Greed verses

For my discipleship class at church they’ve asked all of us to choose a “transformational issue” to work on. I’m fairly certain that means an area of sin or disobedience. So, I’ve chosen “greed” since it’s the area that the Lord has brought me to.

They asked us to create a list of steps that we can take as we move through this transformation. A friend of mine, who is also taking the class, is having some difficult not turning those steps into law. I feel pretty free in these steps and the Lord has already taken me through some of them:

1. Go to God asking for His enlightenment about greed, what it looks like in my life, what scripture says about it, how He views it as sin and what I need to do to repent of it.
2. Once I begin to learn about those things listed in step #1, I will pray as I need help or discernment with any particular greed. I will need to pray constantly as I choose to repent of greed (in thought and deed) as I deal with my physical and emotional responses to the lack of giving in to greed. There will be moments when I am totally unable to even desire to repent of greed and through prayer I will be able to ask God to deliver me.
3. I will ask for accountability in this transformation process. I already have my husband’s support and I can utilize women through Thin within and my own ladies’ Bible study. Additionally, I will use journaling (3 or 4 times per week) as a way to work out my thoughts or feelings as I move through this transformation process.

I think those are solid steps that I can count on. It’s not a law. If I don’t do one or if I have trouble there is no condemnation. The Lord is carrying me. Additionally, they’ve asked us to come up with one verse or section of scripture (I picked 3) that we are to memorize concerning out issue. These are mine (all from NASB):

Luke 12:15
Then He said to them, “Beware and be on guard against every form of greed, for not even when on has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

Ephesians 5:3
But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

Colossians 3:5
Therefore, consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

I chose these three because all say something important to me about greed. In Luke, Jesus teaches us that life is more than stuff(ing). In Ephesians Paul says that greed ≠ saintliness. We are saints and ambassadors of Christ to the world (2 Cor 5.20) and as such the world should never think our greed represents anything remotely resembling Christ. In the letter to the Colossians, Paul explains that greed = idolatry. It means that I love something more than the Lord.

So, I’m slowly working on putting all of this to memory – and to practice!

Lord, may all of this been done in Your name and in the power of the Holy Spirit so that You get the glory of any transformation in me and that I may not grow weary in/of the process. Amen!