The Cancer of Greed

October 21

Put to death … sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and

greed, which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:5

Kenny was executor of the estate when his father died. His mother’s passing a

few years before meant the entire estate would now need to be settled. It was

a sizable estate to be settled among the three children: Kenny, his older sister,

Kate, and their younger brother, Kurt.

For years Kenny had dreaded this day, but now that it was here he saw an

unexpected opportunity. With startling clarity, he realized the will was rather

generic in nature, and there was room for interpretation.

Having lost his life savings in a recent securities venture, Kenny was

financially insolvent, completely broke. Here was an opportunity to recoup his

financial losses by siphoning off funds from the estate.

So, deciding to make the most of it, Kenny fudged the books to reflect

fictitious debt his father had accumulated. By filtering the finances to cover

those debts, Kenny would make a substantial amount of money and receive

three times more than his siblings in the settlement.

His plan almost worked. Kenny was unaware that his father had taken

Kurt into his confidence weeks before his death because he was afraid of this

very thing happening. When confronted, Kenny initially denied any impropri-

eties. The resulting feud tore the family apart. Kenny was unremorseful over his

veiled attempt to defraud his own family, and greed claimed another victory.

h

Greed is a cancerous evil. It changes a person’s character, gradually increasing

its grip, claiming more and more of the person’s heart, until finally he or she is

consumed by it.

Greed tells us we are deserving, subtly gaining our allegiance, all the while

making it harder to recognize its influence in our own lives.

And it doesn’t always show itself in a deliberate manner as in today’s story; it

frequently comes cloaked in possessive behavior such as stinginess or entitlement.

Paul tells us to kill it.

Through prayer and purposeful giving, without thought of personal gain,

we can resolve any issues of greed in our lives. By committing random, anony-

mous acts of generosity, we put to death the idol of greed.

Prayer

“Help me hold on loosely to what You’ve given

me, Lord. Teach me to have a giving heart instead

of a selfish one. In Jesus’ Name, amen. “

 Offhanded Prejudice

October 20

Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing … this should not

be.

James 3:10

“Okay,” Kevin started his joke. “There was a Jew, a German, and a blonde—”

“Wait a minute, Kevin,” Martin interrupted. “Look, I know you’re just try-

ing to be funny, and maybe you don’t mean anything by it, but I don’t appreciate

those kinds of jokes, and I’d appreciate it if you’d not finish it.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Carlos. “To be honest,” he continued, “I used to think

it was okay. But then I realized that it’s a form of implied prejudice hidden in

unsavory humor. It’s a slam against individuals or a race of people meant to

generate laughter. I have to admit that when someone told a Hispanic joke in

my presence, it made me angry.”

“Excuuuuse me!” Kevin dragged the word out for effect. “I didn’t realize

you two were too good to listen to a simple joke anymore.”

“Not too good, Kevin,” Martin gently corrected. “I’m just trying to be

more thoughtful of the language and words I use these days. You yourself know

that I used to freely slander ethnic groups and blondes because it got laughs.

But then God showed me that these people I’d been slamming are no different

than me; they’re actually just like me, and they’re undeserving of my offhanded

prejudice. Whether you believe it or not, what we say influences others toward

those we speak. And I, for one, don’t want to be responsible for planting seeds

of prejudice anymore.”

h

If confronted, many of us would do as Kevin did and immediately defend our-

selves. “It’s just a joke for goodness sake!” we’d say. But that’s just not true. It is

an audible statement of opinion—whether unconscious or otherwise—and we

are responsible for it.

James addressed this issue two thousand years ago: double-talk, or what

society now calls being two-faced—saying one thing while pretending to say

something else.

If in the future you are tempted to use this form of prejudice or are present

when others do, remember God’s exhortation through James and have nothing

to do with it.

Prayer

“Lord, reveal to me the consequences of offhanded

prejudice so that I might know in my heart how wrong this

form of insensitivity really is. In Jesus’ Name, amen."

 Refuse to Quit

October 19

I will strengthen you and help you.

Isaiah 41:10

Darla slouched at the piano, discouraged; her little fingers didn’t stretch far

enough. Each time she tried to play full chords, a sour note resounded from the

piano. “I’ll never get it right,” she said in distress. “My hands are just too small.”

With complete understanding, Mrs. Netching placed her arm around

Darla’s shoulders and said, “Darla, when I was your age, my fingers didn’t reach

either, and I wanted to quit. But my mother wouldn’t allow it. She told me I

would one day appreciate the hard work of today. So I determined to make the

best of things by playing well the things I could, understanding that someday

my fingers would grow long enough to reach all the keys. 

I want to share with you what my piano teacher taught me.” Rising from the bench, 

she stood behind Darla, reached around her, and asked her to play the single-note 

melody for the music in front of her.

As Darla began to play the simple notes, Mrs. Netching began to accom-

pany her, adding the chords that were impossible for Darla to play. The result-

ing harmony was beautiful!

“Can we do that again?” Darla asked, excited by the rich sound they had

created.

“Why sure, honey,” Mrs. Netching responded. “Just remember this day

when your lessons are hard. Don’t let today’s limitations dictate tomorrow’s

potential. Keep practicing; commit yourself to doing the best you can. Refuse

to quit, and I promise someday you will be an accomplished musician.”

h

Life is full of difficult lessons. And there are moments that the only thing we

want is to quit. But quitting in the midst of trouble is accepting defeat without

bringing all the power of heaven to bear on our situation.

Like Mrs. Netching, God wants to orchestrate our lives, accompanying

and encouraging us until we are capable of reaching further in faith.

As the Master comes alongside us, it’s His skill that causes our lives to

become something beautiful. And the music is heard the way it’s meant to be.

God wants us to fight when things get rough and refuse to quit.

Prayer

“I need an awful lot of help, Lord. Please be patient with

me while I get this thing called life right. Amen.”

 I’ll Never!

October 18

Children, obey your parents in the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1

“I hate you!” Benny screamed at his dad. “When I have kids, I’ll never treat ’em

like this!” And with that, he slammed his door.

Geneva looked at her husband and impishly said, “Sounds like the boy I

met in high school. Whatever happened to him?” she teased, hoping to ease her

husband’s frustration at having his son stomp off in rebellion.

“For two cents … ” He decided not to finish a statement he knew he didn’t

mean. “Yeah, I was an awful lot like him, wasn’t I?” He reminisced. “I even

remember saying the exact same thing to my dad.” Then it hit him. “Am I just

like my dad?” he asked.

“Well, I happen to love your father—” she began.

“You weren’t his son.” He parried.

“No, but he’s a good man, Paul. And you could do much worse than to

emulate your father. As a matter of fact, you are very much like him: kind,

compassionate, loving, tender, thoughtful, and considerate. Those are wonder-

ful attributes, and I hope Benny inherits every one of them,” she said with

conviction.

Paul knew she meant every word. “I guess those traits got lost in the dis-

cipline. Yes, Dad is a good man. I guess Benny is just like me; I never liked the

word no either,” he lightheartedly said.

h

Our parents love us. And because they do, they seek to keep us from harm.

Rules serve a necessary purpose. That we don’t like them remains irrelevant to

the fact we need them.

Sometimes the rules can be imposing. And in the midst of that imposition,

we can get out of sorts, forgetting that although everything is permissible, not

everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23).

Most, if not all, of us have made the claim, “I’ll never treat my kids like

this!” And with few exceptions, we’ve treated them exactly that way: with love

and concern for their well-being. To do otherwise would be to fail them. So

when you find yourself facing an obstinate child, consider this: you were once

just like them; then try to smile as you enforce the rules.

Prayer

“Father of grace, teach me to be the parent I

need to be. Guide my actions and help me to not

exasperate my children. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Abstinence Is Work

October 17

Abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

1 Peter 2:11

“I feel like I’m in this constant battle,” Carlene said incredulously. “It’s like I’m

constantly faced with decisions of right and wrong,” she confided.

Rochelle understood her friend’s quandary. “I know. You see, before you

came to Christ, you lived your life apart from God; you were ignorant of His

ways.” Rochelle let that sink in.

“When we give our lives to Christ, He gives us His Holy Spirit. The Spirit

convicts us of actions we failed to recognize as sinful before.” Rochelle watched

as the realization of what that meant dawned on Carlene.

“This isn’t easy,” Carlene remarked woefully. “It’s like this constant battle

rages inside me. I feel”—she paused, searching for just the right word—”dirty

when I do some of the things I used to do. Does that make any sense?”

“It makes perfect sense,” Rochelle answered. “Living a godly life comes

with its battles. It’s all part of learning to live for God instead of ourselves. The

things that we want are filtered through God’s Spirit. When it’s something

God considers sin, it registers on our heart, letting us know we should resist

and not give in to the desire.”

“I’m gonna need a lot of help,” Carlene said, a mixture of wit and worry

in her voice.

“God always provides assistance when we ask for it,” Rochelle assured her.

“But it’s our responsibility to ask. God isn’t some genie Who makes life easy

for us. He’s a loving Father Who instructs His children in what’s best and then

allows them to make informed choices.”

h

Sin is sensual and seductive. And Peter instructs us to engage in the battle

instead of passively giving in.

The Christian life is not one of ease; it demands a life of physical and

spiritual discipline, one of abstinence in which we actively war against Satan

and his tempting offers.

Although our salvation may be complete when we give our life to Jesus,

we’ve only begun to take on His likeness. The more we abstain from sinful

temptation, the closer the resemblance gets.

Peter encourages us to be built up into a spiritual house, one that looks

like Christ.

Prayer

“Lord, give me wisdom and strength to wage war

against the enemy. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 The Selfish Trinity

October 16

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.

Romans 12:3

During a work session to repair a parishioner’s house, the pastor pulled one

volunteer aside, away from listening ears. “John, I need to speak with you about

something.”

Having John’s undivided attention, he forged ahead. “God wants to use

each of us, and your assistance here is very much appreciated.”

He noticed a look of boredom dawn in John’s eyes. “John, your attitude

and actions scream, “Look at me!” You make people uncomfortable, and you

effectively steal the blessing God—”

“Look, Pastor,” John cut him off. “I hear you. But quite honestly, I do

things the way I want, or I don’t do them. Is that a problem?” You could tell he

expected the pastor to back off, believing they couldn’t get along without him.

What happened next took John by surprise. “It’s a big problem, John. And

I surely won’t force you to make changes you’re not willing to make. But if you

choose to continue treating others with disdain, I must ask you to leave. And I

mean our church, John, not just this project.”

Taken aback, John responded in anger. “Fine! I don’t need your high-and-

mighty church!” he said forcefully and left, slamming the door on the way out.

The mood in the house changed almost immediately; it was as though a

dark cloud had been lifted.

h

John suffers from a case of the selfish trinity: me, myself, and I.

Some would say the pastor was too strict. On the contrary: pride is a

sinister root, which if allowed to propagate, will pollute and choke out healthy

roots.

It led to the fall of mankind; Satan decided to elevate himself above the

throne of God and in doing so set in motion a series of events that led to his

and a third of the angels’ eviction from heaven; thus sin entered the world.

It is so subtle that we rarely, if ever, realize our own pride.

So in His mercy, God sends His Spirit to convict us. When convicted of

any pride in our lives, we should humble ourselves before God and deal with

the issue.

Prayer

“Is there any pride in me, Lord? If so, help me put it to

death so I might be humble before You. Amen.”

 Extinguished Flames

October 15

The devil prowls … like a roaring lion

1 Peter 5:8

As the pastor and his family returned home, he found an envelope tacked to

the parsonage’s front door.

Curious, he pulled it from the door and read. As he read, his face turned

ashen; the shock and confusion on his face caused his wife to ask what was

wrong. There were no words to soften this blow:

We, the leadership of the church, no longer require your services. We

therefore inform you that you have one week to vacate the parsonage.

We will find your replacement in due time and do not wish any future

contact with you.

Signed,

The Leadership

With no further explanation forthcoming and in total shock with inexpli-

cable heartache, they complied with the request, leaving the little church God

had called them to.

The young pastor agonized. Haven’t I spoken the true Word of God? Hasn’t

the community responded affirmatively since my appointment? And hasn’t God

shown me areas of needed growth I’ve been addressing? 

With astounding clarity, he understood; he had made the leadership uncomfortable, 

requiring growth. and a new level of commitment. He had become a threat to their 

little church.

Rumors spread by his accusers followed the young pastor, and he was

unable to secure future appointments. Jaded, he returned to secular work, never

to minister again from the pulpit.

h

What a profound loss. What an egregious act of abhorrent behavior. What an

insidious use of God’s children by Satan. Our enemy prowls, just as today’s

text tells us, like a roaring lion. But he also slips subtly in and out of our lives,

undetected and unidentified, using good-willed people to extinguish the fire of

God from the hearts of men. 

Failure to recognize or admit Satan’s influence in our lives will prolong our struggles. 

Without giving evil more power than it deserves, we must be aware of Satan’s 

willingness to use us against each other.

Satan is real; he hates the things and people of God, and he will use us to

attack each other. We must learn to recognize his tactics and then resist him!

Prayer

“Lord, make me aware of the enemy’s subtle

attacks. Help me to resist them. And use me as an

instrument of grace. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”