Greed and simplicity

Last week I read several blog posts related to money and lifestyle that I have been thinking about. Phil's wrote about those who will not inherit the kingdom. He shares a few thoughts on a passage that states that those who are guilty of various sins, including greed, will not inherit God's kingdom. I assume this is limited to those who continue in these sins unrepentantly.

Reading this made me think again about how I find greed difficult to define. Is it wanting more than we have or more than we need? Is it a willingnes to take money from the poor and oppress others in order to do so? Is it an excessive focus on money? If we are to discern who is part of the kingdom and who is not, we need to be able to accurately discern the habits and attitudes that indicate greed.

I am inclined to think that greed is an excessive focus on money and things, a constant emphasis on having more. It is fine to want things, even things we don't need. It is part of being human to love creativity and beauty. Things that are beautiful but not necessary for survival, like my nativity scene, are an expression of this God-given aspect of our humanity. However, all our desires for such things must be put in their proper place. I knew I wanted a nativity scene, but I did not make it the focus of my life and feel constantly grumpy because I didn't have one!

I enjoyed Beth's recent post on money too, Living Richly. Beth asks the questions: "Is it okay to be a Christian and be wealthy? Or is this just a modern American idea, where materialism has wrongly been infused into the Christian culture?" Beth presents a balanced approach to this issue, explaining the dangers of wealth as well as the fact that it is not wrong to be wealthy.

I also enjoyed following the links Ashley provided on her post on The Simple Life. When I have time to read more, I want to learn more about living simply. I especially enjoyed Sallie's article Simplifying Choices. Sallie begins her article with these thoughts: "When someone becomes convinced that they need to simplify their life, it can be overwhelming. There are usually a lot of areas out of whack whether they be financial, time commitments, relationships, work requirements, material possessions, etc. In each of these areas you have to do some serious evaluating. More of what? Less of what? What comes first? What can wait? How do I do this without driving myself and my family crazy? " Sallie encourages readers to consider what glorifies God, what fits with their family, and what will enable them to fulfill God's best for their lives.