that most of us do not do. For most of us it’s probably just sitting there unnoticed.
I thought of this as I considered Ephesians 5:3: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” As a Pastor, I’ve had a lot of people talk to me about issues related to sexual immorality, but I’ve had very few (if any) come to me and say, “I’m struggling with greed.” It just doesn’t seem to be on our radar.
As I think of my preaching, I think that most Christians on the right of the political spectrum would resonate with my affirmation of traditional Christian sexual ethics. However, if I spoke on greed, I would probably have to do it very carefully to avoid misunderstanding.
On the other side, if I spoke to Christians on the left, they might resonate with what I’m saying about greed, but I would be very careful in my explanation of Christian sexual ethics.
The Bible teaches that both are serious issues. Paul insists strongly that there must not be “a hint” of these things and that the wrath of God is coming because of greed. In light of that, it seems that we would should be struggling quite a bit more against greed than we do.
In speaking with a friend, I realized that one issue here is that greed is more difficult to define. Sexual immorality refers to any sex outside of the commitment of marriage. But what is greed? Is it greed to want a better car? A bigger house? A bigger savings account? It’s hard to say. These things are certainly not wrong in and of themselves. Money, houses, and cars are not evil things. But can we want them too much? How do we know?
Let me suggest a few diagnostic questions that can help us know if we are being greedy.
1. Does the desire for or plans for obtaining new things consume our thoughts? If we are thinking about these things all the time, then greed is probably present. Having a vacation is not a bad thing, but if all our thoughts are, “When I get on vacation, I’ll be OK,” then we probably have a problem.
2. Is anxiety over not obtaining the things we want consuming our hearts? We not only desire to have good things, we worry about not having good things. For example, if we are worrying all the time about whether people will like us or want to be with us, then we are probably wanting it too much. Acceptance by others is a good thing, but it’s not ultimate.
3. Is thought of what we don’t have keeping us from enjoying what we do have? For example, is thought of a better house keeping us from enjoying the neighborhood or home that we actually presently live in?
4. Are our desires keeping us from our other obligations? For example, are we so consumed with work that we don’t spend time with our children, wife, or God? If so, perhaps you are wanting these things too much.
5. How do we feel when we don’t get what we want? This is perhaps the best indicator of a problem. When we get frustrated, worried, or unhinged when we don’t get what we want, then we probably wanted it too much. This is indicative of the presence of greed.
Let me turn now to consider how we can overcome it. If we see that greed and misplaced desires are an issue, what can we do to overcome it?
1. We need to let the Bible challenge us. It’s easy even for Christians to treat the Bible as an affirmation of our own behavior. We all need to be humble before God’s Word and let it challenge us where we are, even if change may be difficult.
2. Focus not just on reducing our negative desires, work on strengthening positive ones. The opposite of greed is thanksgiving. The more we can enjoy the many good things God has already given us, the less we will be greedy for more.
3. Speak to someone about your struggles. Ephesians 5:13 says, “But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” This means that we need to let in the light in order to experience healing. If you don’t have someone with whom you can share your deepest struggles, it’s imperative that you find someone. Conversations with a trusted friend bring light and healing to the darkest corners of our lives.
4. Let Christ shine on you. “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph. 5:14). The more and better we get to know Christ, the less power our destructive desires will have.
The darkness of unbridled desire does not have to dominate our lives. We don’t have to stay in the darkness. Christ, the light, is risen, and we can be healed through His light!