Luke 12:15

"Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." (NIV)

Prayer starter:

Reading this passage, I am reminded of the movie "Finding Nemo." In one memorable scene, a number of seagulls are fighting over a single crab, all of them greedily screeching "Mine! Mine! Mine!" (If you are not familiar with the scene, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-3e0EkvIEM.)
The message that stands out to me in this verse is the part about "all kinds of greed." Greed is not just about accumulating possessions or money. Greed can be an integral part of jealousy or envy, for example, the coveting of something that belongs to someone else. As a matter of fact, several Bible translations use the word "covetous" instead of "greedy" in some passages (e.g. Ephesians 5:5). One of the main characteristics of greed or covetousness is self-centeredness. For greedy people, THEIR desire overrides all other considerations. They are willing to disregard moral, legal, or ethical constraints to get what THEY want, and they will find all kinds of excuses to justify their behavior. But the Bible tells us that greed, in any form, is sinful. Its inherent self-centeredness runs counter to Christian ideals. Jesus lists greed as one of the most evil things the human heart can produce, in the same category as sexual immorality, theft, murder, and adultery (Mark 7:21). And when you look at this list of evils, you will notice that every single one of them is rooted in self-centeredness, in a person's own desire overriding all other considerations.
But back to the seagulls. You may not be screeching out loud "Mine! Mine! Mine!" but, as you color this verse, you may want to think about if, maybe, there is a very quiet "Mine!" scream inside of you in some area of your life. Maybe you are begrudging someone else his or her success because you don't think that person deserves it? Pray for God's grace to help you let go of any kind of greed in your life and focus on "other-centeredness" rather than self-centeredness.

Be Brightly Blessed! 


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