Greed Is Good?

With the cuts to Medicaid and Food Stamps, those in favor of the cuts say they are TIRED of PAYING for LAZY people to have a free ride on their tax dollars. Voices on the other side who are against the cuts say it is a lifeline for those who are struggling financially. Two sides to every story, right? Who is right? The intentions of the cuts are to STOP the waste, fraud, and abuse of the system, or is it? Is there a way to know? The other side of stopping the waste, fraud, and abuse is good old GREED. Can this be a possibility?

Who could forget the catchphrase “Greed is good” from the 1987 movie Wall Street. In the movie, Gordon Gekko says, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good”. The phrase has become a symbol of unrestrained greed in popular culture. In the movie two handsome men, Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas, do whatever it takes to make money in the illegal and lucrative world of the stock market. The image of power and obtaining money, even if it outside of the law looks glamorous sparking a culture of people wanting to do the same in their lives. Entertainment became a goal.

The definition of greed is simple. It is the intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food. Can you identify with the definition. In today's culture the young people often say they are "getting their bag,' or "getting those coins." They have their mind on the money and money on their minds.

The 1980s saw a significant rise in this mentality, especially within the financial sector, leading to the "decade of greed" label. While the phrase "greed is good" is modern, some argue that the idea of using self-interest to drive economic progress can be traced back to earlier philosophers like Bernard Mandeville. 

Bernard Mandeville, born November 15, 1670 - January 21, 1733, was an Anglo-Dutch philosopher, political economist, satirist, writer and physician. Essentially, Mandeville called for politicians to ensure that the passions of man would result in a public benefit. It was his stated belief in the Fable of the Bees that "Private Vices by the dexterous Management of a skillful Politician may be turned into Publick Benefits". The Fable of the Bees, as a satire, the poem and commentary point out the hypocrisy of men who promulgate ideas about virtue while their private acts are vices.

In the poem, Mandeville describes a bee community thriving until the bees are suddenly made honest and virtuous. Without their desire for personal gain their economy collapses, and the remaining bees go to live simple lives in a hollow tree, thus implying that without private vices there exists no public benefit.

Mandeville presented a real-life situation in nature where to survive you must at all costs put yourself and self-gain first or you will suffer demise. This is contrary to what Christians are taught in the Bible. In Christianity, selfish desires are considered a sin. The saying there is two sides to everything holds true for every situation it seems. The deciding factor is CHOICE and CHARACTER. What will a person choose when presented two options and why.

The Bible has many verses that warn against greed, including the dangers of being obsessed with money and power.

       Ecclesiastes 5:10 "Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never                   satisfied with their income." 

       1 Timothy 6:10" For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." 

       Proverbs 28:25 "The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper." 

       Mark 8:36 "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" 

• Luke 12:15 "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."
• Philippians 2:3-4 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." 

The Bible teaches greed is a selfish desire to have more of something, often money or power. Greed is a gateway to every kind of evil. Generosity is a sign of a lack of greed, while stinginess and withholding are a sign of its presence. The Bible encourages contentment with what one has.

In fact, greed is one of the seven deadly sins. According to the standard list, the seven deadly sins in Roman Catholic Church are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, all excessives. Some economists and evolutionary theorists, however, suggest that greed is a good thing for stimulating the economy, and greed may give people an evolutionary advantage (more resources = better chances of survival).

Research has also connected greed with lower emotional stability and self-esteem, with less trust in others. As mentioned, greedier people have reported shorter romantic relationships and smaller families, and having good social relationships is crucial to wellbeing – even more so than having a good income.

Far too often, greed comes with stress, exhaustion, anxiety, depression and despair. In addition, it can lead to maladaptive behavior patterns such as gambling, hoarding, trickery, and even theft. In the corporate world, as John Grant wrote, “fraud is the daughter of greed". Research also shows that both greed and self-interest are related to more materialism, more psychological entitlement, more psychopathy, less perspective taking, and less emphatic concern, which also makes sense theoretically because both greedy and self-interested people focus on the fulfillment of their own needs.

How does it feel to be greedy?

Constant Desire for More: If you find yourself always wanting more--whether it's money, possessions, or attention--this could be a sign of greed.
Difficulty Sharing: If you struggle to share resources, time, or attention with others, it might indicate a greedy mindset.
Feeling Unfulfilled.
Prioritizing Self-Interest.
Having dreams or goals of being financially stable or even having an abundance of wealth is different from greed. Greed is intense and at ALL costs. Yes, setting goals can be good because it can help you be more focused, motivated, and successful. Goals can help you visualize your future, plan actions, and track your progress. We are limitless in the goals we may have and achieve but when they come at the expense of others is when the goals become sinful and evil in nature, and not Christian.

The Bible teaches we are to care about the welfare of others. In the Bible, "brother's keeper" is a command and a blessing. It appears in the Bible when Cain asks God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" after Cain kills his brother Abel in the book of Genesis. "Brother's keeper" is an expression that means to be responsible for helping and caring for others, even if they are not blood relatives. It can also mean to be compassionate and empathetic towards others. 

If a person works hard and achieves monetary success, they are not a greedy person. Money in itself does not make a person greedy. It is the unsatiable need for more and more even if it hurts others that defines greed. Right now, people are not able to wrap their heads around all of the cuts that are impacting them negatively. The answer as to WHY the Trump administration (Elon Musk) is slashing jobs and federal programs, to them, indiscriminately, is not satisfying. Many are holding their suspicion of GREED as the underlying answer hoping the cuts WILL benefit America and Americans. Time will definitely tell.  Fingers are crossed the administration IS its brother's keeper.

Heart Health: Heart Condition

 LONGER POST THAN USUAL WARNING

There are many Bible passages that have been misquoted over and over again and one Bible misquote I have heard often is: "The love of money is evil." We may say we see the damage the love of money has manifested in the lives of celebrities and everyday people we come into contact within our own lives. But I still would like to clear up the misquote and set the record straight. "The love of money is the ROOT of ALL evil" 1 Timothy 6:10. Got your seatbelt on? Good. Let's go for a ride.

With the addition of the word 'root' and 'all' our perception of money should change and we should guard ourselves from the pitfalls that the love of money brings. Anyone who tries to convince you that poverty is fun would probably benefit from some sort of professional counseling. But, when we allow our financial state to determine our amount of joy in life as a whole, then we must look at what defines our happiness.

While thinking about money and the way we depend upon it and use it, I wondered was there a difference in the way women used money and the way men used money. And the answer is a resounding YES! I found there are 5 top ways each sex use their money (after taking care of the basic necessities that are common to both sexes such as rent and food) and found the differences a little eye opening.

MEN: Men don’t spend, they invest (car, home). Men don’t want something, they need it. Theirs is a future-money orientation. Men are trained to fix and provide, so they view money as a means to capture and accumulate things to add more value. Men want to be looked up to, status.

Men will spend their money on investments (car, home), entertainment, women/online dating/love, hobbies and sports, and betting and gambling.

WOMEN: Women are trained to nurture and seek acceptance and so they view money as a means to create a lifestyle. Women spend on things that enhance day-to-day living. Theirs is a now-money orientation. Women are the collectors of stuff and are taught that what they need to get through life is approval. They have to look good, act good, and be good.

An average woman will spend 8.5 years of her life shopping. So you guessed it, shopping tops the list of how and where women spend their money. Next we have beauty, health and fitness, love/online dating, and furnishings.

There you have it. Each of the sexes have distinct spending habits to which the marketing masses can target each of the sexes in specific ways. Our purchases are the fruit that are springing forth from the root of our desires or needs. Remember the LOVE of money is the ROOT evidenced and so I ask does our purchases serve as an indicator of our EVIL? For the man would evil be the deep need to have the best and newest car? For the woman would evil be the purchase of unending beauty enhancement materials?

With more and more money men become more and more powerful actually buying people's opinion and loyalty. The rich man often obtains the perfect trophy wife and later trade her in when she no longer fits the bill for a younger attractive wife. Men even become workaholics to the neglect of wife and children. Notice gambling creeps into the bottom of the list on which men spend money. Gambling is a force of destruction.

With more money women spend countless thousands for the perfect nose, smile, breast, butt, tummy and the list goes on and on what a woman is willing to do to her body surgically to maintain youthful beauty. When a woman will inject a poison into her face in an effort not to have wrinkles; then you know just how important beauty is to her. Not only is she interested in being beautiful, she is interested in being surrounded in/by beauty. 

I know what you may be thinking. If this blog is dedicated to lifting up women, it sure does talk negatively about women and their quest for beauty. I'm not anti-beauty or anti-sexiness. I am anti that's all a woman has to offer. There was a preacher who once said people are mean to beautiful people and beautiful people can't help God blessed them with beauty. We all have been blessed with different things by the Creator and beauty can be one of those things. There are many beautiful women who have beauty and brains, so I am not bashing beautiful women enhanced or not. I do have a problem with a woman with children living paycheck to paycheck investing her money in extensions, wigs, and nails (I know I should stay in my own lane. Not my business). I have a problem with men pouring all of their money into a car and he doesn't have a home of his own or pay child support because of his love for his car.

Well, I have not escaped those statistics with my years of shopping and spending money on material things to enhance my beauty (self and home). I have an overwhelming love of shoes and I have contributed to the millions the make-up industry pulls in yearly. We often want to be equal to men in all things. Do we want the men's top 5 they invest their money on to be our top 5? Do we want to trade an obsession for beauty for an obsession for status?

As a group we, women, are saying a lot without using words with how we look and present ourselves to the world. Our spending habits speak for us and I do not know if we are purposefully driving what our voice through money is saying. As I said, businesses and services follow our spending trends and cater to those statistical needs. Our spending power influences society. Our use of money actually speaks volumes about our heart. 

I can't begin to count how many times in the last twelve months there has been a call on social media to boycott a business for one reason or another. People are very aware money has the power to change how a business operates or support a cause or political candidate. The usage of money can be for good or evil.

I would ask everyone who is reading this post to reflect on what/how you spend your money on after you pay your rent and electric bill. Is buying grocery your next biggest expense? Some people skimp on groceries, so they have extra money for something else. Is your biggest expense after rent/electricity entertainment? Some people are highly social and must have outings to be around friends, family, or just other adults to relax and have some fun. Do you spend a large amount on shopping for clothes/shoes/beauty products? Men's shoes are costly and there is always a new brand on the market. Wigs of quality cost money as well as paying someone to do a woman's ever changing hairstyles. Where your money is so is what is driving your heart, morals, character. Let me explain.

When we confess our love, we say I love you with my all my heart, mind, body, and soul yet when love goes wrong it is our heart we say is broken not our mind, body, or soul. So where does this unwanted LOVE for money with it's ROOT of EVIL reside in us? Because we dream and plan to have money we can assume the love of money resides in our mind. We may go as far to say the love of money resides in our body because it can be used to keep us healthy and functioning if we have money. Maybe the love of money is in the soul because our spirit or soul is free from worry if we have money.

My answer to the question as to where the love of money resides is in our heart where love can bloom and be crushed. How then does or can the love of money become evil? "As a man thinks in his heart so is he" Proverbs 23:7. 

YOUR HEART'S DESIRES MAKE YOU WHO YOU ARE. The above passage says it's not your brains rational thoughts guiding you in directions and deeds but your heart's WANTS. You think about desires and wants. Your brain signals the body everyday of it's NEEDS without you having to think about it. The brain says I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, I'm cold, I'm in danger, I'm sick, etc. But the heart has deep deep desires/wants. We act on both wants and needs. But it is in wants where evil shows up. And if you want to evaluate your character, pay attention to what you spend a good bit of your money on and why.

There are many bitter people roaming around because of money. A person with a forty hour a week job is angry at the grocery the below poverty level government welfare person has in their buggy with no access to healthcare (It's their tax money being used). The person whose ancestors came to America for a better life is upset people are coming to America for a better way of life (taking jobs and money from other American minorities). People have cable, three televisions, cellphone, and expensive shoes on and will rob you for what you have (best and newest). It's all about wanting more and the root is the love of money causing evil actions and attitudes.

The love of money has a root and it takes up residence in your heart and grows. The Bible says it is an EVIL growth. Now in modern religion churches teach PROSPERITY GOSPEL. Prosperity Gospel tells you that you can have material things and blessing and God don't want you to be poor. If you claim it you can manifest it. You can hear sermon after sermon saying your monetary breakthrough is coming if you keep your faith and even tithe regularly. Prosperity gospel tells people they can have their heart's desires/wants and as a child of God they are meant to prosper. God wouldn't bless the rest of the world with monetary blessing and not bless his children the same way. BAD TEACHING. Is it then a sin to pray for wealth? No. The money itself is not evil it is the person's heart that can sin with wealth and desires for wealth or it's appearance.

Jesus taught in the New Testament of the Bible that silver and gold corrodes, it is the condition of the heart, not material things that matter. But you may say the Bible says God gives you the desires of your heart. Yes. It does say that in the Old Testament but there is always a condition when the Lord says I will give or do for you. Read this:

Psalm 37:1-8 "Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong, for like the grass will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he WILL DO THIS: 

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads to evil."

The Hebrew definition of the word delight (in Hebrew an-nag meaning to be delicate or feminine) carrying the meaning to be pliable or sensitive, or in this context to be dependent on God and to derive one's pleasure from Him. We are clearly told what the desires (In Hebrew it's mishalot to ask or request something) of our hearts should be and it is not money. The promise of giving you the desires of your heart is SANDWHICHED in between DON'T FRET about people around you who are doing evil and are successful. God said he will give us justice and let others see how we live righteously (the quality of being morally right or justifiable). In essence the Lord is saying the good guy is not going to finish last which it seems the Psalmist's heart was troubled by and he was told not to fret twice by God.  

So where your heart is shows up as where your money is and your relationship with money. People are dating now asking the infamous question, "What are you bringing to the table?" People want to be a power couple with money and influence. Online love scams are rampant as well as other scams. As soon as there is a natural disaster my phone blows up with spam calls asking for money for the cause from scammers. Love and commitment are taking a backseat to a business deal type of marriage where money is the main drawing factor. 

I decided to do this post due to the economic stress America is in at the moment. Inflation has many choosing to buy groceries, or gas, or pay the rent each month. People are going to bed hungry. Violence due to poverty is rising. 

I raised my children to live by what the Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Philippians in the New Testament Bible:

"Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received, or heard from me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" Philippians 4:6-12