Greed And Spirit

THURS., AUG. 15, 1985, 10:12 AM
FARM, STUDY

Greed, o son, is the desire for more of anything that you need… or more than your rightful share. Greed always involves an over-focus on self, and therefore it is antagonistic to the full functioning of spirit. Listen to some thoughts, this morning, about greed.

This is a tendency that everyone has, to some extent, for it develops out of instincts for survival. When you develop a concept of “good” as a child, which is often contrasted with “bad,” there is a tendency to want the good, even more than you need. As you come to have a concept of the future and foresee needs there you develop the tendency to get more than you need now, in order that comfort in the future might be assured. So, virtually everyone who survives develops these desirable tendencies that lead right on into greed.

It is the spirit that must seek and achieve the best balance, which always stops short of overt greed. So, as in many aspects of earth life, those with strong, well-developed spirits just “naturally” stop before greed overcomes, or they are aware of tendencies to greed and consciously counter these. When spirit is less developed this balancing may not be evident at the proper moment, and greed does prevail. But sooner or later, the greed is recognized, and there is an attempt at compensation… perhaps in some other situation.

You have never suffered actual deprivation, and you know this. Yet you often feel and act as if there were some early experience, and you must prevent its reoccurrence. At this time of year you want to accumulate money so that you will have sufficient for the year ahead. This definitely shades into greed, even though some of your desire for money is to have some to give away each month. You are aware of this… and you know that I know it, too… and you try to counter it, but are only moderately successful. Yes, this is an evidence that your spirit needs more development.

How shall this come about? By continuing to be aware and to appreciate your behaviors, even as they are not ideal. Give when you really don’t want to. Give when it is not “wise” to do so. Remember that if you seem to be completely self-sufficient you have less need of Me. If you started off this Fall with not a penny of “cushion” you would feel more need for Me and My ministrations. This is a form of greed of which I approve.

Give John Patrick the money he wants, for he needs it more than you do. He certainly is often unwise in his use of money, but his spirit is developing well, and I approve of this help you can give. Put aside feelings of deprivation and enjoy the good, spiritual feeling of having enough to give to one who has insufficient.

I am not wholly against self-sufficiency. Yet it is a mixed blessing, for it almost always requires over-attention to self, and when you are focusing on your own needs you are not giving spirit a chance to grow and to have its desirable place in your life.

The positive blessing aspect, however, is that when your needs are met you are then freer to think and act beyond yourself. For if your spirit is strong and your greed is minimal you do not have a tendency to increase your feeling of need as present needs are met. You do pretty well with this, but do not let the culture of which you are a part push you toward shifting more wants into needs. Your present affluence is sufficient. You may even need to reduce it slightly over the next decade.