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PROGRAM D-8073
Did you know that your heart reflects who you are? Proverbs 27:19 says, “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” So, if your spiritual heart condition were known to all of us, what would it reflect?
For example, would we see a greedy heart? In Ezekiel 33:31 we read “My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.” Wow, that’s a serious heart condition—greedy for unjust gain.
Jesus warned us about this greedy heart condition. In Luke 12:15 he says, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” This greedy heart problem can take over before you know what’s happened if you’re not on your guard against all kinds of greed.
There’s greed for power—the drive to have authority and influence over other people. Also, there’s greed for prestige and fame—many people live for recognition from others. Of course, greed for material possessions is very commonplace. The passage in Ezekiel talked about being greedy for unjust gain: Trying to get something for nothing; wanting to win the lottery and be rich without working for it; becoming deceitful and dishonest in order to gain some money, possessions, or power. These are all examples of a greedy heart.
Do you have any of those symptoms? Even if they’re in the early stages, you need to get very serious about dealing with that greedy heart. Greed is contagious. If you’re around people who have lots of things and who focus their lives on getting more and more things, you’ll discover that it’s very difficult not to be swept right along into that greedy mindset for things.
The Psalmist wrote, “Turn my heart toward your statues and not toward selfish gain” (Psalm 119:36). That’s a very good prayer if your heart tends to be greedy. Turning it toward the Word of God and away from selfish gain will cure you of a greedy heart.
Jesus said life does not consist in the abundance of your possessions. Even if you get all those things, money, and power that you’ve been greedy for, they won’t bring you what you think they will. You can be very rich in this world’s stuff and be very poor in the things that really matter. Be on your guard today against a greedy heart, especially as you go out into your working world where it’s very easy to be swept away with the desire for things and power.