Two weeks ago (yes, two weeks ago…I missed posting last week…things were a little off with Tammy back in Michigan for the week) I wrote about how we respond wrongly to situations and that I believe pride and greed were two of the top reasons we did so.  This week I want to elaborate a little on greed.  One dictionary (the American Heritage) defined greed as “an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than what one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth.”  Actually, I would not agree with that definition since it includes the word “excessive”.  I believe greed does not have to be an “excessive” desire to acquire or possess more than one needs, but rather simply a desire to acquire or possess more than one needs…no “excessive” needed.  I also believe  it errors in the fact the definition includes not only our needs, but what we deserve.  By adding the word “deserves” we have opened the definition up to so much relativism (which it already has when simply using the word “needs”) that greed itself can be diminished to “excessive desires to possess or acquire more than what I deserve”.  This means I could actually watch a child starve to death while I sit in my castle with all my possessions I have accumulated (after all, I worked hard to obtain what I have – deserve –  and my desire to possess it certainly is not excessive).  What a misguided, but often used logic (based upon the false premise that my possessions are actually mine and not the Lord’s which He has placed me in a position of stewardship over).

I would propose a good definition of greed could be “the want of anything over and above ones needs, the satisfaction of which would adversely affect meeting the same needs of others”.  The issue is even this definition leaves so much to the rationalization of man (i.e. what are my “needs” and what are others “needs”).  Of course, we could (and would) say because of my job my needs are different from others, we could (and would) say because I need to entertain others my needs are different than others, we could (and would) say because of my clientele my needs for a specific car or home are different than others (you get my drift) and you know what, it would be appropriate to say so to some degree.  Do you see how greed, even in the definition, can be a issue in our lives and can preclude us from responding appropriately to the needs of others.

So, where do we go from here with the above in mind.  Let me say there are so many practical implementations of the above I am sure even in face to face discussions we would end up having to “agree to disagree” on many points…only the Lord knows the complete truth and we must listen to Him to direct our personal response to greed.  I personally attempt to take the practical approach of Mahatma Ghandi when he said…”Live simply so that others may simply live”.  Relative to handling wealth, Mother Teresa gives me my example as she ensured the basic necessities were met for herself and her sisters (most of the time) and spent everything else on her neighbors needs.  Relative to over-eating (a form of greed for sure), she said we should eat enough so we can serve the Lord tomorrow (I have a problem implementing this one…Lord please continue to help me).  Above all, I listen to Jesus in the words found in the Bible.  I believe Jesus would even tell me my definition was petty and selfish.  He told us to love our neighbors as ourselves (If I want to eat then I should make sure my neighbor is eating also).  I believe He would say greed would even include placing my own needs over the needs of others….He certainly did not place His needs over ours.