Greed

  

  “Jesus said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’” –Luke 12:15

Jesus gave His disciples a strong caution in this verse. When He said take care, that was like saying, “Beware!” Jesus said to keep a guard up to fight off greediness. As humans we are naturally greedy, wanting to make sure that our needs and wants are met, but those selfish desires have to be crucified.

The gospel calls us to a life of selflessness, of putting others ahead of ourselves. When we see that we have a way to meet a need for someone else, but we choose not to meet it, then how can we say that the love of God is in us?

But Jesus also gave His disciples a good reminder. One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. That means that we are not defined but what we have or what we have done. Neither are we defined by our report cards, athletic awards, or bank accounts.

Jesus did not choose to love us because we became rich, scored the highest, got the promotion, or threw the winning pass. He loves us just because He chose to. And that means that we do not have to work hard to earn His love, and neither do we have to perform well to maintain His love.

Instead of being defined by what we have, we find our identity in God’s great love for us and our relationship with Him.

If that is the case, then why be greedy with what you have? Your stuff does not define you, so you might as well share it. Look for a way to minister to someone else today.