How much is enough?

1 Timothy 6:6 (ESV)

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

In Jesus’ parable, a man receives far more than he needs for his health and well-being. But instead of sharing his abundance with people who don’t have enough, he hoards the surplus and plans to take life easy for himself. He thinks only of himself and his own desires.

Greed always wants to gather more than is needed—and it refuses to share.

The greedy one’s eyes are bigger than its stomach. Greed, says a Chinese proverb, is like a snake that wants to swallow an elephant. Greed’s motto is concise: “Never enough!” Bigger barns and garages and walk-in closets are just the beginning.

Death will stop greed in its path and expose its folly: more is not better. After all, you can’t take it with you. Everything we have acquired on earth is useless to us after we’re gone. It is better, says Jesus, to store up treasures that last, that death cannot swallow, that show wisdom toward God.

Greed is a problem of the “self,” of what “I” need for the good life. Dying to our “selves” through Jesus is the beginning of wisdom that knows the meaning of “enough.” Self-denial in Christ’s name leads to the truly good life. Daily surrender to the Lord and his Spirit builds up riches that last. These are riches that lead us to love God above all and our neighbors as ourselves.

Dear Lord, give us neither poverty nor riches. Help us not to be greedy but to rely on You for what we need, and to share willingly. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

What Will You Pay?

Luke 12:15 (NIV)

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Attending a game show wasn't your idea of a vacation activity, but your kids wanted to go, so you gave in. Now that you're here, you are beginning to enjoy it. The studio frenzy is contagious. The music is upbeat. The stage is colorful. And the stakes are high.

"Higher than they've ever been!" The show host brags. "Welcome to What Is Your Price?" You're just about to ask your spouse if that is his real hair when he announces the pot: "Ten million dollars!"

The audience needs no prompting; they explode with applause.

"It's the richest game in history," the host beams. "Someone today will walk out of here with a check for ten million!"

"Won't be me," you chuckle to your oldest child. "I've never had any luck at luck."

"Shhhh," she whispers, pointing to the stage. "They're about to draw the name."

Guess whose name they call. In the instant it takes to call it, you go from spectator to player. Your kids shriek, your spouse screams, and a thousand eyes watch the pretty girl take your hand and walk you to the stage.

"Open the curtain!" the host commands. You turn and watch as the curtains part and you gasp at the sight. A bright red wheelbarrow full of money-overflowing with money. The same girl who walked you to the stage now pushes the wheelbarrow in your direction, parking it in front of you.

"Ever seen ten million dollars?" asks the pearly toothed host.

"Not in a while," you answer. The audience laughs like you were a stand-up comic.

"Dig your hands in it;" he invites. "Go ahead, dive in." You look at your family. One child is drooling, one is praying, and your mate is giving you two thumbs up. How can you refuse? You burrow in up to your shoulders and rise up, clutching a chestful of one-hundred­dollar bills.

"It can be yours. It can be all yours. The choice is up to you. The only question you have to answer is, `What is your price?"'

Applause rings again, the band plays, and you swallow hard. Behind you a second curtain opens, revealing a large placard. "What are you willing to give?" is written on the top. The host explains the rules. "All you have to do is agree to one condition and you will receive the money."

"Ten million dollars!" you whisper to yourself.

Not one million or two, but ten million. No small sum. Nice nest egg. Ten million bucks would go a long way, right? Tuition paid off. Retirement guaranteed. Would open a few doors on a few cars or a new house (or several).

You could be quite the benefactor with such a sum. Help a few orphanages. Feed a few nations. Build some church buildings. Suddenly you understand. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.

"Take your pick. Just choose one option and the money is yours.

A deep voice from another microphone begins reading the list.

"Put your children up for adoption.' "Become a prostitute for a week." "Give up your American citizenship." "Abandon your church."

"Abandon your family."

"Kill a stranger."

"Have a sex-change operation."

"Leave your spouse."

"Change your race."

"That's the list," the host proclaims. "Now make your choice."

The theme music begins, the audience is quiet, and your pulse is racing. You have a choice to make. No one can help you. You are on the stage. The decision is yours. No one can tell you what to pick.

But there is one thing I can tell you. I can tell you what others would do. Your neighbors have given their answers. In a national survey that asked the same question, many said what they would do. Seven percent of those who answered would murder for the money. Six percent would change their race. Four percent would change their sex.

If money is the gauge of the heart, then this study revealed that money is on the heart of most Americans. In exchange for ten million dollars.

25 percent would abandon their family. 25 percent would abandon their church. 23 percent would become a prostitute for a week. 16 percent would give up their American citizenship. 16 percent would leave their spouse. 3 percent would put their children up for adoption. Even more revealing than what Americans would do for ten million dollars is that most would do something. Two-thirds of those polled would agree to at least one-some to several-of the options. The majority, in other words, would not leave the stage empty-handed. They would pay the price to own the wheelbarrow.

What would you do? Or better, what are you doing?

You may be saying "I've never had a shot at ten million."

Perhaps not, but you've had a chance to make a thousand or a hundred or ten. The amount may not have been the same but the choices are. Which makes the question even more disturbing. Some are willing to give up their family, faith, or morals for far less than ten million dollars.

Jesus had a word for that: greed.

Jesus also had a definition for greed. He called it the practice of measuring life by possessions.

The consequence of such a philosophy is predictable. If you are the sum of what you own, then by all means own it all. No price is too high. No payment is too much.

Dear Lord, help us get our priorities straight. We pray that we would not measure ourselves by the things we have. Help us not be greedy but be content with what You have for each of us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Is Greed Strangling You?

Luke 12:15 (NIV)

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Once upon a time there was a White Knight looking for adventure. He came to a village where legends told of a terrible ogre in a pit. Bravely the White Knight took up the challenge. He would do battle with the terrible ogre in the pit. The people remembered several courageous men who had climbed down into the pit, but no one could ever remember one of those champions returning.

The White Knight stood looking at the deep dark hole. The opening was so narrow that he stripped himself of armor and all unnecessary clothing. He took only a long dagger, which he tied around his neck with a leather strap. After securing a rope at the opening and testing its strength, he gripped it firmly and began lowering himself, hand under hand, letting the rope slip between his feet. Soon he felt the smooth cool floor of the chamber. It took several minutes for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but soon he focused on a large mound. Then he realized it was the bones of his predecessors, along with their assorted weapons. A little way off, he spotted another mound, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Suddenly he was surprised by the inhabitant of the pit.... surprised because he didn't anticipate the ogre would be only as tall as a rabbit. The ogre raised its arms and screeched with its squeaky voice, trying to appear a fierce as possible. The White Knight picked up a sword from the floor and prepared to do battle, but quick as a rat, the ogre ran into a hole near the second mound.

The White Knight followed and the second mound became clearer and again he was surprised. Before his eyes glittered balls of gold as big as grapefruit and diamonds as big as plums. With only a small part of that treasure even a commoner would be a prince for life. The ogre lost its importance in view of this great treasure.

But the Knight had a problem. How would he carry it out of the hole? He had no pockets. Who would believe him if he didn't bring back at least a piece?

He suddenly had an idea. He would take one of the diamonds in his mouth and carry it that way until he climbed out of the hole. He could always come back later for the rest. Hurriedly he chose one of the larger diamonds. It fit comfortably into his mouth and he began the arduous climb out of the pit, hand over hand, gripping the rope with his feet. Higher and higher he climbed until the heavy exertion began to render him breathless. He would have to breathe through his mouth in order to get enough air. As he took a

large gulp of air, the diamond slipped and stuck in his throat. The White Knight choked on his treasure, lost consciousness, and fell to his death on the mound of bones below.

You see, the terrible ogre in the pit was not the little troll. The ogre in the pit was greed....greed in the hearts of men who desire easy treasure and the hope of unearned gain. The glitter of this world choked him to death.

Dear Lord as we enter this New Year we pray that out eyes and thoughts would be focused upon You and not the things that are there trying to get our attention. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Everything We Do in Life Has Consequences

Job 20:20-22 (NIV)

20 “Surely he will have no respite from his craving;

    he cannot save himself by his treasure.

21 Nothing is left for him to devour;

    his prosperity will not endure.

22 In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him;

    the full force of misery will come upon him.

For every action, there is a reaction. Everything we do in life has consequences, some positive, some catastrophic. The Klondike Gold Rush was no different.

Although some of the prospective miners were driven by a sense of adventure and by the desire to explore and see new things, many were driven by greed and were ruthless in their methods of obtaining gold.

Primitive mining methods, such as digging sediments by hand from stream banks and underground tunnels, seemed harmless enough; but these left extensive damage to the stream and river beds. When the larger mines were established, hillsides and entire mountains were plundered and silt and mud filled the waterways. Forests were completely stripped in order to supply timber for building boats and for feeding the fires needed to melt the sediments.

As the twentieth century rolled around, the richest and most easily accessed gold deposits had already been depleted, and harsher, more destructive machinery, designed to reach the deeper deposits and process the sediment faster, was brought in. High-pressure hoses completely knocked down hills in the ruthless search, and huge dredges reworked entire waterways. The destruction was colossal.

This total loss of natural habitat resulted in annihilation of both land and aquatic wildlife. In addition, an overabundance of mercury, which was used to process the gold, can still be found in the Yukon. It has made its way up the food chain and still accumulates in fish and other wildlife in alarming concentrations, resulting in health risks among humans and animals alike.

The ones who suffered the most from extensive destruction were the first nation's people, including the Tagish, the Tutchone, and the Tlingit. Because of its massive mountain ranges, ice fields, harsh terrain, and wild rivers, the Yukon had always been extremely hard to access; and before the gold rush, these First Nations groups had been quite isolated from the outside world. No wonder the Yukon was considered the last unexplored and unmapped region in North America!

With the influx of white man seeking gold, all of this changed. Miners brought diseases that the first peoples had no immunity to, and in many areas, entire tribes were wiped out. Hunting and fishing grounds were destroyed, making food sources scarce, and what wildlife remained was laced with high concentrations of mercury. Some of the natives worked as packers or as suppliers of wood for steamboats. They were unaccustomed to cash however, and few ever profited. Their traditional lifestyle was lost forever.

Everything we do, everything we say, and even everything we think can have dire consequences. In fact, I have never met anyone who could assure me that all of his or her actions have always had positive consequences.

Except one.

The one who lovingly died on the cross to bring salvation to this world.

He encouraged us with the following words: "Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don't get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room." (Luke 11:34-36 The Message)

"Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners  and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. By sending His Son to be born in a manger so that each of us can receive that free gift of eternal life.  

It's an offer worth considering, don't you think? The beneficial consequences of accepting this offer will last throughout eternity! Make this Christmas the time that You take that special gift.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the free gift of salvation that You offer for each one of us. Forgive us of our many sins today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.