“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “What’s in it for me?” ― Brian Tracy

Greed is one of those emotions that take up residence in the farthest corners of our hearts; it is not easily detectable and usually disguises itself as ambition. Greed is always easier to see in others and most people erroneously believe that it doesn’t exist in themselves. But, to varying degrees it’s in all of us. Greed is the excise desire to acquire and possess more than what our needs require.

Greed says, “I owe me.”

I owe myself a better job, a nicer car, a bigger house, a long vacation, I owe myself what I have and I owe myself what you have. Now, there’s no issue with being ambitious the problem is greed. The telltale sign of a greedy person is that they never have enough to give, often times because they’re so in debt that they can’t give. And when they give, they give of whatever leftovers they have or what they no longer want.

The problem with allowing greed to sprout roots in our heart is that it impacts our thoughts, words and actions. Greed’s words and actions cause God and the people around us to feel neglected. They feel as though they have to compete with our things and desires for more things. The way to squelch the power of greed in our heart is to practice giving.  Maybe that is one of the reasons that Jesus said that it’s more of a blessing to give than it is to receive.

“Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” – Luke 12:15 NLT

Greed is one of those emotions that is easily seen in others but hard to see in the mirror. But unattended greed may eventually cause us to become enslaved by debt. And, more importantly it will adversely impact the most significant relationships in our lives. Nothing has more power to set us free from greed than to develop the habit of prioritizing giving over receiving.