Paul told the Ephesians not to walk as the Gentiles walk (Eph 4:17). He explains that it's the product of their darkened understanding (Eph 4:18), and it makes them give themselves "to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness" (Eph 4:19). Now, we get the whole "futility of mind" thing (Eph 4:17). I mean, look around. It takes a truly futile mind to think you get to choose your gender, for instance. "Darkened in understanding" is apropos. So they think sensuality is a good (think "if it feels good, do it"). They think impurity is a minor issue. And they worship greed.
"Really, Stan? Worship it?" Actually, biblically, yes. According to Scripture, greed amounts to idolatry (Col 3:5). Greed, you see, is the desire for more. Like the famous Rockefeller quote about how much is enough ... "A little bit more." It doesn't require the desire for vast amounts. It just believes ... "I don't have enough." But ... Scripture says, "My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Php 4:19). Scripture says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph 1:3). Scripture says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" (Rom 8:32). If that's not enough ... who failed? Not God. And when we say, "I want ... I need a little bit more," that is our claim. God has failed. So we worship greed.
Gordon Gekko (Wall Street) famously claimed, "Greed is good!" We have a love-hate relationship with greed in America. We "hate the rich" even though "rich" is loosely defined, since the poorest Americans make more than most of the rest of the world. (One statistic I read said that the lowest 5% of Americans make more than 70% of the rest of the world.) And we "hate the rich" who are defined as "those with more than me" but don't think we should have to give up anything for those who are poorer than us. We ... worship greed. We live on "not enough." And it's the product of a darkened understanding and a hard heart. We shouldn't be satisfied with that.
3 comments:
I am struck by how much the verses from Ephesians that you shared in your opening paragraph echo Romans 1:21: “…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Paul did indeed have a very enlightened understanding of human nature and its expression--both before God’s regenerating touch and after it. And you are right--our culture encourages and celebrates greed, covetousness, materialism, and desire. “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But then again, “You can’t take it with you.” (I like Denzel Washington’s version: “You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.”) As our mind is renewed, we will begin to treasure different things from before--such as the vast spiritual riches poured out on us through the Lord Jesus Christ; that we can take with us to Heaven!
As an aside: One of my strong interests within American history is the Age of Industrialization, and I have learned a fair amount about John D. Rockefeller, Sr. Always mentioned is his “devout Baptist” upbringing and his lifelong strong religious convictions (leading him to charitable and philanthropic efforts all his life, as well as a relatively modest lifestyle as compared to other Gilded Age tycoons). Knowing his business practices, however, I always wonder which Bible he consulted for Christian life and practice in that realm--and how a supposedly renewed mind through the Word manifested itself there.
Most of us know Jesus's famous, "Where your treasure is, so will your heart be also." I think what we treasure most is reflected in where our hearts are, and too often mine is in the wrong place. If I treasure Him above all, it would look different.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, they were to pray for their daily bread. Part of that is relying on God to provide for us, but it is also a reminder to limit our desires.
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