Greed,
Giving, and Glory
By David Ritter
"Watch
out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist
in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).
Jesus was blunt when it came to money, greed, and wealth, and warned us
to remember where our true wealth lies.
We fall on dangerous territory when we are enticed to
build up our wealth for this life and neglect the eternal work of the
Lord. Jesus does not condemn those who
wisely save up for their retirement; rather, he encourages us to live as good
stewards of the money God gives us. God will take care of our own needs when we
make our priority to help with the needs of others.
Jesus says, “Seek the Kingdom of God first, and your needs
will be met.” What does seeking the
Kingdom of God mean? Jesus challenges us
to think beyond the possessions we have and use our gifts, money, and abilities
to further God’s Kingdom here on Earth.
The key to using money wisely is to see how much we can
dedicate for God’s purposes, not how much we can gain for ourselves. If we
accumulate wealth only to enrich ourselves, then we most certainly will enter
eternity empty-handed! The greedy that
don’t give will lose sight of God’s glory.
Does God’s love have a place in your wallet? Does your
money have a grasp on you, or do you use it to help others? If your financial goals prevent you from
giving generously, loving others, or serving God with your money, it would be better
to sell or give away what you have so that your perspective on eternal life is
clear.
Remember, we can never “out-give” God! “Give, and it will be given to you. A
good measure will be poured out upon you, pressed down, shaken together and
running over! For with the measure you use,
it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).
Give generously to the work of the Lord and you will
experience God’s glory…it’s a promise!
