The Father's Menu
Apostle Dr. Richard Udoh
Friday, April 8, 2022
WRONG ATTITUDE TOWARDS MONEY: AVARICE
“So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).”
Col 3:5
Main Text: 1 Tim 6:10
Some sins are easy to identify. Avarice however, is not easy to track down in fact, the word itself is hardly even used today. Avarice refers to an insatiable desire to gain and hoard wealth. It is similar to greed but even goes further, encompassing such things as selfishness, entitlement, materialism, consumerism and hoarding. We step into avarice when we crave wealth, abuse wealth and find identity in wealth.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was actually quite concerned with avarice. In Luke 16, he warns that we’re not capable of serving two masters and challenges us to choose God or money. Essentially, Jesus is naming avarice as the most obvious competitor for our soul. Our relationship with Abba is not the only thing affected by avarice. Remember Zaccheus in Luke 19? He was a chief collector, he was rich, he had power, status and influence. Yet, He extorted his own people. He was a traitor who stepped on others to get ahead. He prioritized wealth above people.
In order to combat avarice, we must remember that we have been given authority over all things. Using that knowledge to pray to fall more in love with Jesus and be more dependent on Him. Also, we must cultivate the habit of giving money away freely – give to the church, the poor and those around you.
Confession
I delight my soul in the Lord, I come against the sneers of the wicked one, I am a giver and I reap a bountiful harvest! In Jesus name! Amen.
Further Reading
Heb 13:5 “Your life should be free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you.”
1 Tim 6:9-10 “Those who want to become rich bring temptation to themselves and are caught in a trap. They want many foolish and harmful things that ruin and destroy people. The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have left the faith, because they wanted to get more money, but they have caused themselves much sorrow.”
Read through the Bible in 1 year: Deuteronomy 32:28-52 Luke 12:35-59 & Psalm 78:56-64 Proverbs 12:24
Read through the Bible in 2 years: Deuteronomy 1 & Psalm 98
