He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬

We just bought a new house. There are so many expenses associated with buying a house and moving into it, on top of the actual purchase price. Every day I feel like a river of money is flowing out our door. And we definitely do not have an endless supply!

Tax time is also approaching so I’ve been gathering all the necessary information about the previous year’s expenses and income. One piece of that is the log of our charitable donations.

One interesting detail stood out as I looked at the spreadsheet today. Since our move to the new house, we haven’t made any donations. We were generous in the months prior to the move, but after that, nothing. Bupkis. Crickets.

Being able to buy a new house is a wonderful blessing. We are so fortunate that we could afford it. So shouldn’t my blessing inspire me to be generous in response? But I wasn’t. Why?

Greed has to be the answer.

We had the money to continue tithing, but I chose to purchase shades for our windows instead. My priority to pay the moving company superseded our giving for another month. And another.

With all the money flowing out, I couldn’t bear to send more.

Time was also a factor. I was just too busy to make charitable donations. Right? It’s all a matter of priorities.

In today’s verse, Jesus warns against greed and prioritizing the things of this world over the things that God values.

I need a priority adjustment.

Dear God,

Thank you for blessing us with this wonderful new house to live in. Please forgive me for using it as an excuse to stop being generous enough to share your blessing with others. Please help me to trust you with my finances and my time management. I know you love me and love it when I am generous.