[This reflection by Dazz Jones was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 21/Apr/2024]
There’s a saying that goes something like “the flowers grow where you water them” … and greed is one of those subtle things that could creep up on us without realising it, just like a weed in the garden. Just like weeds in a garden, these 7 deadly sins we’re looking at over the coming weeks can be kept at bay from growing into problems if we do a self-check ‘little and often’.
In a world that often glorifies wealth and power, the concept of greed can easily be dismissed as a minor character flaw or a necessary evil for success. However, from Jesus’ standpoint, greed is not just a moral weakness but a profound spiritual issue that can lead individuals down a destructive path.
When I think about my own mindset and lifestyle, I don’t necessarily think I’m a ‘greedy person’. However … I think I expose myself to enough gadget ads and Instagram travel accounts to warrant the odd thought here or there of “Oh I wish I had more money so I could do x” or “My life would be better if I could buy y”. I’m also certainly guilty of wanting to go on many more exotic holidays than I need to … none of the above is bad, that’s not what I’m saying! Yet there is a taking root of the beginning of greed and as I sit here thinking about it and typing away I can’t say I’m not just a little self-conscious about my heart’s attitude to money.
My takeaway will be to consider how much I am intentionally weeding this “internal money mindset garden” of mine and how much I’m allowing the greed to feed and grow in small batches.
Jesus encourages us to consider the treasure we might store up in heaven (Matt 6 v19-24) to be the most valuable to us. I’m not sure I’d like to admit how little time I give to considering how I’m investing in heavenly treasure this publicly … which should give you an indication of the lack, certainly not the excess!
When you work out your budget, how much does ‘heavenly investment’ factor into your allocated spending?
Food for thought if nothing else?
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Last week’s reflection: What’s Your Story? by Brian Alton
Contributed by Dazz Jones; © Dazz Jones