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Freeing ourselves from the culture of greed
Church in the Community - Media Release in the Herald: 1st August 2022
Source: TCN / Dave Pedersen
Date Added: 2022-08-08
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Moral Regeneration, Issues - Politics,
Date Added: 2022-08-08
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Moral Regeneration, Issues - Politics,
Recently, I came across an accident scene where the occupants were still trapped in the overturned vehicle.
As I, together with another person, sought to help them, other passers-by reached into the vehicle to help themselves to whatever they could salvage and steal.
The recent tragic event at the Enyobeni Tavern where 21 young people died has carried a similar story of theft from the sick, dead and dying.
What madness is this?
Our culture has become one of:
It's my turn to feed now!
More is better!
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
All around our nation the politics of materialism reign supreme.
This is evident from the corruption around the provision of PPE in the Covid pandemic; KZN riots and looting; Eskom workers, truck drivers, and SMMEs who want rewards without performing; xenophobic prejudice; and politicians and municipal workers focusing on what they can get rather than on the service they can render.
This is all in contrast to the teaching of Jesus who warned that “no man can serve two masters- you cannot serve God and mammon. Either you will love the one and despise the other....”
If only we knew the goodness of God.
A fresh expectancy of favour (not fear) would characterise our lives.
Mammon is the love of riches, of materialism.
As long as we prioritize mammon, we reject God.
Everywhere we look we see the unbridled ravaging caused by rampant greed.
It's a great shame that the tardiness of judicial accountability allows the tyranny of greed to continue to terrorize our nation.
Suspects seem to dodge accountability for decades, as per Jacob Zuma.
In the light of this it was particularly encouraging to hear of a recently appointed municipal leader in a certain municipality who has reportedly refused to take a salary.
His reward is not his salary and benefits but the accolades of God and seeing the difference it makes in people’s lives.
But, in most cases, the nation groans under the weight of corrupt and greedy leadership.
Greed has different forms, but it is always an expression of idolatry.
It leads to presumption and false security.
In fact, it decreases healthy spirituality. It impoverishes!
James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem, said this: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
“You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:1-3 NIV
Greed is bound up with selfishness and breeds disharmony in relationships.
Money makes a great servant but a cruel master!
How do we dethrone greed?
We love and trust God.
We can learn contentment. With it comes the appreciation of beauty, of simplicity, of relationship above riches, of people over profits.
We can look to the interest of others. What matters to others matters to us!
We can lean into carefree living.
How will we know if we are free from greed?
We no longer grab for control.
Our lives are characterised by joy.
We find we are able to hear God!
And God speaks to us about generosity.
When a man fell among thieves three life maxims were exposed:
The thieves were saying “what's yours is mine and I am going to take it”. And they did.
The legalistic religious people passing by were saying “what's mine is mine and I am going to keep
it”. And they did.
The helpful foreigner who stopped to help was saying “what's mine is yours and I want to share it”.
And he did. That is true neighbourly love!
Greed is an expression of distrust in the resources of God!
In the story of Jonah, we are told that “those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs”.
We in SA can have this grace if we choose to dethrone greed.
May the Zondo Commission's findings steer us toward better choices and greed-free leaders.
May the model of Jesus free and inspire us toward intolerance of the politics of greed.
Throughout history we have bright moments of encouraging generosity that combatted the terrorism of greed.
We have benefitted from Pope Francis choosing that name as a statement of agreement with what Francis of Assisi reached for in his day.
We have Madiba reaching for forgiveness not vengeance.
We have Gift of the Givers doing a sterling job time and again in situations of crisis.
We have compassion motivated churches and NGOs loving and serving others with practical generosity.
More of this is better!
Dr Dave Pedersen
National Director of Vineyard Churches SA
As I, together with another person, sought to help them, other passers-by reached into the vehicle to help themselves to whatever they could salvage and steal.
The recent tragic event at the Enyobeni Tavern where 21 young people died has carried a similar story of theft from the sick, dead and dying.
What madness is this?
Our culture has become one of:
It's my turn to feed now!
More is better!
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
All around our nation the politics of materialism reign supreme.
This is evident from the corruption around the provision of PPE in the Covid pandemic; KZN riots and looting; Eskom workers, truck drivers, and SMMEs who want rewards without performing; xenophobic prejudice; and politicians and municipal workers focusing on what they can get rather than on the service they can render.
This is all in contrast to the teaching of Jesus who warned that “no man can serve two masters- you cannot serve God and mammon. Either you will love the one and despise the other....”
If only we knew the goodness of God.
A fresh expectancy of favour (not fear) would characterise our lives.
Mammon is the love of riches, of materialism.
As long as we prioritize mammon, we reject God.
Everywhere we look we see the unbridled ravaging caused by rampant greed.
It's a great shame that the tardiness of judicial accountability allows the tyranny of greed to continue to terrorize our nation.
Suspects seem to dodge accountability for decades, as per Jacob Zuma.
In the light of this it was particularly encouraging to hear of a recently appointed municipal leader in a certain municipality who has reportedly refused to take a salary.
His reward is not his salary and benefits but the accolades of God and seeing the difference it makes in people’s lives.
But, in most cases, the nation groans under the weight of corrupt and greedy leadership.
Greed has different forms, but it is always an expression of idolatry.
It leads to presumption and false security.
In fact, it decreases healthy spirituality. It impoverishes!
James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the church in Jerusalem, said this: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
“You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:1-3 NIV
Greed is bound up with selfishness and breeds disharmony in relationships.
Money makes a great servant but a cruel master!
How do we dethrone greed?
We love and trust God.
We can learn contentment. With it comes the appreciation of beauty, of simplicity, of relationship above riches, of people over profits.
We can look to the interest of others. What matters to others matters to us!
We can lean into carefree living.
How will we know if we are free from greed?
We no longer grab for control.
Our lives are characterised by joy.
We find we are able to hear God!
And God speaks to us about generosity.
When a man fell among thieves three life maxims were exposed:
The thieves were saying “what's yours is mine and I am going to take it”. And they did.
The legalistic religious people passing by were saying “what's mine is mine and I am going to keep
it”. And they did.
The helpful foreigner who stopped to help was saying “what's mine is yours and I want to share it”.
And he did. That is true neighbourly love!
Greed is an expression of distrust in the resources of God!
In the story of Jonah, we are told that “those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs”.
We in SA can have this grace if we choose to dethrone greed.
May the Zondo Commission's findings steer us toward better choices and greed-free leaders.
May the model of Jesus free and inspire us toward intolerance of the politics of greed.
Throughout history we have bright moments of encouraging generosity that combatted the terrorism of greed.
We have benefitted from Pope Francis choosing that name as a statement of agreement with what Francis of Assisi reached for in his day.
We have Madiba reaching for forgiveness not vengeance.
We have Gift of the Givers doing a sterling job time and again in situations of crisis.
We have compassion motivated churches and NGOs loving and serving others with practical generosity.
More of this is better!
Dr Dave Pedersen
National Director of Vineyard Churches SA
Source: TCN / Dave Pedersen
Date Added: 2022-08-08
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Moral Regeneration, Issues - Politics,
Back to News IndexDate Added: 2022-08-08
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Moral Regeneration, Issues - Politics,
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