Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.
We scratch and claw for more money, more wealth, more stuff, and yet ironically it doesn’t satisfy. We think money will be the key to all our problems. And then, just as we get a little more we realize…we need a little more.
Fidelity recently conducted a survey analyzing the investing attitudes of America’s millionaires and found that 42% wont’ feel wealthy until they have $7 million!
$7,000,000! Really?
Now before you say, “Greedy millionaires! I would never be like that!”, think about your own life.
How often have you thought, “If only I had another $500 per month, $10,000 in income per year, or could win the lottery (insert greedy request here)…then I’d be happy”?
If you’re like me, you’ve thought it many times. Although millionaire status may allude many of us, the temptation to want more is alive and well within. Here’s what the Bible says about this:
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it.
You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.
And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. James 4:1-3 (NLT)
We don’t have because we don’t ask, but even when we ask we don’t get because our heart is a mess! Our motives are selfish and sinful.
Now don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with being rich or earning a great income. In fact, I encourage you to take the simple steps to millionaire status. Just be sure to guard your heart, and be radically generous as you do it.
Greed is a matter of the heart, and we need help. We need God to save us from our own desires.
I know I need to constantly pray for God’s help in overcoming the idols of my heart. When I don’t, I am prone to fall into temptation, and go after the evil desires that wage war within.
Practical ideas to help overcome our own greedy desires:
- Pray – Ask God to give you the strength to overcome our own sinful desires.
- Read & Memorize Scripture – God’s word is full of many powerful passages that speak directly to our hearts. King David said, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11 (ESV).
- Get Accountable – Tell someone you trust your struggles with greed (or any other sin) and ask them to hold you accountable to take the necessary steps to overcome your temptation.
- Develop a Deeper Love for the Gospel – Overcoming any temptation starts with the gospel.
- Become a More Generous Person – When we get our mind off our own wants, and put them on other’s needs, we can begin to overcome temptations to hoard, be greedy, or use our money only on ourselves. You can start by creating a generous budget.
What are your thoughts? How has God helped you to overcome temptation?
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