Bondage of Greediness

Bondage of Greediness

In Open Heavens, a daily devotional guide written by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Church of God Nigeria has for 18th February 2012 Captives of the Greed as its heading. The text was from Proverbs 1:10 – 19. Here is excerpt from the study:

“A common problem among those who desire to be rich is greed. According to Proverbs 1:10 – 19, the greedy will stop at nothing in their bid to get rich quick; all they are focused on is their goal and nothing must stop them. A greedy person does not mind shedding innocent blood. All those who are into advanced fee fraud know as 419 in Nigeria, are motivated by greed. Similarly, those who engage in profiteering – who obtain excessive profit are motivated by greed. Greed makes people to over-rule the worth of their products and services. Quite a number of contractors who make supplies to government are guilty of greed. They inflate the prices of their goods and services sometimes charging even more than 1000 percent. A GREEDY PERSON WILL ALSO NOT KEEP TO AGREEMENTS. HE WILL VIOLATE EVERY BUSINESS AGREEMENT IN OTHER TO MAKE MORE MONEY. He does not care if relationships of several years are destroyed… The greedy fellow is blinded from seeing the evils coming upon him. Greed can easily trigger a loss. When you over price your goods, you can turn away those who should have patronized you and introduced you to other people. Greed can rob you of opportunities. Proverbs 1:19 says greed gradually erodes the life of the greedy. According to Proverbs 15:27, it is greed that makes people to take or ask for bribes, the same greed will cause them and their family pain. The Greedy fellow lives in fear. Many times, they become victims of hired assassins as the ones they have cheated attempts to have their pound of flesh. No greedy person can truly live in peace or enjoy their ill gotten wealth as they live in fear. The blood of innocent victims of the greedy haunts them continuously. The greedy is an enemy of God and man. Men will curse such a man (Proverbs 11:26) and the judgment of God is upon such a person (Ezekiel 22:12 – 14). Have you been greedy? Has your greed made you offend others? Repent and restitute your ways. Return what you have acquired unjustly from your victims and make your ways right before God. After this, be content with what God gives you”          

When I was going through this devotional guide, I started recollecting all that I passed through in the hands of the taxi driver that took me to Ajah. Ajah, one of the suburbs of Lagos is in Eti – Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. I have never been to the place until 17th February, 2012. I went to Ajah to see my junior brother who lives there. I boarded the taxi from Ojota and it was after a prolonged bargaining on the price. The first driver told me N6, 000: 00 (Six Thousand Naira). This other driver came in and being an Ibo man and I am from Delta Ibo, decided to reduce the money to N3, 500: 00 (Three Thousand Five Hundred Naira).

On our way, my junior brother called to know where I was then. I gave the phone to the driver and he gave the driver the description of where he will drop me. I did not hear their conversation. When we got to Chevron round about on that road, the driver stopped his vehicle and asked me to come down that it was that round about my brother said he should drop me. In a jiffy, he brought out my bag warning that people don’t stop any how there. I paid him and he zoomed off.

What led this man into this action was greed. He did not keep to agreement just as Adeboye stated in his devotional guide. He violated the agreement we made before living. Why are men never satisfied with what they have? They take money from others through fraudulent means? Men who live like that are under captivity and they need God to deliver them. Are you among these people? Repent today.