Carla's Blog

Tis' the Season to Be Greedy
Posted on Monday, November 30, 2009 at 9:16am
Our church holds an annual retreat during Thanksgiving. It’s a time of fellowship, worship, rest, and thankfulness. During these four days we are tucked away at a campground, cut off from the normal hubbub of the world. On the way home, I noticed that the outside world had entered the “holiday season.” Christmas lights were shining brightly. Cars had trees strapped on their roofs. The stores were crowded and people were rushing to buy gifts and decorations. It felt a bit like we had stepped into a time warp. I always thought the day after Thanksgiving was called “Black Friday” because it was so crazy with the stores packed, everyone rushing to sales. My son Joshua, who runs The Salt Shaker Christian Bookstore, said he thought so too, until he became a retailer. Yes, it’s probably the craziest retail day of the year, but it refers to the one day that merchants are out of the red and in the “black” making a profit. However, because of our retreat, it’s the one weekend the store is closed. A friend, who lives about forty-five minutes away, told me several months ago that she planned to make a special trip to our little town to shop at our store after Thanksgiving. I had to tell her we were closed that weekend. Imagine her surprise that we were closed on the biggest shopping day of the year. What amazed me more was the tinge of greed that bubbled in my own heart. I felt regret that my son’s store would probably miss some good sales that day. And then I thought of the sales I would miss! (Earlier in the week I had stopped in Macy’s and they were preparing for their huge sale on Black Friday.) Of course, I had a much more fulfilling time and enjoyment at our retreat, and would never have traded that for anything, but I cannot deny the materialism in my heart. Greed is a subtle thing. Just because we’re not full-fledged Scrooges counting our coins and coveting more, doesn’t mean we’re not greedy. I feel it bubbling up all the time in little, yet significant, ways—wanting a new outfit, looking for the cookie with the most chocolate chips, forcing my opinions, longing for uninterrupted time. If God isn’t the giver of good gifts, then grabbing for what I want is greed. When the Holy Spirit purifies my desires, then what I eat, purchase, or how I spend my time, becomes purified as well. This only comes with denying what I want and seeking God’s will. Jesus taught that we must take up our cross and deny ourselves (Matthew 16:24). A cross isn’t a pleasant thing, but it’s a grand one. In this season where greed, sometimes in the guise of generosity, is so prevalent, let’s find ways to deny ourselves. But in doing so, we must watch out for a different type of greed. This is also the time of year when we purposely think of others less fortunate and tend to want to give more. In reality, this can be another form of subtle greed—a type of selfishness because we feel satisfied in our good deeds. So in a way it feels impossible to have a pure heart free of greed. If we hang on we’re greedy. If we give we could be greedy too. How can we combat the greed in our hearts? By relying on the Holy Spirit— “if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live (Romans 8:13). That’s what makes a Spiritual Mom—a woman who allows the Spirit of God to control her heart, her actions, her opinions, and especially her desires.
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