7 Deadly Sins: Greed

Greed:
n. noun
1. An excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth. 

See also: fear

Simply put, this sin can be summed up in the phrase "greed is fear, wrapped in gold, disguised as fun." Greed looks good, and as a society, we're taught that continual acquisition is a great idea- both for our own pleasure and for the sake of the economy, as well.  But greed is more than just the "gimme gimme" or desire for what you've never had (or had enough of);  greed can also take the form of miserliness/stinginess, desire for what you've already renounced (like the monks desiring the things they left behind), and also a fear of poverty or lack of faith in God's provision.

When I think through those reasons for greed, I find I can sympathize with all of them. Who hasn't wanted something new and improved, or regretted something they got rid of? And I can certainly think of times when I've tried to justify keeping something I knew I didn't need because I was afraid I might want it again (and not be able to find a suitable replacement). But taking a look at why greed is a deadly sin can help us understand the difference between sound judgement on possessions and when our decisions cross into the desert of greed.

Why greed is bad:

• It replaces trust in God with trust in money (forgetting that all gifts come from God in the first place). It tells God, "I don't trust you enough to consider you 'enough.'"
• Study after study shows that greed increases fear, worry, a sense of entitlement, selfish behavior, aggressiveness, and bragging (the link is just one example, and yes, it's another TED Talk)
•  We forget that money can't and doesn't ensure wisdom, knowledge, health, love, or ANY of the things that really matter
• It distracts us from the things that actually make us happy (like being so focused on what your possessions convey about how cool/rich/etc. you are, you have less time to focus on the friends who truly make you laugh no matter what you look like)
• We're distracted from the bigger issues facing our world (Define Necessity is a great series that presents stark contrasts, such as our concern that we have the perfect place settings for Thanksgiving and the child who's starving for a few more crumbs of food)
• We lose sight of the immense environmental impact our consumption creates (google "environmental destruction" if you need a visual)
• It changes what's a "want" into a "need."
• Trying to fulfill greed's demands will only increase those demands, rather than satisfying them: "He who is not satisfied with what he has now will never be satisfied with what he wishes to have."

 

 So if trying to satisfy greed's demands doesn't work, what does? The virtue that corresponds with greed is:

Liberality/Generosity

The old-fashioned word is liberality, and I wanted to include it because it shares a root with liberation and freedom. Generosity is freedom from the control of possessions. It doesn't mean you have nothing, it means you have the right things for your life (not the life of a character you admire, not your fantasy life, not the life other people tell you you *should* live). And it means being willing to let go of everything else, trusting that God will provide. 

Before we talk about what generosity looks like, let's take a minute to explore what generosity is not. Let's talk about greed might actually look like. Our society values it in ways you can't really appreciate until you've explored other cultures (it often doesn't even look like greed until you see how other cultural perspectives treat the same type of situation), but we might find greed when we:

• Have more than our needs. I cannot stress how important this perspective is. It doesn't mean you can only have your most basic needs, but knowing the solid, most basic list changes your perspective. Your basic physical needs include weather appropriate clothing (something to wear and something to wash for each season in your climate), a form of protective shelter (remember: a camper can fit the bill as well as a mansion), enough food to get you through your next meal or shopping trip and a way to prepare those foods, a form of transportation (which may or may not include access to a car), and the tools you need to feel challenged and entertained (like a library card, for example:) ).
• Forget the above list and confuse needs with wants
• Forget to say thanks for the privileges you already have.
• Follow trends for the sake of being "current" (try asking yourself if you’ll still like that thing even if no one else is still wearing/using it)
• Follow lifestyle media, trying to “trade up” or upgrade
• Refuse to share something because it might get broken/lost/etc.
• Buy something you “want” without thinking about the role it’ll play in your life (forgetting that possessions are tools)
• Make important choices based solely on monetary concerns (i.e. your career)- a great counter example of greed is Bob Goff, a lawyer, who chose his lucrative career with the goal of doing good in the world. He uses his excess salary to fund his non-profits, and he donated 100% of the proceeds of his New York Times bestselling book.
• Shop for entertainment. Why do we do this in our culture? At the end of WWII, our country had achieved a productivity that outpaced our material needs. Enter Victor Lebow, an economist who ushered in our consumerist society. This quote pretty much sums up his theology (and our current society): 

"Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods in to ritual, that we eek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption. We need things consumed, burned up, replaced, and discarded at an ever accelerating rate."

• Buy something to demonstrate a quality you want to stress
• Talk a lot about things that need to be changed, but our money never makes it where our mouths go

If that list shows what greed might look like, let's explore a list of what generosity might look like:

• Treating your possessions as if you’re a caretaker, not an owner (realizing you have to answer to the owner for all your decisions)
• Focusing on contentment- be grateful for what you have, don’t try to seek more; avoid lifestyle creep (avoid malls, online “comparison” shopping, looking at catalogs, etc.)
• Setting aside money to give away. Do it in cash, so you're always ready to answer a nudge from God about any situation He might put in front of you (the story I told in youth group is too long for a bulleted list, but feel free to ask me about it!)
• Donating possessions and not just as justification to purchase the newer version
• Giving happily, no matter how much (or little)
• Sharing what you have- with siblings, friends, neighbors, strangers (www.newdream.org is a great place to explore what that could look like in a more formal way!)
• Practicing detachment from money, possessions, activities- enjoy it while you have it, but be willing to give it up when prompted
• Donating blood or signing up as an organ donor, etc.
• Deciding to live in a more minimalist way in order to give more
• Setting aside time for service (so it's not just all about you all day long)
• Choosing your career with more thought to what God wants, rather than what gives you the most money or perks
• Creating frugal habits in order to give more
• Requesting charitable donations for birthday “gifts”
• Tithing (and then giving even more!)
• Looking for new ways to help others. Be creative!
• Setting aside time to actually express your gratitude- you might find it by cutting back on tv/media!
• Intentionally cultivating a skill to help others- if you see a need you want to fill but can’t fill yet, work on it for the future (not all generosity needs to happen right now!)
• Providing your skills for free, rather than charging for them- or follow the Mennonite or Keralan models, and charge only what you need to charge to keep going, rather than what the market tells you could charge.

Looking at our two lists, which do you feel fits your life more closely? Can you commit to moving more towards our generosity list? You could try adding one form of generosity to your life this upcoming week, and if you find you feel less burdened by your possessions and wants, you might add another form in the future. Be creative. But more importantly, listen for God's voice- both in what He wants you to let go of and what He wants you to add. Work on trusting Him and see if He's not faithful to provide!

Two final quotes to make you think:

“Most of the mess that is called history comes about because kings and presidents cannot be satisfied with a nice chicken and a good loaf of bread.”
― Jennifer Donnelly, Revolution

and

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.

-William Wordsworth,  poet