Greed…Measuring Our Lives by Our Possessions… Good morning weekend readers. My musing for this week is about greed/accumulation and the reason for it should not surprise you. Some of the latest statistics show that rentals are so high that people cannot find a place to live; oil moguls are getting so concerned about EV they are warning the world that oil will go up not matter what; Forbes showed how easy it is for millionaire/billionaire folks to cheat on their taxes and that includes politicians from the throne in Washington to CEO’s. I could go on but you get the drift. America feeds on greed!

Do you know what Jesus defined greed as? It’s interesting—He called it ‘the practice of measuring life by possessions’. Obviously, he already knew us long before we walked on this planet! Even in Jesus’ time it was a steadfast rule that ‘greed equated a person’s worth in that person’s purse’. I can imagine Jesus’ tears about this because our worth is only in Christ. However, humans don’t look at it that way and that includes people of faith as well.

There is that old saying: You got a ‘lot equals’ you are a lot. You got a ‘little equals’ you are little. The consequence of such a philosophy is predictable and we see it in every culture. If you’re the sum of what you own, then by all means own it all. No price is too high. No payment is too much. And the scales continue to be tipped toward those who can buy anything they want and do little to help those who cannot.

Listen to Jesus’ warning in Luke 12:15 [Message] “Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.”  I love these words of Jesus because what He is really saying is “no matter what you have or don’t have does not define your life” and in those words Jesus makes a “level playing field” for ALL people!

Did you know that God has a rule of finance? Yep—just for us! It is summed up in three words: we own nothing. You’ll find these words way back in Deuteronomy 10:14 [Voice]. “Think of it—everything already belongs to the Eternal your God: the sky and His own dwelling place beyond the sky, the earth and everything on it.” This may rub a lot folks the wrong way but God isn’t worried about our finances and accumulated stuff. Instead, our loving God is concerned in how we live our lives the way God wants us to live!

Billy Graham used to say “I own nothing. I am just a steward on this planet. I’m like the janitor who takes care of what is needed.” In our society today, most people would laugh at such words, thinking it demeaning calling yourself a janitor. Try telling a billionaire his/her money is not their own—you’d get a mouthful that’s for sure. Remember Rockefeller and his insidious greed? “What I have is mine only” he would say proudly, and he was one miserable person throughout his entire life. Even his family couldn’t stand him.

The sad part about all of this is how people of faith have quickly adopted the thinking that God is proud of their accumulation! How far away from the truth is this thinking? It’s not as if God kept the future a secret when the world was created. We have the Scriptures to teach us what happens with greed so we are without excuse.

My parents used to sing together in church and often sung at funerals for friends and loved ones. When folks would wonder about all the money and stuff the deceased had, my Dad had a great comeback, saying: “ain’t no U-Hauls going to heaven.” How true that is! If we get too comfortable with our greed and accumulation—thinking that nothing can touch us, we need to take one glance at a cemetery and remind ourselves that everyone dies!

I’ve struggled in closing this devotion, trying to find the words that would encourage both the rich and poor. We know the answer even if we don’t like the answer. I’m using the authority of Scripture for our answer; it’s from Micah 6:8 and the Message translation says it best: “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love. And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.” Any further questions? I didn’t think so, AMEN!