Let Me Count the Ways

 

““Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

“Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”  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.”

          Luke 12:13-15

 

Are you greedy?

Most of us would respond to that question with a quick and forceful “No!”.

But take some time and think about it.

Jesus’ words I want to highlight for us are:

“....Be on your guard against all kinds of greed...”

Sometimes we think of greed only as it relates to a bank account.

While that certainly can be relevant; what about other areas of our lives?

How about your time?

Do you guard it like Fort Knox, not giving an extra moment to someone who just needs a listening ear?

                                        How about your home?

Is your door sealed shut like King Tut’s tomb or are you willing to extend hospitality to the new person in the neighborhood or in your church?

I know Covid has us all extra cautious but let’s look beyond that.

Let’s all evaluate our lives and let the Holy Spirit help us work on areas of greed we may not have considered.

Maybe even greed as it relates to our words.

Generously share words of encouragement to others.

How about opening your mouth more often to lavishly heap thank-you’s on a co-worker or to praise the efforts of a child struggling to tackle a new skill.   

There are countless ways we can move from greed to generosity.

Try one today!