Eager For More
by Tricia McCary Rhodes
The story was always the same -- a man in a dark suit delivered a check for a million dollars to some poor, unsuspecting soul, whose life changed miraculously over the course of an hour. As a child, watching The Millionaire filled me with hope. I believed that if my family got that check, everything would be wonderful.
Today, I'd settle for enough to get by. But how much is really enough? How do we maintain balance in a culture where as author Don Mayer puts it, "the idea of more . . . has become the center of our identity and our security, and we are caught by it as an addict by his drugs."
Most of us don't see ourselves as greedy. We certainly don't aspire to be millionaires. But we can all relate to pervasive if only dreams: If only I made a little more money, had a more reliable car, a faster computer, a better job. If only we could take that vacation or upgrade our stereo system.
How does this continual wish for more fit with Biblical admonitions to be content with what we have?
The Greek word, pleonexias, comes from two root words meaning "eager to hold more in quantity or quality" and is most often translated "greed" (or in some versions "covetousness"). To be eager for more is to be greedy. The degree to which we fill that desire may depend on our income (or our credit rating), but the Bible warns us against an inner discontent that says we just don't have enough. In Luke 12:15 Jesus alerts us, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Both Ephesians 5;3 and Colossians 3:5 list greed among behaviors and attitudes that are part of our old life and don't belong among "God's holy people."
The Israelites knew well the power—and the consequences—and the consequences of greed. Two years into the wilderness, they tired of manna. Reminiscing over the food back in Egypt, they became people with greedy desires (Numbers 11:4). God was so angry at their discontent that He sent blazing fire around their camp, then gave them what they wanted, in ironic abundance ... 3 feet of quail, a days journey in every direction. He promised they'd be so sick of quail, that it would come out of their noses. While they were still chewing the meat, He sent a plague to destroy the complainers. Their burial spot was called Kibroth-hattavah, the place of greediness.
Scripture paints a graphic picture of greed's slippery slope:
And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into a snare and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. (1 Timothy 6:8-10, NASB)
Paul defines "rich" by contrasting it with life's primitive needs. He does not say wealth is sinful, nor does he define how much is enough. But he does imply that if our basic needs of food, shelter and clothing are met, it is wrong to live in a state of discontent.
An eager or anxious longing for more than what God has provided is a dangerous thing, catapulting us into Satan's domain where we are ripe for temptation. Greed leads to immersion in a worldview that is very hard to resist. Traps await us at every turn, and before long foolish and harmful desires pierce our hearts, eventually robbing us of the joy of our faith.
Jim Bakker, formerly of PTL, came to understand this path of destruction while in prison for fraud. In his book, Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse, he wrote:
The deceitfulness of riches! The more I thought about it, the more I had to admit that I had fallen into that snare. I had allowed the quest for material possessions, the deceitfulness of riches and desires for other things to choke the Word of God in my own life, and in the lives of family members and co-workers. As PTL grew larger and our ministry more widespread, I had a financial tiger by the tail, just coming up with enough money to meet the daily budgets dominated my thoughts and my time.
A downward plunge begins the moment we start on this path, though we may be completely unaware, as the Bakkers were. Like the Israelites choking on quail, we can be drowning in affluence, never realizing that though God has given us what we want, ruin and destruction await. Greed is a frightening thing.
Asking the Right Questions
How do we know if our spending or desires reflect greed? Was I greedy when I bought another book on prayer, though I hadn't mastered the last? Was my 12-year old greedy when he begged for another GI-Joe figure though his room overflows with toys? Was my husband greedy in ordering another Christian CD although our rack is full? If we keep buying more, or even long for more than what we have, are we greedy people?
Because the answers come in shades of gray rather than black or white, many of us don't ask the questions. Yet it is critical that we do, given the strong admonitions in Scripture. In fact, as Christians, we should find ourselves grappling with the issue of greed almost daily.
One way to do so is to pause and reflect before we purchase anything beyond basic necessities. Why am I buying this? What need am I meeting? Is there a deeper source of longing I'm not aware of?
We are needy people. Satan knows this, and constantly tosses out bait designed to lure us into his schemes. Recognizing his strategy is key to avoiding sinful greed. What is that strategy? To appeal to the lust of our flesh, the lust of our eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16, KJV).
What Satisfies You?
Within each of us is an indefinable thirst, a feeling that things aren't as they should be. When Jesus stood up shortly before His death and cried out: "If any man is thirsty . . ." it was a "set-up." He knew they were thirsty, because He had made them that way, so they would come to Him and drink.
Spiritual thirst, if misdirected, turns into lust of the flesh ... a desire for sensual pleasure. The gratification of these lusts is short-lived and we seek more, plunging us into the downward spiral of discontent and dissatisfaction.
Rodney Clapp, in an article titled "Why the Devil Takes Visa", traces consumerism's development in America. He shows that the Industrial Revolution brought the capability of creating enormous quantities of product ... more than we could ever use as a nation. This overabundance spawned modern advertising, a tool designed to create need in people's minds.
Today, hundreds of ads bombard us in ways we probably don't even see. In one evening of TV, we take in around 250 messages that tell us we're missing something. As Clapp observes:
Insatiability itself is as old as humanity, or at least the fall of humanity. What is unique to modern consumerism is the idealization and constant encouragement of insatiability ... the deification of dissatisfaction.
The lust of the flesh can never be satiated. At some point we may find ourselves drowning in the destruction of an idolatrous culture.
What Diverts You?
The infinite and sovereign I AM fills the universe with His glory, placing within mankind both the capacity to see it, and the need to respond. Whether intrigued by the detail of a spider's web, or breathtaken by an evening sunset, we can't help but give expression to what we've seen. This is worship ... a primal need in the heart of every human being.
But Paul shows us in Romans how we can shift our focus from Creator to creation. The "lust of the eyes" results in a craving for novelty, a relentless drive to experience something new. Ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth, we seek stimulation in the next book, product or experience. (Who can settle for a CD player when the technology of DVD awaits us?) Often, even before our newest toy is out of the box, we feel the emptiness and wish for more.
Because manufacturers must compete vigorously for our business, they offer an ever-expanding array of choices. No sooner have we enjoyed one shampoo because it makes our head tingle, but they sell us a new and improved version that also makes our hair grow! We find ourselves drowning in decisions every time we stand in the aisle at the grocery store.
This deification of choice is so much a way of life for us, that we can't imagine people who eat only rice, who've never visited an amusement park or rented the latest video. Daily we face a drive for the endless diversions of the kingdoms of this world, failing to grasp the deeper yearnings behind our pursuit.
What Defines You?
When God breathed a soul into human flesh, He separated us from all other beings, giving us a sense of destiny, a need for meaning in our existence. In so doing, He guaranteed we would be drawn to something greater, more inimitable than our humanity affords. Almighty God, who was and is and is to come, instills in each of us a longing that can only be fulfilled in seeking first His kingdom. He promises one day we'll hear Him say: "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34).
But the pride of life compels us to conclude that we are our own destiny. Slogans abound that reflect this attitude: Have it your way, Just Do It, Break All the Rules. As self-made men, we glory in our achievements, and take comfort in our status on this earth. And much of that achievement and status is measured by possessions.
Eternity fades in the distance as we determine to make something of ourselves, to prove our worth, to attain the applause of men. Messages from the media assure us hundreds of times a day that we can be a little better than we are. Keeping up with the Jones's becomes an albatross around our neck. The lie that our homes, our cars, our jobs, our clothes and even our recreation define our destiny pierces us daily with many a pang.
The Path to Contentment
Mother Teresa often noted that her vow of poverty made life easier than that of more affluent Christians, for it freed her from the tyranny of decisions about things. More difficult than poverty may be knowing how to live with abundance.
When the Israelites were settled safely back in their homeland after years of captivity, they began to enjoy unique prosperity. But all was not well. Through the prophet Haggai, God painted a graphic picture of their real condition:
"Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?" Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, "Consider your ways! You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes." (Haggai 1:4-6, NASB)
As with the Israelites who neglected the temple, we may be starving our souls while stuffing our selves with the treasures of this world. We must consider our ways.
What do our deepest longings and daily drives tell us about the condition of our souls? Are we settling for tawdry toys and empty experiences when the unfathomable, inscrutable, unsearchable God bids us taste and see that He is good? Are we building a kingdom destined for destruction, when a city awaits us whose architect and builder is God Himself?
Not long ago God brought me face to face with some of these tough questions when health problems required me to eliminate all types of sugar from my diet. I was completely unprepared for the battle that ensued. Because I'd never been greatly overweight, I'd convinced myself food was not an issue in my spiritual life. I was wrong. In the first several weeks I was irritable, frustrated, depressed and wanting to avoid social contact. I fixated on food several times a day, wondering why I felt such emptiness. Clearly God was trying to teach me something.
Not knowing what else to do, I decided to seek His face every time I wanted a snack. When others ate desserts around me, I asked God to root out my unhealthy lusts. As Satan taunted me with the possibility that I might never be able to have sugar again, I pleaded with God to not ease up on me until I was convinced from the depths of my being of His all-sufficiency.
I was completely broken one day as He spoke to my soul, telling me that for years I'd lapped water from the gutter of a fallen world, while He was calling me to come to Him. Though He'd tried to reveal this at various times throughout my life, I'd always dismissed His gentle voice, thinking it too silly a notion that a cookie could replace Christ in my affections.
Now, many months later, I thank Him continually for bringing me through that process. As I am learning--dozens of times a day—to run to Him instead of food, our intimacy is taking on a depth I couldn't have imagined. I grieve at what I gave up through the years and pray this reality will grip my heart whenever the world beckons me to leave my Lord's precious side.
There is only one protection, one guarantee of contentment and that is our all-satisfying God who ever lives to fill us with the knowledge of Himself. Because He is our Shepherd, we shall not want. Daily He spreads before us the cup of His kindness, the grapes of His goodness, the bread of His justice or the meat of His mercy, bidding us come and dine. He promises we'll never hunger or thirst again. This is the secret of being content with what we have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU" (Hebrews 13:5).
How can we settle for anything else?
(Reprinted from Discipleship Journal, July/August, 1999 issue)
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i. Mayer, Don, Institutionalizing Overconsumption, wwwtlio.demon.co.uk/ncl/htm
ii. Bakker, Jim, Prosperity and the Coming Apocalypse (Tenn:Thomas Nelson, 1998), p. 23
iii. Clapp, Rodney, Why the Devil Takes Visa, Christianity Today, Oct. 7, 1996, V. 40, No. 2, p. 18.
