Getting Greedy

Have you ever watched the TV show, Deal or No Deal? I have, but I don’t watch it often, because it makes me too sad. Most people say it’s all about luck, but I say it’s a show about greed, plain and simple. I’ve watched too many people walk away with little more than they came with to believe otherwise. Recently, I witnessed a woman who is a pig farmer say “No deal!” to Howie Mandel, the nefarious “banker,” and over $200,000, and ultimately leave the show with exactly one penny more than she had when she started. And even sadder than that, her husband, father, and a couple of other close “advisors,” urged her to keep going, even after the game had turned and her winnings were quickly disappearing into thin air.

I think all of these contestants (and their consultants) truly believe they will be the million dollar winner. Why? Because they deserve it! Any why is that? Well, why not them? They’re as deserving as anyone else, right?

TV isn’t the only place I’ve seen greed in action, of course. I’ve seen people bitter over the fact that they received bonuses that weren’t as large as some of their co-workers’. It was like seeing Jesus’ parable about the vineyard workers who were paid equally come to life (Matthew 20:1-16). Never mind that these unexpected bonuses were gifts. Much like grace, they were totally unmerited, but sadly, in some cases, also unappreciated.

Adults aren’t the only greedy ones. I’ve watched children carefully tally up Christmas presents, either by number or value, and end up bitterly disappointed because, as they perceive it, they didn’t get as much as others. I just ache for these kids, because I can’t see how they can ever be satisfied with what they have.

And that’s the trick, isn’t it? At least, that’s what I’ve heard people say…it’s not about having what you want, but wanting what you have. The apostle Paul, in particular, had a lot to say about contentment. Here’s just one example from his letter to the Philippians:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” ~ Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

The same “secret” is revealed in Hebrews 13:5:

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'”

Counting on God to satisfy my needs–from the physical to the yearning for contentment–makes a lot more sense to me than the current bestselling “Secret” to life, which is to simply visualize your life the way you want it and...*poof*....so it will be.

Please understand–I'm not immune to getting greedy. In fact, by the time I find myself up to my neck in discontentment, I’m usually amazed by how fast it happened and how I never saw it coming. But if I stop and consider, I’m never surprised to realize that somewhere along the way I stopped counting on God and started being my own source of contentment…and that never turns out well.

If I were a girl who made resolutions for the New Year, there would be a good one somewhere in all of this…maybe something like this: To be content in my relationship with God, and trust Him to provide exactly what I need every day, just like manna from heaven.