Guard Against Greed
The fact that money itself is not condemned in the Scriptures should not blunt Paul's warning. Christians who begin to love money are vulnerable to all kinds of problems, the worst of which is that of straying from the faith. This truth is reinforced by what Paul said to the Christians in Colossae: "Deaden, therefore, your body members that are upon the earth as respects . . . hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:5) How may covetousness, greed, or "love of money" amount to idolatry? Does this mean that it is wrong to want a bigger house, a newer car, a more profitable job? No, none of these things are evil in themselves. The question is: What is the heart attitude that makes one want any of these things, and are they really necessary?
The difference between normal desire and greed might be likened to the difference between the small campfire that cooks food and the blazing inferno that consumes a forest. Wholesome and well-placed desire can be constructive. It motivates us to work and to be productive. Proverbs 16:26 says: "The soul of the hard worker has worked hard for him, because his mouth has pressed him hard." But greed is dangerous and destructive. It is desire out of control.
Control is a core issue. Will the money we accumulate or the material things we want serve our needs, or will our needs serve money? That is why Paul says that being a "greedy person . . . means being an idolater." (Ephesians 5:5) To be greedy for something in reality means that we surrender our will to it—in effect, we make it our master, our god, the thing we serve. In contrast, God insists: "You must not have any other gods against my face."—Exodus 20:3.
Our being greedy also indicates that we do not trust that God will follow through on his promise to supply what we need. (Matthew 6:33) Greed, then, amounts to a turning away from God. In this sense too, it is "idolatry." No wonder Paul warns so clearly against it!
Jesus also gave a direct warning against greed. He commanded us to guard against longing for something that we do not have: "Keep your eyes open and guard against every sort of covetousness, because even when a person has an abundance his life does not result from the things he possesses." (Luke 12:15) According to this passage and Jesus' subsequent illustration, greed is based on the foolish belief that what matters in life is how much one has. It may be money, status, power, or related things. It is possible to be greedy for anything that can be acquired. The idea is that having that thing will make us content. But according to the Bible and human experience, only God can—and will—satisfy our real needs, as Jesus reasoned with his followers.—Luke 12:22-31.
Today's consumer-oriented culture excels at kindling the fires of greed. Influenced in subtle yet powerful ways, many come to believe that whatever they have is not enough. They need more, bigger, and better things. While we cannot hope to change the world around us, how can we personally resist this trend?