Jesus warns people far more often about greed than about sex, yet almost no one thinks they are guilty of it. Therefore we should all begin with a working hypothesis that "this could easily be a problem for me." If greed hides itself so deeply, no one should be confident that it is not a problem for them.
Paul says greed is a form of idolatry. In Luke 12:15 Jesus says to listeners: "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." What is greed? For Jesus, greed is not only love of money, but excessive anxiety about it. To "consist" of your possessions is to be defined by what you own and consume. The term describes a personal identity based on money.
Yet even though it is clear that the world is filled with greed and materialism, almost no one thinks it is true of them. They are in denial.
Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller, pg 53,55,56,58
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