A Serious Form of Idolatry
You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Ephesians 5:5 (New Living Translation, NLT)
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6: 24 (New International Version, NIV)
Greed, or an excessive desire- especially for wealth or possessions, is noted by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:5 to be a form of idolatry. Many people think that idolatry has been done away with, that only people who worship or revere statues or images are idolaters. However, an idolater is anyone who places something or someone above God. When we give something a higher place in our lives than the Lord, we are actually taking part in idolatry. And many, many people today, even believers, place an unhealthy and disproportionate value on money and material gain.
Greed is when we want money and things too much. And greed is not isolated to the wealthy either. Some of the greediest people are those who are impoverished. I am not saying that all people who are poor are greedy, but greed is not a form of idolatry practiced only by the rich. It really has nothing to do with the size of your bank account, but with the condition of your heart. When money is your God; when you believe money is the answer to all your problems; you are worshiping the idol of money, or mammon.
Avoiding idolatry has to do with the fact that we cannot divide our affections. It is not possible to serve two masters wholeheartedly. We are wired that way. We cannot do 50/50 worship. We have to be all-in with one or the other. So, we must decide where we want to place all of our affections- on money, riches, things, material comforts- or on the God who can fulfill every need and desire.
Being greedy is an empty way to live. It turns your heart from God and focuses it on lifeless idols of money and wealth. If you sense that God is showing you that you have an unbalanced desire for financial wealth and security, go to God and repent. It is fine to have money and possessions, as long as our hearts are not captivated by them. Our hearts should belong only to God.
What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:31-33 (The Message, MSG)
