We must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic…We crave things we neither need nor enjoy. ~Richard Foster
Avarice: Insatiable desire for wealth or material things. One of the Eight Deadly Thoughts that whisper in all our ears.
What do you have too much of? The question was an ice-breaker at a Women’s Retreat. Answers were shared: shoes, fabric (this was a crafty group), clothes, books. We all nodded in sympathy.
My answer surprised even me. What did the speaker have too much of?
Butter.
I was in the throes of the baking-cookies-for-kids-and-their-friends stage of parenting. At the grocery store, I could never remember if we had butter so, just in case, I would pick up a pound or two. One day I cleaned out the fridge and found 20 pounds of butter hiding in the back.
The last morning of the retreat, every breakfast table sent their butter to mine. In case I was worried I would run out.
Harmless And Prudent?
A mildly amusing story, but too much butter in the fridge is hardly a problem. This is my point–avarice sneaks up on us and claims to do no harm.
Covetousness we call ambition.
Hoarding we call prudence.
Greed we call industry,
writes Richard Foster.
It may not be millions in an off-shore account, it may be twenties in an envelope under your mattress. Or a stash of food, supplies and weapons against the coming apocalypse du jour. Or a closet full of unworn clothes, a basement cluttered with barely used items “you might need someday.” We hoard, “just in case.” We store up for bad times we can’t predict.
Jesus calls it irrational. In Luke 12, he shares the parable of a wealthy man with crammed-full storage units, planning to upgrade to larger ones. What a fool, Jesus says. He’ll be dead by morning, and what good will stuff do him then?
Avarice distracts us from God, the simple enjoyment of life, and the very real need of others. “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will be also.” (Luke 12:34 NLT)
Why would we want to give our heart to things?
Arresting Avarice: ABC
- Appreciate: God knows what you need each day–put him first and he promises to provide.
- Be generous: Share your best things, not your cast-offs. Don’t keep anything–your home, car, clothing, food or cash–as “just for you.” Give it all to God for his use, for others.
- Clear out your basement, storage unit, garage, attic, closets on a regular basis–give away what you haven’t used for a while.
Reading Luke 12 regularly is a great antidote to avarice. What others ideas can you add?
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8 replies on “Third Deadly Thought: Avarice”
Today’s deadly thought has been a topic in our house for the past two months as we packed and packed and packed! After 10 years in one home, we have accumulated a lot of non-essential stuff.
I never thought I had anything in common with the reality show hoarders–my home is tidy and mostly clutter-free. Then I read a definition of hoarding and discovered that anything I have but don’t use, which could be of value to someone else, is hoarded. Yikes!
Now we’re donating carloads of things we don’t need. Carloads! Who knew.
A very convicting definition, Elizabeth. Moving provides great opportunities for generosity, doesn’t it?
I’ve often wondered if there are those who, in the long term at least, have actually benefited either from thievery or fire; losing things to unwelcome sources. In extreme cases, I believe God in God’s mercy, will take the stuff from us that clogs our pores, our homes, our spirits. In losing everything, we gain more than everything; we gain the source of everything.
The things we fear may save us. Yes.
I have two bedrooms that were occupied by my adult daughters when they were younger. Now they are dumping grounds for stuff and both closets have clothes I don’t need anymore. God has been nudging me – now pushing? – me to tackle the stuff give to others and throw out what can’t be used.
Unused closets are a temptation, aren’t they? Maybe our modern equivalent of the “bigger barns” of Jesus’ parable.
I love this.
We always have something to give, share, part with “unto The Lord”.
Ask, Listen and Act on the promptings from the Holy Spirit.
We always do, don’t we Ginny? Yes, he prompts us.