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Sowinig blessings and life lessons to encourage, refresh, and benefit our lives.
Deception, Envy, and Greed.
One would think that the higher one reaches
and the deeper one digs to discover their
God-given gifts and talents, the more people,
particularly those closest to us, would be
excited and supportive. It's heartbreaking to
discover that those closest to us... are
sometimes the ones who dismiss our efforts.
Worse, some will secretly plot against us in
the desperate hope that we will fail.
Envy also costs us friends and allies, and
it tempers, restrains, and destroys even our
most intimate relationships. In rare
circumstances, it can lead to sabotage,
such as when a kid damages a toy that
they know they cannot have.
"No one can serve two masters, for either he
will hate the one and love the other, or he will
be devoted to the one and despise the other,"
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.
"You can't serve both God and money."
6:24 Matthew
This verse follows a passage in which
Jesus instructs us to
"Lay up treasures in heaven."
In this passage, Jesus compares
"love of money" to idolatry.
He refers to money as a "master" that
we serve instead of God.
God commands us to have
"No other gods"
before the
One and Only True and Living God.
Exodus 20:3-4
Anything other than our Creator, God,
that takes precedence in our lives is an
idol, and we are guilty of breaking the
First Commandment.
Greed is defined as the selfish, extravagant,
or greedy desire for more than is required.
It is a strong and self-centered desire for
something, most notably wealth, power,
possessions, or food.
Some mercenaries have let greed
triumph over their morals.
Every time one engages in acts of
Deception, Envy, or
Greed...
they get a taste of
what hell will be like.
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that
sin is the source of all evil in the world.
Romans 5:12, Matthew 15:19, James 1:15
Sin is described, in the
Scriptures, as deceitful.
Hebrews 3:13: Mark 4:19
Why?
Because sin promises...
what it cannot produce.
Sin promises life but delivers death; it promises
excitement but brings misery; it promises
satisfaction but brings suffering.
Some people frequently choose to be deceived by sin,
believing its bogus claims... rather than trusting God,
Who owns and controls everything.
We exist in a kind of void, in which
individualism flourishes, and narcissism,
ego, materialism, the pursuit of self, wealth,
status and greed are ever present.
A deception or falsehood is an act or speech
that misleads, conceals the truth, or promotes
a false belief, concept, or idea. It is frequently
used for personal gain or profit. Dishonesty,
propaganda, and trickery are all forms of
deception, as are distraction, disguise, and
erasure. There is also dishonesty, such as
bad faith. It is also known as beguilement,
duplicity, bait and switch, self delusion,
farce, or concealment, depending on one's
subjective interpretation.
Deception is a serious relational breach that
frequently leads to feelings of betrayal and
distrust between individuals. Deception is a
negative violation of beliefs and a violation
of relational principles.
Deception is the act of intentionally misleading
someone to accept false, fraudulent, and invalid
statements as true and/or valid.
Satan, the father of lies and deception, is
notorious for orchestrating such heinous acts.
Lies and deceit comes from
many sources.
There are lying spirits who lead astray
1 Timothy 4:1;
there are “evildoers and impostors”
looking for unsuspecting individuals
2 Timothy 3:13;
and if the truth be told...our own
hearts are deceitful.
Jeremiah 17:9
Self-deception is common in our fallen
world. Isaiah 44:20 speaks of an idolater
who is misled by his own “deluded heart.”
The prophet Obadiah identifies arrogance
as one of the roots of self-deception:
“The pride of your heart has deceived you.”
Obadiah 1:3
Human pride always blinds us to truth.
It promises honor, but it delivers disgrace:
“Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 16:18
Happiness, peace of mind, and a
good night's sleep do not come
from evil, deceptive means.
Envy and jealousy are two distinct concepts.
Jealousy is possessive, whereas envy is covetous.
The distraction of envy and the dread of arousing
it in others holds us back from achieving our full
potential.
Envy
One of the most powerful
causes of unhappiness is envy
(also known as covetousness).
Envy is a deep and painful, often hostile
resentment/emotion that one feels toward another
who possesses something they want, such as
wealth, achievement, perceived superior quality,
possessions, beauty, or any advantage enjoyed by
another.
Envy tends to lust after or long for something that
is not their property and is not rightfully theirs to
long for.
According to James 1:15, sin originates in
the inner person.
Coveting stems from envy, a sin that, once it
takes root in the heart, leads to greater sins.
In the Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus reiterated this point, saying that lust in
the heart is just as sinful as committing adultery.
Matthew 5:28
Envy goes beyond casting a longing glance at
what another builds or buys. Once dwelled upon,
envy of another’s talents and/or possessions can
turn to feelings of resentment and hatred for the
other.
Covetousness is identified in the New Testament
as a form of idolatry, a sin that God detests.
Colossians 3:5
Ultimately, envy and covetousness are tools used by
Satan to distract and divert our attention away from
the only thing that will ever bring us peace, joy, and
true contentment...
God Himself.
Greed is defined as a selfish and excessive desire
for more of something, most commonly money
and/or power. It is a strong desire for more than is
required or considered necessary.
Most are driven solely by greed and longing for
riches.
Those who are greedy
are ever in want.
They are stuck in a never-ending quest for
desire without ever finding fulfillment.
There are numerous warnings in the Scriptures
against embracing greed and yearning for riches.
Jesus warned, “Beware! Be
on your guard against all forms
of greed; a man’s life does not
consist in the abundance of his
possessions.”
Luke 12:15
Possessions do not
fill an empty soul.
Greed is defined as an unreasonable, unnecessary,
egotistical, insatiable longing, or entitlement for
unneeded excess, particularly more wealth, status,
power, or food.
Greed wants it all.
Greed gives rise to anger, rage, delusion, and
obsession.
Greed is defined as an excessive or vain desire
for money, wealth, and power. It is based on the
incorrect association of material wealth with
happiness. Greed is a bottomless pit. For where
there is envy and self-seeking, there is confusion
and every evil thing.
Greed and the desire for wealth are traps that
lead to ruin and destruction.
Greed destroys relationships, strains the heart, and
sears the soul. It is a vicious merry-go-round that
never stops.
Greed is the selfish desire to acquire
or possess more than one needs.
Greed has an unquenchable
desire for more... a lot more.
According to Colossians 3:5,
greed is a form of idolatry.
The good life can tempt people to become obsessed
with power. They race so hard after the dollar and
other things that they lose themselves and lose sight
of what truly matters.
Jesus directed, "Whoever wants to be great among
you must serve you, and whoever wants to be first
must serve all. Even the Son of Man came not
to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many."
Mark 10:43-45
Greed and the desire for wealth
are traps that lead to ruin and
destruction.
"Money is the root of all evil," and Believers
are warned, "Do not put your trust in wealth."
1 Timothy 6:9-10, 17-18
Idolatry is defined as covetousness, or an
excessive or greedy desire for more.
"For this you can be certain: No immoral,
impure, or greedy person - such a man
is an idolater - has any inheritance in the
kingdom of God."
Ephesians 5:5
Hebrews 13:5 contains the principle to remember:
"Keep your lives free of the love of money, and be
content with what you have, because God has said,
'I will never leave you; I will never forsake you.'"
The issue is not money itself, but rather the
desire for it. Money obsession is a sin because
it interferes with God's worship. Rich people,
according to Jesus, have a difficult time
entering God's Kingdom.
When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what
he should do to inherit eternal life, Jesus told
him to sell everything he owned and give the
proceeds to the poor. "When the young man
heard this, he was sad because he had a lot
of money."
Matthew 19:16-22
By telling him to give up his money, Jesus
revealed the young man's main issue: greed
or a love of money. He couldn't follow Christ
because he was following money..His love of
this world interfered with his love for God.
Greed will not be satisfied. Most of the time, the
more we have, the more we want. Material
possessions will not protect us, either in this life
or in the next. This point is well illustrated by
Jesus' parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21.
Again, money or wealth are not an issue. Our
attitude toward it is the issue. When we put our
trust in money or become consumed by an
insatiable desire for more, we fail to give God
the glory and worship He deserves. We are to
serve God rather than squander our time
attempting to amass wealth.
Proverbs 23:4
Our heart's desire should be to store up treasures
in heaven rather than feel worried about what
we will eat, drink, or wear.
“But seek first [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Matthew 6:25-34
May we strive for greatness
rather than greed.
"No one can serve two masters, for either he
will hate the one and love the other, or he will
be devoted to the one and despise the other,"
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.
"You can't serve both God
and money."
6:24 Matthew
This verse follows a passage in which Jesus
instructs us to
"lay up treasures in heaven."
In this passage, Jesus compares "love of money"
to idolatry. He refers to money as a "master" that
we serve instead of God.
God commands us to have
"No other gods"
before the one and only true
and living God.
Exodus 20:3-4
Anything other than our Creator, God,
that takes precedence in our lives is an idol,
and we are guilty of breaking
the first commandment.
We could see who or what we are truly worshiping
if we re-examined our lives to see where and how
we spend our time, allegiance, energy, and affection
on a daily basis.
When used wisely and in the proper context,
money and possessions can do a lot of good.
The conflict is with material gods, not with
material goods.
The source of all evil is the love of money,
not money itself.
1Timothy 6:10
Wealth is morally neutral; there is nothing
wrong with money or the possession of
money in and of itself. When money
becomes one's god and is worshiped and
adored, incredible evil and sin rears
its ugly head.
"A wolf in sheep's clothing"
has become a popular metaphor for any
hidden danger or any adversary putting
on a false front of friendship.
"A wolf in sheep's clothing" is something
harmful or problematic disguised as
something peaceful or pleasant.
Deception is a cruel act.
Deception frequently involves multiple players at
various stages. Propaganda, distraction, secrecacy,
and/or obstruction are all examples of deception.
Deception the practice of lying.
Some people despise the achiever. They become
enraged by the achiever's extraordinary talent.
They are threatened and will embark on
misguided quests to create impediments, dead
ends, and roadblocks for others.
God has bestowed incredible gifts, talents, and
abilities on each of us. Each of us is unique, and
God has called us to different tasks and ministries.
Sad to say, the envy monster cannot see the forest
for the trees.
Satan's greatest deception is
convincing us that he is not Satan.
The very essence of
Deception, Envy, and Greed
is self-will.
Most of the time, we envy one quality about a person
and assume that the rest of their qualities are just as good.
That is not always the case.
Comparing one's insides to the outsides of others is a waste
of time. Instead of comparing our fortunes to those who
appear to be more fortunate than we are, we should count
our blessings and strive to be the best we can be. It takes a
lifetime to accomplish this.
F.Y.I.
Envy is pained at seeing another have what
jealousy fears losing.
Dreams were taken seriously in ancient times and were treated with respect. God frequently used dreams to foretell future events or to warn people of impending disasters.
Those who could interpret dreams rose quickly to positions of power within the empire.
So, according to the story, a few days later, Joseph's father asked him to check on his brothers. They were quite far away in the fields. So Joseph went in search of them. When the brothers saw Joseph in the distance, they recognized him by his bright garment and exclaimed, "Look, that dreamer is coming!" They started talking about how they could get rid of him.
Come, let us kill him, bury his body in a pit, and tell our father that some wild beast ate him; then we'll see what happens to his dreams." When Joseph's oldest brother, Reuben, heard this, he felt more sympathetic toward Joseph.
"Let's not kill him; just throw him in a well out here in the field," he said.
He said this because he was planning to return and rescue Joseph after the other brothers had gone.
When Joseph showed up, they stripped him of his beautiful robe and threw him into an empty well. The brothers must have taken a peculiar pleasure in ripping Joseph's robe off, and it must have been especially painful for Joseph to have it torn off him.
These brothers' heartlessness is evident; they could eat a meal with Joseph nearby in the pit.
They could eat and drink while their hearts were bent on murdering their brother. A little while later, a group of traders came by who were looking to sell some items in Egypt.
"Why don't we sell him to these people, that way we never have to see him again, and we don't have to kill him," one of the brothers suggested.
Because the other brothers liked the idea, they sold Joseph to traders on their way to Egypt.
They tested Joseph's dreams to the limit.
If the dreams were truly from God, they would not be defeated by the brothers' hatred.
Unfortunately, Reuben had been working and had missed what had occurred. When he returned to the well, he discovered that Joseph had vanished. He'd been sold to an important man named Potiphar, an assistant to Egypt's Pharaoh.
Reuben, as the eldest, could have simply told his brothers, "This is wrong!" We can't do this !
Reuben wanted to do the right thing for Joseph, but did not want to alienate his brothers. His desire to be nice to everyone fell short of preventing a major evil.
The other brothers took Joseph's beautiful robe, dipped it in animal blood, and returned it to their father. "Some animal has killed my son," the father exclaimed when he saw this. And he cried for days, so hard that no one could console him. All the brothers kept silent about the truth.
People who are closest to us can sometimes misinterpret our intentions and try to bring us down. If Joseph's brothers had been more discerning rather than jealous, they would have realized they possessed the same talent as Joseph.
Jealousy can blind us all.
After that, Joseph was led to Potiphar's house. Joseph began as a slave, but God was with him and helped him do everything right.
So Potiphar made him his assistant and placed him in charge of everything he owned. Later, Joseph became entangled in a mansion pitfall with Potiphar's wife. Potiphar's wife was the modern-day "Cougar." Mrs. Potiphar attempted to seduce Joseph, but he rejected her advances. Potiphar's wife ripped the outer garment from Joseph's shoulders as she turned to flee her room.
Potiphar's wife lied about Joseph to her husband,
so Potiphar jailed Joseph.
Occasionally, as we as we progress to the next rung
of the ladder we may encounter weak steps
that will attempt to cause us to fail and fall.
Joseph was clearly pressed in a position to do both.
We aren't powerless... unless we consider giving up on the challenge.
After Joseph had been imprisoned for some time, Pharaoh sent a cup-bearer and baker there. Each of them had a dream one night. They told Joseph about their dreams, and he told the cup bearer that he would be released soon. "Could you please inform Pharaoh about me and request that he get me out of here?"
When the cup bearer was set free, he forgot what Joseph had done.
As a result, Joseph was imprisoned for another two years. God was still with Joseph.
One day the Pharaoh had a dream, and nobody could explain it to him. When the cup bearer remembered what Joseph had done for him, he brought Joseph to Pharaoh.
"Can you understand dreams?" Pharaoh asked.
"I can't, but God helps me." Joseph responded.
After Pharaoh told Joseph his dream... Joseph explained, "God is warning you. There will be seven years when nothing grows and no one will have food." "What should I do?" Pharaoh inquired. "God has shown you what to do. There will be seven very good years preceding the bad years.
So good that there will be extra food for everyone. So you should save a little bit of each years harvest, that way you will have enough to get you through the bad years,"Joseph said. Pharaoh believed all that Joseph told him,and made him governor of all the land of Egypt.
The warden assigned Joseph to oversee all of the prisoners.
Joseph was never particularly worried because God was with him and helped him in doing everything properly.
Joseph organized the land and established a grain collection system.
The seven years of plenty were quickly followed by the years of need.
People everywhere were hungry, and there was no food for them to eat; but in Egypt, everyone had enough.
Most of the people quickly consumed the grain they had saved; many had saved none at all, and they all pleaded with the king to help them.
"Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you to do," said King Pharaoh.
They approached him and bowed, their faces to the ground. Then, no doubt, Joseph remembered the dream he had as a child, of his brothers' sheaves bending down around his sheaf. He addressed them as if he did not understand their language.
After a few meetings with his brothers he could
not keep it in any longer and Joseph said to
his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?"
His brothers, however, were unable to respond because they were terrified. Then Joseph added, "Come here. I'm your brother who you sold! Do not be concerned or angry at yourselves for selling me, because God has placed me here to save people from starvation." " So his father, brothers, and their families came to live in Egypt with Joseph, and they all had enough food.
There was an significant change in Joseph's life.
Joseph arrived as a slave, but his unique, God-given ability to interpret dreams elevated him to the position of governor.
He went from rags to riches in a single day!
Joseph's God-given ability to interpret dreams enabled him to Enlighten Pharaoh, and God Enlivened Joseph's situation.
Paraphrased by Carole C. Good - Based on Genesis 37
Envy shoots at others while injuring itself.
Rather than envying another's good fortune; why not
emulate the hard work, guts and perseverance that
We often forget that happiness comes from recognizing
and appreciating what we already have, rather than
acquiring something we do not have.
What does God desire?
God desires to see Himself in us!
Every decision we make either moves us closer to or further away from the likeness of our Creator.
Those who have nothing but God have everything that is important.
May we always remember and never forget that true happiness is found in a personal relationship with God, not in things.
carolecgood@aol.com
www.carolecgood.com
