In a culture that constantly whispers “more,” the ancient words of Proverbs cut straight to the heart. Pastor Léveillé reminds us that greed is not primarily a money problem; it is an appetite problem. It hides behind respectable names such as ambition, responsibility, and wisdom, yet it remains one of the quietest and most dangerous sins a believer can entertain.
An Endless Hunger
Proverbs 27:20 compares the insatiable nature of hell and destruction to the eyes of man. Just as the grave never returns its captives and destruction never says it has ruined enough lives, greedy eyes never declare, “This is sufficient.” The hunger is not tied to the size of a bank account; a person can own little and still be consumed by craving, while another can possess much and remain content. Greed rewrites the definition of “enough” with every new achievement. Pay off the house, and suddenly a cottage becomes the next necessity. Acquire the cottage, and a winter home appears on the horizon. Like the newest iPhone model, there is always another version coming. John D. Rockefeller, once the wealthiest man alive, was asked how much money was enough. His honest answer? “Just a little bit more.” The problem begins with restless eyes that are always scanning for something they do not yet possess.
Stirs Up Trouble
Proverbs 28:25 warns that a proud heart, literally a “wide throat” in Hebrew, stirs up strife. Greed turns colleagues into competitors, family members into rivals, and even church members into stepping stones. Funerals have erupted into arguments over hearing aids because hearts were wider than they appeared. Workplaces become battlegrounds when one person fears another will receive the promotion. Homes grow tense when ambition quietly erodes time with spouse and children. In contrast, the one who trusts the Lord is promised to “be made fat,” richly satisfied without grasping. Abraham trusted God and generously offered Lot the first choice of land. Lot, driven by appetite, chose the lush plain near Sodom and paid a terrible price. Trust multiplies peace; greed multiplies tension.
Leads To Poverty of Soul
Scripture presents a divine paradox in Proverbs 11:24-25 (KJV): “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth only to poverty. The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
Generosity mysteriously increases while hoarding leads to lack, emotionally, relationally, and often spiritually. Proverbs 15:27 adds, “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house.” A successful young man who once happily tithed four dollars out of forty dollars a week later found ten percent of hundreds of thousands unbearable. Greed promised security but delivered scarcity. Like the rich fool who built bigger barns only to hear God call him a fool that very night, greed plans for time and forgets eternity. It leaves hearts empty even when storehouses are full.
Contentment is the Only Cure
The prayer of Agur in Proverbs 30:8-9 (KJV) captures the heart of contentment: “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”
Contentment is not finally about getting what we want; it is about wanting what God gives. The Good Shepherd knows exactly how much His sheep can bear without turning from worship. When Naaman offered lavish gifts, Elisha refused because grace cannot be purchased. Gehazi, however, saw only opportunity and ended up clothed in the leprosy he coveted to avoid. True satisfaction is found when we declare with Paul that we have learned in whatever state we are to be content, and when we believe, deep in our bones, that if God gave us His Son, He will certainly give us everything else we truly need.
Conclusion
Greed wears a necktie and smiles politely, but its appetite is bottomless. Only Christ fills the soul. Only Christ turns grasping hands into giving hands and restless eyes into satisfied ones. May the Holy Spirit search us tonight, reveal any hidden greed masquerading as wisdom, and teach us to rest in the gracious provision of our Shepherd who always gives enough.
