My dear readers,

Covetousness -- the Ruin of Many!

Proverbs 15:27: “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.”

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7:7, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Before the Ten Commandments were given by the LORD the world did not realize that there is a sin called “covetousness.” To covet is to have a very fierce desire for something. The covetous heart targets something or someone for possession. This targeting drives the person’s entire being and all his relationships are focused on fulfilling his objective. No obstacle is too great that he cannot overcome, by foul means if necessary. No one and nothing must stand in his way from achieving his target! Another name for this insidious sin is greed. Greed is defined as “to be given to covetousness.” Greed like covetousness is not a crime to man. No law of man can or will condemn a greedy heart. A greedy heart cannot be seen. It indulges itself to its maximum without the fear of punishment. It fuels the uncontrollable flames of a materialistic heart and the carnal mind. The never-ending fuel stems from a sinful nature found in every sinner the moment he is conceived in his mother’s womb. 

But sinful man is held to a higher standard by his merciful Creator. The Creator desires sinful man to know that he is a great sinner. He gave him the Ten Commandments. Sinful man has no veil of ignorance to hide behind as he covets to his heart’s content. He is now convicted by God’s commandment just as Paul was. If he does not stop his heart of covetousness, it will be revealed by his insatiable acts of violence and deceptions to fulfil its lusts thereof. This is openly evident in our sin-filled world. The consequences will be dire to himself and all whom he impacts, especially his household. Greedy for gain or, more literally, greedy for greed is not limited to money but to all things that money can buy. Money is not the end in itself. Money fuels pride. Pride manifests self. Self needs money to grow. The vicious cycle speeds on in the sinful heart of man till he dies.

Proverbs 15:27 warns and directs all professed believers to stop this vicious cycle. Its literal translation is: “The one who troubles his house is the one who is greedy of greed but the one who hates gifts shall live.”

Is your house full of troubles? – Troubles in every house are brought in from outside. They can be kept out. They are brought in through the heart of man. If you are the head of the house you are the culprit. As a professed believer, you have a duty before God and to your family that you do not bring troubles in, but keep troubles out. What have you been bringing into your house these past years? If you are greedy for mammon, you bring troubles. Husband and wife argue about which house to buy or which business to invest in because greed has been brought into the house. If God’s will is the basis for decision-making, they would pray and seek the mind of Christ based upon biblical guidelines to decide. But no, they lust and have not. They kill and desire to have, but cannot obtain. But peace can prevail in the house again if they turn from greed.

Financial troubles in the house are caused by greed where enough is never enough. The cry for more and more drives the greedy heart, and discontentment is the food at every banquet. Sad faces and burdened hearts are weighed down by the glitter of fool’s gold that has seduced them into a daily routine of running the rat race that leads to death. This house of professed believers is full of troubles. The greedy one stirs the calm waters of the souls of everyone in the house with his paddle of greed. He will not cease stirring until every ounce of his strength ebbs away and the sinister smile of death welcomes him into a Christ-less eternity. He hears in agony the devil’s words: “Well done my good and faithful servant of mammon!”

If you are the greedy child, then you are the culprit. You have brought troubles into your parents’ house by your greed. You may not focus on money now but you have all the makings of an adult greedy of gain. Your selfish ways have brought immense pain to your parents’ sacrificial hearts. They live and toil that you may live well. In return, you break their hearts. Is your heart greedy for fun? When you ought to study diligently for the glory of Christ, you play the fool for fun. Computer games are the high points of your daily life. It is the lust for fun that beats within your heart when it ought to be the love for Christ. Troubles are common at home between siblings and with parents because fun is all that matters to your lust-filled heart. Icy cold sarcasm is found behind every curt word spoken. Bible Studies and the preached Word of Life flow off the hardened hearts like waters off a duck’s back.

Greedy for self has been the cause of many troubles of many homes. Children who are self-centred will not give way to others but insist adamantly on getting their way. I know of a child who would throw tantrums when he could not get his way. He had to have his way. He grew up pandering to self. Money-making consumed his soul. He quarrelled with his parents and siblings daily. But for the grace and mercies of God who saved him in Christ he would have died in his greed. Troubles enter into every home through a greedy heart. Is this the only way to live? Is every home a house of contention? Is there no hope?

Is your life full of life? – Only a child of God has a glorious alternative. When the Holy Spirit enters his heart, greed is vanquished. The power of greed that controlled his heart and soul will be put to death. Deliverance was experienced when he met Christ and received Him as his Lord and Saviour. The deliverance from bondage to sin was the irreversible act of Christ resulting in his spiritual birth. If this believer chooses to allow the power of greed to control him then he does so willingly. He cannot cry like the unbeliever, “O wretched man that I am!” If he turns his back on victory he chooses to surrender to greed. He refuses to exercise his strength of faith and trust in his Lord Jesus Christ. However, the truly born-again believer, unlike the unbeliever, will acknowledge his greed. He will confess that greedy for gain is sin. He will truly repent. He will return to his Christ. He knows he can be cured.

But prevention is better than cure. The word for “gifts” includes bribes or any form of personal gain or benefit. The child of God will hate them all. This is the only way to keep “gifts” away from his heart. This hatred needs to be holily tempered with the love of Christ. He knows the strength of greed is like a poisonous weed that remains beneath his heart. If he does not hate it like a conscientious gardener hates the weeds that strangles his beautiful flowers, these pernicious weeds will soon grow again and strangle his holy life. The precious peace in his house that he spent his lifetime sowing and reaping will evaporate and troubles will flow in like a pungent gas that suffocates. To maintain the peace in his house he must hate “gifts.”

With this hatred of “gifts” in his heart, he lives the life of Christ in his soul. His life is a life of the Word. The Word of God is taught and obeyed in his house. Christ is the Head. The Bible is the rule book to guide every word and deed. The mind of Christ is the mind of everyone who lives in such a blessed home. Nothing is done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind everyone will esteem the other better than themselves. To them, abundance is no longer measured by what their house is worth, but by the love of Christ. Christ’s love flows from the lips of every member of that blessed home. Children will honour their parents in the LORD. Parents will love them according to God’s truth. Sibling rivalry is lovingly replaced by brotherly love. Everyone in the home is a protector of each other’s spiritual well-being. Prayer is the sweet refrain in everyone’s lips, inside and outside their home. This is the abundant life in Christ that Christ promises to all His faithful disciples. This is every believer’s life in Christ!

Food for Thought – Is your house a house of troubles OR a life in Christ full of life?