Further musings on wealth and greed

The sin that emerges in all its seriousness in "Luther on Greed" is that of what we put our trust in. We are exhorted that to obey the first commandment is to cling to, rely upon and look only to God for whatever one needs in any circumstance. That serves as a corrective to any anxiety I might feel about my "financial future" (which I could perhaps keep in the balance with wise stewardship – though perhaps we too often use that notion to run into what God considers foolishness).

I couldn’t say it better than Luther and Brian Rosner already have, so I will end with their tips for surviving the deadly sin of greed:

1. Recognise the seriousness of the sin of greed – it is a form of idol worship that arouses God’s jealousy.

2. Resist the urge to immoderate accumulation of wealth that grows out of a lack of trust in God.

3. Seek contentment and be generous and willing to share – in order to deal with greed that consists of both unrestrained grasping and selfish hoarding.

4. Appreciate the natural world – greed arises when we forget that God is our creator and sustainer. Go bird watching, hiking, gaze at the sunset, grow vegetables, keep chickens.

5. Wait expectantly for the resurrection – we put too much stock on material things when we think that they are all that exists. Keep a loose grip on this world, for this world in its present form is passing away.

6. Aim to get really rich – God has many new and marvelous things to engross those who know him and are known by him.