“And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” ~ Luke 12:15
REFERENCE:
The inordinate quest for riches today is quite alarming. Don’t get me wrong, God wants you to have riches, but He does not want riches to have you. He does not want you to lose your soul or faith in pursuing riches. There is a spirit behind money; if you do not learn to second money to your love for God, it can corrupt you. That is why Jesus said, “Beware of covetousness.”
Covetousness is a great desire to possess something that belongs to someone else. It is a vice fed by greed. God blessed the man in Jesus’ parable with agricultural increase; he never thanked God for what he got but was preoccupied with how to get more and build more silos—consumed with himself and no other person. He said ‘I’ and ‘my’ eleven times. He lost his life that night, leaving everything behind with no record that he blessed anyone else.
I will share another story from my collection about a successful farmer who was unsatisfied with what he had and wanted more of everything. One day, he received a fantastic offer from a wealthy farmer. For a Hundred thousand naira ($110), he could buy all the land he could walk around in one day. The only catch to the deal was that he had to be at his starting point by sundown. He gladly agreed.
Early the following day, he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday, he was exhausted but kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon, he realized his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace, and as the sun set, he began to run, knowing that if he did not return by sundown, he would lose the opportunity to become an even bigger landowner.
He saw the finish line as the sun began to set below the horizon. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he drew upon every bit of strength left in him and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. However, he collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes, he was dead. Indeed, a man’s life does not consist in the things he has.
Pause to check the things you are chasing. Are you being driven by your needs or by greed? Are you trying to measure up to another person? Are you thankful to God for what you have? Has what you seek drawn you away from God’s presence? Think about it. Beware of covetousness.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
I Timothy 6:6-10 and Matthew 16:26
PRAYER:
+ Lord, I reaffirm my love for You this morning. May no desire rival my love and desire for You.
+ I declare that You are my greatest treasure, possession, and riches. In You, I have all I need.
+ Lord, cure my heart of greed and covetousness. Give me a heart of gratitude and generosity.
