What is Christian Greed?
When was the last time you confessed greed?
Most of us have admitted anger, lust, jealousy, or pride. But greed? Almost never. That’s exactly why it’s so dangerous. Christian greed hides in plain sight. It convinces us it’s not our problem, even while it quietly grips our hearts.
So what is it, really? Christian greed is when believers put their trust in money instead of God.
The Bible defines it bluntly. Paul writes in Colossians 3:5:
“Therefore, put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
Greed is not just wanting more. It is idolatry. It is looking to money for what only God can give; peace, security, identity, or control.
Why Christian Greed is So Dangerous
Christian greed isn’t always obvious. It doesn’t look like piles of cash or luxury cars. It looks like:
- Anxiety when your account is low.
- Pride when your account is high.
- Avoiding generosity because you’re afraid.
- Believing money decides what’s possible instead of God.
Tim Keller once said, “Greed hides itself from its victim.” That’s why Christian greed is so subtle. You may not think it has a grip on you, but it shows up in your emotions, your spending habits, and your willingnes, or unwillingness, to trust Jesus with your future.
How Christian Greed Sneaks Into Everyday Life
Here’s the thing about Christian greed: it doesn’t usually show up with a neon sign. It sneaks in quietly. It hides behind things that look wise, even spiritual.
Take my dryer story.
Right before the first day of school, on Memorial Day, my dryer broke. I spent over two hours completely disassembling it, checking every wire with a multimeter, hunting for the problem. Nothing. Frustrated and exhausted, I realized I would probably need a new dryer. Miserable, honestly. And money has been tight this year. Multiple surgeries. Unexpected expenses. This has easily been the most expensive year our family has ever had.
Now don’t feel bad for me. That’s what an emergency fund is for. But here’s what surprised me. I realized I’ve been trusting that fund more than I’ve been trusting my Father. As the money went away and I got closer to the end of the bank account, I got more and more anxious. I realized I hadn’t talked to God about my finances in a long time. And the more I relied on my bank account to dictate my emotional wellbeing, the more miserable I became.
That’s Christian greed. Not the flashy kind. The quiet kind that slowly shifts your trust away from God and onto your own resources.
A Biblical Example of Christian Greed: The Rich Young Ruler
One of the clearest pictures of Christian greed comes from a wealthy man who met Jesus face-to-face.
Mark 10:17 says, “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’”
Do you catch the desperation? This man was rich, respected, and successful. He had every reason to look confident and composed. But when he saw Jesus, he ran and knelt. He wanted answers. He wanted eternal life.
Jesus reminded him of the commandments; do not murder, do not steal, honor your parents. And the man said, “Teacher, I’ve kept all these since I was a boy.”
Then comes the moment only Mark’s Gospel records.
“Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’” (Mark 10:21)
Jesus looked at him and loved him. That detail matters. Before the challenge, there was compassion. Before the call, there was love. Jesus wasn’t trying to take something away. He was inviting the man into freedom.
But the story ends with heartbreak.
“At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Mark 10:22)
This is the hidden grip of Christian greed. The man ran to Jesus, knelt before Him, asked for eternal life, and still walked away miserable because he trusted his money more than his Savior.
Greed Grips, Scarcity Strangles, Margin Brings Peace
Greed isn’t always loud. Sometimes it whispers. Sometimes it shows up not in piles of wealth, but in quiet anxiety that never seems to leave.
Jesus warned us in
Luke 12:15: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
That warning is for every one of us. Whether you have a little or a lot, Christian greed can creep in and take hold of your heart.
Greed Grips
Greed promises more but never delivers. It grips your soul with the lie that satisfaction is just a little bit more away. John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest men in history, was once asked, “How much money is enough?” His answer? “Just a little bit more.”
That is the problem with Christian greed. You don’t have to be rich for it to control you. You can be a faithful churchgoer and still fall for the same lie: “If I just earn a little more, save a little more, buy a little more, then I’ll finally feel secure.” Christian greed grips us when we start believing more money will finally make us safe, comfortable, or important, and we stop looking to Christ for those things.
Scarcity Strangles
For others, it’s not greed that shouts. It’s scarcity that strangles. Scarcity says, “There will never be enough.” Even when bills are paid, groceries are in the fridge, and a paycheck is coming, scarcity thinking keeps you restless.
This too is a form of Christian greed. Because when we obsess over what we lack, we’re still letting money control our peace. Research shows that living with financial scarcity actually consumes mental bandwidth. When you’re always worried about not having enough, even small decisions feel overwhelming.
That’s why Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear… your Father knows that you need them.” (Luke 12:22, 30)
Scarcity strangles joy. It keeps you from enjoying what God has already given, and it keeps you from trusting Him for what is next. If you’re weary of striving and still feeling empty, this post on living in God’s freedom will encourage you.
Margin Brings Peace
But there’s a better way. The antidote to Christian greed and the chokehold of scarcity is margin.
Margin is the intentional space you create by living below your means. It’s not just financial wisdom, it is spiritual warfare. When you build margin, you are declaring, “My trust is in God, not in stuff.”
Think about your phone battery. When it’s at 1 percent, you panic. You close apps, stop scrolling, and scramble for a charger. But when your phone is at 80 percent, you relax. You are free. That’s what margin does for your soul.
Margin frees you from the grip of Christian greed. It allows you to say yes when God prompts you to give. It creates room for generosity. It replaces stress with peace. It declares that your life doesn’t belong to money, it belongs to Jesus.
Keller’s Warning
Pastor Tim Keller once observed, “Greed hides itself from its victim.” That is the hidden danger. You may never think of yourself as greedy. You may not notice the grip, or feel the stranglehold, until it is already shaping your choices and stealing your joy. You become a victim of your own greed. That is why we must be on guard. Christian greed is not just about wealth. It is about trust.
If Jesus Has Your Eyes, Money Can’t Have Your Heart
We saw it in the story of the rich young ruler. He ran to Jesus, he knelt before Him, and he asked all the right questions. But when Jesus invited him to let go of his wealth and follow, his eyes dropped. He walked away sad, because his money had his heart.
That is the danger of Christian greed. It makes us look away.
Jesus did not want that man’s possessions. He wanted his attention. He wanted his trust. He wanted his love.
The same is true for us. If Jesus has your eyes, money cannot have your heart. But if your eyes are fixed on money, whether it is fear of not having enough or pride in having plenty, your heart will always be divided.
Christian greed whispers, “Look here. Look at the bills. Look at the savings. Look at what you don’t have. Look at what you want.” But Jesus invites us to lift our eyes to Him.
Because when Jesus has your eyes, He can also have your heart. And when He has your heart, money finally loses its power to define you, direct you, or destroy your peace.
Lifting Your Eyes to Jesus in Everyday Finances
So what does it actually look like to give Jesus your eyes? How do you shift your gaze away from money and fix it on Him?
It starts small. It starts real.
Bills and Budgets
When the rent is due, the groceries are more expensive than last month, and the car needs another repair, Christian greed wants you to panic. It wants your bills to define your peace.
But what if every time you opened your budget app or looked at your bank account, you prayed first? What if you said, “Jesus, You see this. You know my needs. Teach me to trust You more than these numbers.”
And if you need help making sense of the numbers, there are tools available. Crown Financial offers free resources to build a budget, count the cost of loans, and even plan investments with wisdom. You can explore them here: Crown Financial Tools.
Starve Your Stuff
Christian greed feeds on constant consumption. We convince ourselves that one more purchase, one more upgrade, one more delivery box will finally make life better. But it never satisfies.
That is why one of the most practical ways to fight Christian greed is to starve it. Starve your stuff.
- Skip one purchase you had planned this week.
- Delay one upgrade you do not really need.
- Cancel one subscription that is draining your margin.
These small acts are not about punishment. They are about freedom. Every time you say no to unnecessary stuff, you are saying yes to peace. You are reminding your heart that Jesus, not money, defines your worth and your joy.
Savings and Security
An emergency fund is wise. Retirement planning is wise. But Christian greed sneaks in when we start to believe our security is in savings instead of in our Savior.
Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
In modern terms, that might sound like: some trust in 401(k)s and some in bank accounts. But we trust in the Lord.
Generosity and Giving
Christian greed often shows itself when we hesitate to give. We think, “What if I don’t have enough?” or “What if something happens later?” But when you lift your eyes to Jesus, giving becomes freedom, not fear.
Paul writes in
2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
That is not guilt. That is an invitation to joy.
Everyday Choices
It might mean cooking at home instead of eating out every night. Keeping the old car a little longer. Choosing not to chase the next trend. These are not just financial choices. They are spiritual ones. Every small step that creates margin is a declaration: Jesus has my eyes, not money.
A New Heart to Defeat Christian Greed
Israel once faced a problem that went deeper than money. Their city was destroyed, their temple gone, and their hearts hard as stone. Into that despair, God spoke a promise through Ezekiel:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)
That is what God does for us in Christ. He does not just demand better behavior. He transforms us from the inside out. He gives us a new heart that can finally beat with trust instead of fear.
Why This Matters for Money
Christian greed is not only about money management. It is about misplaced trust. When our hearts grow hard, fear and shame take over. We look to money for peace. We avoid generosity because of anxiety. We feel guilt every time the subject of giving comes up in church.
But in Christ, that old heart does not get the final say. God replaces it with a new heart and fills us with His Spirit. That means greed no longer has to be our master.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 9:7:
“Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Notice the freedom.
Not reluctantly. Not under compulsion. From your new heart.
Freedom, Not Fear
For many believers, giving has been tied to guilt. We feel like we are never doing enough. But Paul reminds us that generosity flows from love, not shame. It is not about pressure. It is about freedom.
This is the cure for Christian greed. Jesus frees us from its grip by giving us a new heart that can finally trust Him more than our bank accounts.
Starve, Decide, and Live
So what do we do with this new heart?
- Starve your stuff. Keep practicing small acts of resistance against greed. Skip, delay, or cancel something this week to create space for peace.
- Decide in your heart. Paul does not say “give a certain percentage.” He says decide. Pray. Think. Listen to the Spirit. Then give from your new heart, cheerfully.
- Live with margin. Build room to breathe. Let margin be your declaration that your life is anchored in God, not in possessions.
The Invitation
Christian greed promises peace but only delivers misery. Jesus promises freedom and delivers life.
When you fix your eyes on Him, money loses its power to define you, control you, or steal your joy. That is the kind of life God is inviting you into.
So the challenge is simple: ask Him to search your heart. Invite Him into your budget, your savings, your giving. And then take one step this week that declares, “Jesus has my eyes. Money cannot have my heart.”
Conclusion: Breaking Free From the Hidden Grip of Christian Greed
Christian greed is not about how much you have in your bank account. It is about who has your trust.
We have seen how greed grips, scarcity strangles, and how margin creates peace. We have looked at the rich young ruler, who came running to Jesus but walked away sad because his money had his heart. We have heard the promise of Ezekiel, that God gives us a new heart and a new spirit. And we have heard Paul’s reminder that generosity is not about compulsion, but about freedom.
So let’s bring it home.
- Christian greed grips when we start believing more money will finally make us secure.
- Christian greed strangles when we let fear of not having enough control our peace.
- Christian greed loses its power when we fix our eyes on Jesus and live with margin.
The question is not whether money will compete for your heart. The question is where you will fix your eyes.
If Jesus has your eyes, money cannot have your heart.
So this week, take one step. Use a Crown Financial tool to build a budget. Starve your stuff by skipping or delaying a purchase. Pray over your bills before you pay them. Decide in your heart what to give, and give it cheerfully.
Do not let Christian greed write your story. Let Jesus rewrite it. Let Him be your provider, your security, and your peace.
Because when Jesus has your eyes, He has your heart. And when He has your heart, you are finally free.
Leave a Reply