In the past, I have had my own share of greed.
While in medical school, I was fortunate to have very caring and loving parents.
At that time, my dad sent me about $50 weekly to take care of my expenses in school.
I had basically everything I needed when I needed it.
And because of this, I lost control of my lust.
I wanted everything and would fabricate lies to get more money from my parents.
I lied about textbooks and practicals to get an additional $300 monthly.
And sadly, it became a part of me all through medical school.
I wasn’t satisfied because my greed initially blindfolded me.
I had friends that did the same thing with their parents.
It was more like a competition to get more money for a wasteful lifestyle.
Thankfully, just after I left medical school, I realized I had sinned against God.
But, what does the bible say about greed and materialism?
Corruption, greed, and materialism are sins before God.
And that’s why the scriptures teach us to be content with what we have.
We must learn to accept the little we have and be contented in our space.
Every part of our life must be as moderate as possible.
Including what we desire, money, how we eat, attention, and lust.
I have put together bible verses about greed and materialism to discourage you from such an act.
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Bible verses About greed and materialism
Ecclesiastes 5:10
Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Proverbs 1:19
Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.
Proverbs 15:27
The greedy bring ruin to their households,
but the one who hates bribes will live.
2 Peter 2:14
With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!
2 Peter 2:3
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
Luke 12:15
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
Matthew 6:19
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
James 5:1-3
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.
1 Timothy 3:3
not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Proverbs 23:3-4
Do not wear yourself out to get rich;
do not trust your own cleverness.
Proverbs 21:25-26
The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor. 26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.
Ecclesiastes 4:8
There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
Ecclesiastes 4:4
And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Psalm 62:10
Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.
Habakkuk 2:5
indeed, wine betrays him;
he is arrogant and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive all the peoples.
Ecclesiastes 2:26
To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Psalm 52:7
“Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!”
1 Timothy 6:9
Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
Ephesians 4:22
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
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Greed and materialism: Words for encouragement
1. There is no love in greed
I have already told you how greed affected my life in school.
Sadly I must say, I was so conscious of my lust that I never returned to my senses.
I wanted to get new clothes, phones and have a great time with my friends.
I was concerned more about living a false life earned through my selfishness.
Not once did I ever imagine what it took my parents to send me money.
Each time I asked, they never denied me of anything.
In fact, I knew if I wanted $10000, I would have gotten it.
My parents were pleased with me because I had excellent grades.
But that was never a reason to cheat and trick them for more money.
When greed comes in, love goes out — Both cannot coexist in one soul.
If I had loved my parents, I should have been more concerned about them.
I would have been more concerned about the stress they go through daily to raise a living.
But greed clouded my senses for many years.
Over the years, I have come to realize the grievous sin I committed against my parents.
The truth is, we must put on love over greed.
It is a choice, but you must make the right decisions to be saved.
When love comes into your life, you find happiness in God.
Contentment replaces your lust, and you find yourself trying to help others.
You are no longer concerned about how you look and how much you have in your bank account.
You just want to serve and help others where possible.
The scripture says,
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:34
2. Materialism is vanity
The famous Ecclesiastes quote says, “vanity upon vanity, all is vanity.”
We were all born into this world without anything.
We are more like passengers that will leave one day.
One generation comes, tilt the ground of the earth, make money, and goes without taking anything with it.
We have all come into the world to see and experience the beauty of God’s power.
In the end, this generation will disappear, and another must arrive.
So, what’s the point of acquiring riches and wealth?
What’s the point of gathering wealth when you will never have it forever?
I have come to realize that the concept of money is very deceptive.
It gives you a false sense of wellness and happiness.
Immediately wealth arrives; you have a sense of prestige and authority.
But the truth is, it is all vanity and will vanish once death hits.
The scripture says,
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
3. Be contented, loving Christ
Serving Christ is a grace given to us.
We have been called to serve God, and we must follow his tenets.
We must open our hearts to act like him at all times.
Christ wasn’t a greedy person. He wasn’t concerned about money all through his stay on earth.
He knew for sure that it was all vanity.
Christ was humble and content.
He was caring and was more interested in helping others.
That’s how we must behave as Christians.
If you have just clothing and a place to stay, we must still serve God with joy and happiness.
The scripture says,
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1 Timothy 6: 7-8
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At The Faithful Christian Blog, I create authentic and inspiring content. Although I am the main author, I occasionally use AI for minor language enhancements. This minimal AI usage ensures high-quality, trustworthy articles without compromising originality or sincerity, ultimately supporting our shared faith journey.
Warmly,
Dr. Akatakpo Dunn
Linda
Saturday 26th of March 2022
Awesome testimony and teaching! Don't forget that the greedy will not inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor 6:9-10