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We all think about things we want from time to time - that car, that house, that holiday or new iPad air - but I imagine all of us know a brother or sister in Christ who goes beyond the occasional musing, an individual who is driven by the accumulation of wealth. Even in the most faithful churches, where the Bible is taught carefully week by week, people can still find themselves being sucked into the world’’s way of thinking – lots is good, more must be better.
Greed is a dangerous path to tread. No-one can serve both God and money as Matthew 6:24 reminds us. So how can we gently encourage our fellow-believers who struggle in this area to come back to whole-hearted worship of their loving King? Here, continuing our Wednesday afternoon pastoral series, are our tips:
1. What are your aims in life?
Few people collect money or possessions just because they like shiny objects – most are pursuing status, security (for themselves and their family) or similar. It’s worth digging out what people are really seeking.
2. Why do you want these things?
Some people have been badly hurt in the past – a childhood spent traipsing from one insecure, moldy bed and breakfast to another leaves deep scars. Tease out whether they are pursuing money to escape some past nightmare or whether they are buying culture’s lie that happiness increases as the bank balance goes up. Is the pursuit of money a compensation for some other aspect of life that is in disarray? Understanding such motivation is key to knowing how to help.
3. To what extent do you think God will provide for your needs?
There’s often a subtext behind people’s greed. It goes like this: “I have to make sure my family is secure … because God’s not going to”. It’s true that God does expect us to roll up our sleeves and look after our family. But God also asks us to trust him for our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Are there areas where your friend is doubting God’s goodness or failing to trust in his provision? Do they feel the need to supplement God’s gifts with added extras? Do they muse that God’s security may not be quite enough?
4. What does God say is true about our status and security?
It’s worth taking a moment to reflect on passages that remind us how loving and generous God is to us. He doesn’t promise a iPad but he does supply our needs. Psalm 62 can be a great place to start. If the greed is being driven by a gaping hole in another area of life, you might like to speak Scriptures that address the gap too.
5. What’s going to suffer as you seek these things?
Most people are realists, they know they can’t work 12 hours a day and shop all night and still have quality relationships. Most people know they can’t focus on accumulating masses of possessions and still thrive spiritually. Help them to articulate what they are losing out on. Help them take their eyes off the gain and focus on the loss.
6. Can we look at what the Bible says about money?
A Bible study on Matthew 6 can be quite a challenge and an encouragement. It calls on us to be generous, dependent on God, focused on Kingdom priorities and confident in the Lord’s provision. It’s not a call to passivity but a radical reorientation of priorities that all of us probably need to hear – so it’s a study that we can do with our friends in utter humility. There are, of course, plenty of other passages to read too!
7. What are the benefits of putting God first?
Sometimes it can feel as if God is a bit of a killjoy, asking us to give things up. Nothing could be further from the truth. His ways are a path to a full life and eternal blessings. It’s great to encourage people to articulate this.
8. What would you life look like if you put these biblical principles into practice?
Time to get specific. What would a reorientation of priorities look like for them (and us!) It doesn’t necessarily mean giving up all possessions but it will be a very different life. What impact would such changes have on work, shopping, church life, family relationships, household budgets? It’s great to think outside the box rather than just tweaking the status quo … why not live somewhere smaller and give the difference in money to mission?
9. How are you going to act on these things?
It’s all very well to see God’s priorities but the main aim is to help people to live in light of them. Change may be scary, counter-cultural and full of practical difficulties so be gentle here (and consider leading by example!) but do try to encourage your friend to be specific and encourage them to stick to their plans.
10. Can we pray together now?
If change is to be lasting, it needs to be a work of the Spirit – so it’s great to ask our heavenly Father for the help that only he can give.
For further reflection on this issue, you might like to check out:
