The greedy stir up conflict

November 26, 2018

Proverbs 28:25-27

The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper.  Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.  Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

The verses that are listed above have a common goal; greed, trusting in you, and not helping the poor are common to many, both Christian and non-believers.  It is cal ed l flesh in the Scriptures, and its goal is to be the captain of one's ship, or as Frank Sinatra’s famous song titled “I did it my Way.”  Now this kind of flesh will bring God’s judgment in this life on the true follower of Christ, and the Holy Spirit who lives in them will give them the tools to break the control of the flesh if they seek it.

Where as the non-believer is on his own and sees nothing wrong with their actions, and will only find victory in a relationship with Christ.  It should be noticed that not all people are greedy, not all put trust in themselves, and not all look the other way when it comes to the poor, but everyone has flesh and it matters not what kind, it is hostile to the ways of God.

You may be asking, what are the manifestations of Greed?  I enjoy reading this view of that subject; “While greed is a strong desire for more and more possessions (such as wealth and power), envy goes one step further and includes a strong desire by greedy people for the possessions of others. Greedy people lack empathy. Caring—being concerned about the feelings of others—is not part of their repertoire.” April 8, 2016, by Manfred Kets De Vries  

I’m going to do something today I have not done in the past to this degree and that is to finish out this paper with Manfred’s comments.  

What are the warning signs of uncontrolled greed?

1. Overly self-centered behavior becomes the first give-away of greedy people. Greedy people are always saying “me, me, me” with very little regard for the needs and feelings of others.
2. Envy and greed are like twins. While greed is a strong desire for more and more possessions (such as wealth and power), envy goes one step further and includes a strong desire by greedy people for the possessions of others.
3. Greedy people lack empathy. Caring—being concerned about the feelings of others—is not part of their repertoire. As such, they have little qualms about causing pain to others. Their inability to empathies, their lack of genuine interest in the ideas and feelings of others, and their unwillingness to take personal responsibility for their behavior and actions makes them very difficult people to be with.
4. They are never satisfied.  Greedy people look at the world as a zero-sum-game. Instead of thinking that everyone would benefit as the pie gets larger, they view the pie as a constant and want to have the biggest part. They truly believe that they deserve more, even if it comes at someone else’s expense.

I do not know if Manfred Kets De Vries is a follower of Christ, but this I do know his thoughts are in keeping with the Proverbs on greed, and how it controls the flesh.  He finishes with this statement.

“The bigger question we should ask ourselves is how can we change the societies we live in that are based too much on acquisitions and excess? As Schopenhauer once said, “wealth is like sea-water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become.” If we learn how to overcome greed, we may have a simpler, more meaningful, happier and richer life.”  I believe that can only happen with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice