Step 16: Avarice

“Avarice is the worship of idols and the offspring of unbelief.”

--St. John Climacus

“Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never forsake you or abandon you’.”

--Hebrews 13:5

Some Christians are under the mistaken impression that having wealth is sinful, or if not sinful, at least not very saintly.  Jesus does warn us about the temptations of wealth (“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”), but the mere fact of having money is not a problem by itself.  Why and how we earn our money and what we do with it is what should concern us with regard to the state of our souls.

One’s attitude toward money tells a lot about what he really believes and where his faith really lies.  Do we trust God for the hard times or do we trust our savings account?  Am I using the material goods that God has given me for God's purposes, caring for the poor, advancing the gospel, or for my own?  We need to act responsibly with our finances, but we need to keep them in perspective.

Prayer:

 O God, we are the recipients of your abundance and mercy every day.  You give us everything we need.  Help us to trust your providence so that we may live confidently and share generously the goods which you have placed in our hands, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

St. John Climacus, pray for us.