Greed and covetousness?

[Aldebaran]

I always thought greed was when you want more and more and are never satisfied, regardless of what it takes to get more. And I thought coveting meant wanting something someone else has enough to actually steal it.

Well, I recently heard a preacher on the radio (Chuck Swindall) talk about this subject, and he brought up a story of when he was selling a swing set. He said he was thinking of a price to sell it for and then realized he could probably get more if he put a fresh coat of paint on it. Then he thought maybe he could get more if he added another glider or something to it. Then he said he realized that he had a spirit of covetousness and greed and decided the best thing to do was to give it away as it was. So he did that.

Now, I'd like to know if this is really an accurate way of seeing it. To me, selling something is perfectly normal, and making it look nice to sell is certainly not a bad thing. I'm thinking of selling my house next Spring. Should I not fix it up the best I can? Should I follow the advice of people who tell me what things I should change about it to get the best price? Is that being covetous or greedy?

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi Aldebaran, do you have a link to this particular teaching of Dr. Swindoll as I'd like to hear/read it in context (because what you posted above doesn't sound like him).

As for my opinion about doing what you can to your home to get the best price for it, I don't believe you are being "greedy" in doing so.

Yours and His,
David

 

[Aldebaran]

Hi Aldebaran, do you have a link to this particular teaching of Dr. Swindoll as I'd like to hear/read it in context (because what you posted above doesn't sound like him).

As for my opinion about doing what you can to your home to get the best price for it, I don't believe you are being "greedy" in doing so.

Yours and His,
David

I didn't think I'd be able to find it online since it was something I heard on the radio, but I did a bit of Googling and actually found that he was reading from a section of a book, which is featured online. Click this link and it will take you right to what he said. Perhaps I misunderstood it, but you can read it and see how it sounds to you: So, You Want To Be Like Christ?

 

[paul becke]

A big difference between a swing and a house. I suspect that with the swing, he recognised that spirit of greed, not because the item was an enormously costly one, but because it was a trivial one. he might just as easily have rejected the thought as inconsequential, and continued to seek to valorise it, without that night losing any sleep.

I think we sometimes like to play around with little niceties like that, and I'm sure they are not without value, as small, perhaps in some measure, incremental, acts of self-denial; in this case, with regard to, just a small-scale acquisitiveness or worldly attraction, he noticed his heart was leaning towards. But, in the final analysis, unless he developed that small act of mortification into a kind of ascetical programme, or valued it as part of one that he was already engaged in, it would not really have been of great consequence, whatever he had decided.

I believe you are right about the definition of covetousness, though I'm not sure actually stealing the object, necessarily comes into it..

 

[salt-n-light]

I always thought greed was when you want more and more and are never satisfied, regardless of what it takes to get more. And I thought coveting meant wanting something someone else has enough to actually steal it.

Well, I recently heard a preacher on the radio (Chuck Swindall) talk about this subject, and he brought up a story of when he was selling a swing set. He said he was thinking of a price to sell it for and then realized he could probably get more if he put a fresh coat of paint on it. Then he thought maybe he could get more if he added another glider or something to it. Then he said he realized that he had a spirit of covetousness and greed and decided the best thing to do was to give it away as it was. So he did that.

Now, I'd like to know if this is really an accurate way of seeing it. To me, selling something is perfectly normal, and making it look nice to sell is certainly not a bad thing. I'm thinking of selling my house next Spring. Should I not fix it up the best I can? Should I follow the advice of people who tell me what things I should change about it to get the best price? Is that being covetous or greedy?

No.

Doing things for profit and doing things for greed are two different things. Profit benefits all parties (so like rendering a service). The moment that in your heart you're thoughts of not to give a good end to someone, that's where greed lies, because you only want yourself to be the victor of the situation. So if your heart isn't to rob them, if your heart is towards making it better and a situation where everyone is blessed, then no its not greed, that's profit.

People in the bible have been of great wealth, and their generations have been blessed because their heart was after God, His promises, and the wellfare of His children. Profit. People in the bible have been of great wealth, but because they have feed into the desires of the flesh and not towards the things of God and servicing others fairly, it became their ruin. Greed.

What would it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Nothing, because a man willing to risk his soul would be a man who would rather be greedy than profitable.

Us as His children, get the biggest profit of all, His inheritance and rights to be called children of God. For accepting Jesus, and following Him, and making disciples, we gain the kingdom of Heaven.Profit. But alot of us would rather just ask for the blessings without saying thanks to God, worship the creature rather than the creation, and lay all our attention to self-worship. Greed.

Sorry I got too deep lol!

 

[thesunisout]

I always thought greed was when you want more and more and are never satisfied, regardless of what it takes to get more. And I thought coveting meant wanting something someone else has enough to actually steal it.

Well, I recently heard a preacher on the radio (Chuck Swindall) talk about this subject, and he brought up a story of when he was selling a swing set. He said he was thinking of a price to sell it for and then realized he could probably get more if he put a fresh coat of paint on it. Then he thought maybe he could get more if he added another glider or something to it. Then he said he realized that he had a spirit of covetousness and greed and decided the best thing to do was to give it away as it was. So he did that.

Now, I'd like to know if this is really an accurate way of seeing it. To me, selling something is perfectly normal, and making it look nice to sell is certainly not a bad thing. I'm thinking of selling my house next Spring. Should I not fix it up the best I can? Should I follow the advice of people who tell me what things I should change about it to get the best price? Is that being covetous or greedy?

Not hearing the whole teaching, I couldn't really comment. I don't think it is bad in itself to do what Chuck did, but the Lord apparently put His finger on some impure motives. Sometimes it isn't what we do, it is the motivation behind it which is the problem.

Genesis 6:5

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

So ask the Lord to examine your heart during the selling process. Ask for wisdom as to how you should spruce it up.

 

[Sarah G van G]

I agree with @thesunisout that it is our motivation, what is in our heart, that is the deal-breaker between greed and covetousness and simple financial, adult responsibility. Chuck realised that he was over-thinking a trivial, inconsequential matter (as @paul becke said). Maybe he didn't need the money and realised that his time could be better spent playing with his kids or helping at the foodbank than pimping the swing set for a little profit.

Making the best of your house to sell it is simply a question of being financially responsible. It is surely also a moral issue to sell the house in a good, clean and safe condition (if that is within your physical, emotional and financial capability to achieve). If you find yourself skipping prayer time or Bible study in order to squeeze another few bucks out of the deal or if your mind is constantly wandering to it during 'God time' then no doubt the Holy Spirit will convict you on that!

I think it is a great question to ask as I find myself to be a rather greedy, covetous, penny-pinching person at times (partly due to long-term poverty) which is something the Holy Spirit is working on within me (praise the Lord!).