"selfish desire for food, money, or possessions over and above one's needs."
Our message at church yesterday was on greed and it was very interesting. No, no one was called out, although at one point our pastor asked in his message 'are you selfish?' and someone reaised their hand! I think we all are selfish to a degree. Granted if we know someone NEEDS something, we will (nearly) always try to help them meet that need. But sometimes it isn't up to us to meet that need. Just saying. Anyway... how often do we hear of a need and just shrug it off and think 'they should have prepared for this', 'it's their problem, not mine'. Or even "I may have the ability to help, but it isn't my problem'. I'm pretty sure many of us have struggled with our responses to certain problems.
I know of one family who constantly has problems. It breaks my heart, it really does. BUT.... some people like to live in their problems, I think. It gives them purpose. I've tried to help; I've tried to counsel; I've offered suggestions. They do not want to get on their feet. They do not want to be in a better position. They want to spend what extra they get on going out to eat or travels or useless things. They don't save for that struggle they know is looming on the horizon. It's easier to have a 'woe is me' complex. I think we all know people like that. And it's frustrating, for you know if they'd just step back and look, they can see what everyone else sees. I think it is great if you can buy a little extra of something and give it away. But when you hoard it, waiting on the opportunity to give it away and it either doesn't happen or you ignore it when it does.... and six months later you throw things away because they have expired... you have not done anything but waste time and money.
When I was growing up, I had everything I needed. I did not get everything I wanted. I can remember having one doll - it was a bride doll that friends had bought me after my dad passed, and I have a picture of it. I had two dresses to wear to school. I'd wear one two days and the other three days and then they'd be washed to be worn the next week. I can still remember when I got a third dress. My oldest stepbrother had gone to work in a department store, and one Christmas I received some dresses from him; I don't remember how many. I was so excited! I wore one to church... and then we had to return all the others...because he was arrested for stealing them out of the warehouse; not just my dresses, but other gifts as well. He saw the need, and wanted to supply it, but did it the wrong way. When I got a job at W.T. Grant at age 15 1/2, my mother took my checks to help with bills, but she did buy me a couple more 'suits'. Yeah, back then it was suits once we hit the teens pretty much. Afterall, I was going into the business world! After I graduated at age 17, I went to work at Indiana Bell Telephone Company, and I had to wear suits and look nice. The point I'm getting at, in all of this rambling, is that I had all I needed. I had clothes to wear, albeit few of them. I had shoes on my feet. And we had food to eat. I can look back now on my childhood and realize that we did in fact have all that we needed. Sure, I probably wanted more things, dolls, toys, etc. but there was no money for that and we accepted it. We didn't know any different than not to accept it.
As the years have passed and I have purchased way more 'things' than we could ever use, and hearing the message on 'greed' yesterday, I have given this a lot of thought, going through tings in my mind. Oh I got rid of a lot of 'things' when we moved here, and I still have a lot of more that I could give away. If I knew of someone who wanted something and I wasn't using it - they can have it. Some things I have several of...just because I wanted it. But I didn't NEED it. Now they take up space. So I ask myself now... what am I selfishly hoarding... not letting others have so that it could be used? But then I also ask... who has a need? I know I've given things to strangers in the past that had a house burn down, but haven't heard of any 'needs' lately. They always want us to give to Goodwill, who makes a profit off of everything. Savers gives a portion to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Salvation Army doesn't hold on to any monies, but gives it all back in to the community. I like giving to them. When I hear of we're going to set up a house for someone, what can you give?... I go blank, for I then begin to think, what do they need? What do they already have? Would they use / would they appreciate the gift?
Psalm 121:1-2 (NKJV): "I will life up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."
I have prayed and quoted that scripture many, many times over the years. So many times our needs have been financial because of bad decisions we had made. God has proven time and again He is our Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. He has always been our Provider, who always supplies all that we need. Yes, I do have a lot of things I can give away and get rid of. I do 'hoard' some things; which I give away when I hear of that need. I guess you could say I 'hoard' my books. Sigh. Yet, if you wanted any, I would tell you to take them. And then struggle not to replace them. I love my books. But not more than I love my God who supplies them for me.
I've lived through some tough times - times when our house was so cold that my ceramic paints setting above the heater in the room had frozen. Times when I'd put my hand in the refrigerator and realize it was warmer in the refrigerator than it was in the kitchen. I can laugh about it now, but it was our reality. We lived in one room of the house; the one room that had a oil heater. But we were rich in love and laughter. We were family and we were together. We were rich.
Having things doesn't make one rich. Having a fancy home doesn't make one rich. What is inside that home - the atmosphere, the love - within that home, that makes it rich. Things break. Things get old and useless. Things gather dust. But the greatest thing we can have is love for each other.
Everything else can fade away. They expire and get thrown away. Sit back and look about you - is there something you have that you know someone else could use? Do I have anything you'd want? What can benefit another person? What do I have that is gathering dust? Do I need it? Am I being greedy and hoarding it all? I certainly can't take it with me!
There was a rich man who knew he was dying so he took all he had and had it converted into gold. He put the gold in to suitcases and gave instructions it was to be buried with him as he was taking it with him. He gets up to heaven and he opens the suitcases and there is all the gold he had bought to bring with him. The angels just looked at him and asked "why did you bring up pavement with you?" If you don't get that, you need to read your Bible! In heaven, we will walk on streets of gold!
But we know that we can't take anything with us when we die. I want to make it easy on my kids and am more than willing to give things away. They don't need to go through all this 'stuff'. When it cools down, I'll be going through the garage. Again. I don't want to leave this for my children to sort through. I hang on to 'things' far too long. I'm going to be working on it to clear some things out. Lord, help me to let go!
Blessings!
