Master Money: Guarding Against Greed

“Watch out! Be on your guard (place a guardrail) against all kinds of greed…”¹

We put guardrails up in the areas of our lives where we know we have a weakness. We put guardrails up to protect us from being mastered by anything: bad habits or bad heart attitudes, or whatever else might have a mastery over you, good or bad.

Jesus seemed to think we need a major guardrail against money being our Master.

Are you greedy? I am. Or maybe I’d like to say I used to be. I’m sure that’s more accurate; but money is such a devious fiend, it is always a threat to regain control and enslave me again.

Asking someone if they are greedy prompts the same response as asking if they watch a lot of TV. It’s always, “No.”

But Jesus, and God, warn about the trap of money well over two thousand times throughout the Scriptures. More than Heaven or Hell.  Did you ever stop to think why?

Do they want your money? Do they need your money?

Or do they know you will end up worshiping something, and if it isn’t them, money will be at the top of the list. The path to the A+ Life is to have Jesus as your Lord and Master, seeking him first, and kicking money to the back of the line.

The only guardrail solution I have found to be sure money does not have any kind of mastery over me is to give it away, and give it away generously. If you have another plan please share it with me. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t stop giving money away – it’s too much fun and it is way too satisfying and rewarding.

But if you have another plan, I’d be interested. And, I would be … skeptical. Because no one thinks they are greedy, and most think they are generous.

Jesus cautions about this aggressive, manipulative competitor, even framing it as an either/or choice:

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”²

And Peter echoes the same sentiment, but digs the knife in a little deeper:

“… for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”³

And Jesus exposed this either/or truth about our human nature:  “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good (generous), your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eyes are bad (double – duplicitous), your whole body will be full of darkness.”⁴

The Greek word for ‘good’ – haploos –  connotes “generous without reserve.” The Greek word for ‘bad’ is ‘diplous,’ and it means “double, duplicitous, even envious.”

Here’s what this looks like: A friend sends out a request to two friends, asking for financial assistance to help a young man get a leg up in life. The rich man, the one with “diplous” eyes, will likely respond, “What, are we supposed to save the world? How do I know this is legit? What if this young man is just a loafer? Why should I give my hard-earned money?”

Can’t you just see his squinty eyes? Suspicious, suspecting, … diplous … enslaved.

But the one with generous eyes responds, “Yes! What a wonderful opportunity to personally invest in a young man’s life!”

The difference is startling.

And the difference is scary. Full of light. Full of dark suspicion.

I don’t want to be a slave to anything, especially not money.

There is a freedom that comes from generosity. Financial freedom. Freedom from slavery. A joyous, enriching, yes even fun way to live!

“Watch out! Be on your guard (place a guardrail) against all kinds of greed…”¹

How can I be darn sure I’m not mastered by money? I’m going to set up a guardrail against greed, by giving away generously.

And you?