More, More, More

somehow a better person than those who have less.

People can be greedy because they are putting their trust in whatever it is they have, rather than in God who allows them to have it in the first place (1

Timothy

6:17).

People can be greedy because they mistakenly believe the goal of life is to have more, more, more.

I suppose the worst part of greed is that having too much can mean that those who have genuine needs will not have them met.

The beauty of God’s system under the old covenant was that everyone was taken care of. It was hard (though not impossible) to be greedy because God built benevolence into the system. If you were a landowner, you didn’t reap the edges of your fields, go a second time through when gathering fruit, or pick up anything that dropped to the ground. You left it for those who were in need (Deuteronomy 24:19-22).

But you didn’t give it to them. They had to come to your field and harvest the grain or pick the fruit. In other words, they had to work. We see this principle at work in Ruth gleaning in the fields of Boaz (Ruth 2). Everyone worked and no one went hungry — that’s true social justice!

That system is no longer in place today as law given through Moses has been replaced by the new covenant of Christ. The law of giving we’re under today was expressed by Jesus in Matthew 10:8 when He told His apostles, “Freely you have received; freely give.” When we follow this principle, we are practicing generosity.

Generosity is the opposite of greed. It’s the willingness to share what we have with others. We see it practiced by the church in the early chapters in Acts (2:44-45, 4:3235) and again when the Gentile churches took up a collection for the disciples in Judea (2 Corinthians 8-9).

It’s possible to be neither greedy nor generous. Someone can live simply — refusing to get caught up in the "more, more, more" of greed, but see no need to share what they have with others. Then there are those who will only give if it’s tax deductible. There’s certainly nothing wrong with getting a tax break, but does anyone think Jesus would fail to help someone out because He wasn’t going to get a tax break for it? People are more important than tax breaks!

Let me close by moving away from the financial because greed is about more than money. Greed, in the larger sense, is the tight-fisted, stingy spirit that refuses to give the word of praise, the benefit of the doubt, or a smile to a stranger. It is a miserly approach to life. Generosity is just the opposite. It is a gracious approach to life where we freely give because we have freely received. When we live generous lives, God is able to use us to bless others more, more, more!

Green has written a book on the model prayer called “Praying in the Reign.” It is available through 21st Century Christian.

You can find more of his writings at his website: www.a-taste-of-grace-withbruce-green.com.

Bible Verse Of The Week

ANGLICAN

The Good Shepherd Anglican Church

3015 Opelika Road, Opelika

APOSTOLIC HOLINESS

God’s House of Prayers Holiness Church 301 Highland Ave., Opelika

334-749-9672

BAPTIST

Bethesda Baptist Church 201 S. 4th St., Opelika 334-745-7528

Beulah Baptist Church 5500 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-705-0538

AFB - Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

128 East Glenn Ave., Auburn 334-887-8506

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 3089 Judge Brown Rd., Valley 334-710-2117

Greater Peace Missionary

Church Directory

Baptist Church 650 Jeter Ave., Opelika

334-749-9487

Green Chapel Missionary Baptist 390 Lee Road 106, Auburn (334) 749-4184

High Hope Baptist Church 227 Lee Road 673

334-524-8750

Pepperell Baptist 2702 2nd Ave., Opelika

334-745-3108

Providence Baptist Church 2807 Lee Road 166, Opelika

334-745-4608

Union Grove Baptist Church 4009 Lee Road 391, Opelika

334-749-0461

CHURCH OF CHRIST

Church of Christ at Cunningham

2660 Cunningham Dr., Opelika

10th Street Church Of Christ 500 N. 10th St., Opelika

334-745-5181

Church Of Christ 2215 Marvyn Pkwy., Opelika 334-742-9721

Southside Church Of Christ 405 Carver Ave., Opelika 334-745-6015

EPISCOPAL Emmanuel Episcopal Church 800 1st Ave., Opelika 334-745-2054

METHODIST Auburn United Methodist Church 137 South Gay St., Auburn 334-826-8800

Beulah United Methodist Church 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley 334-745-4755

NON-DENOMINATIONAL Church At Opelika 1901 Waverly Pkwy., Opelika 334-524-9148

Connect Church 2015 West Point Pkwy., Opelika 334-707-3949

Southern Plains Cowboy Church 13099 U.S. Hwy. 280 Waverly 334-401-1014

St. Ellis Full Gospel Church 5267 US Hwy 80W, Opelika 334-298-4319

PENTECOSTAL Gateway Pentecostal Sanctuary 1221 Commerce Drive, Auburn 334-745-6926

PRESBYTERIAN Trinity Presbyterian Church 1010 India Road, Opelika 334-745-4889

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST Opelika Outreach S.D.A. Church P.O. Box 386, Opelika 334-749-3151

WALTER ALBRITTON

RELIGION —

The next time you wonder why God allows people to suffer, turn in your Bible to Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. There you learn about the suffering of Saint Paul, the greatest missionary of the Christian faith. Read chapters 11 and 12. Pause after reading verses nine and 10 of chapter 12. Here is a modern translation of