It was the biggest conspiracy they could ever imagine, and the take was breathtaking. Five hundred Billion US dollars. They couldn’t dream of getting that kind of money in two hundred years, yet it was laying there in the Brazilian bank just waiting for the three of them to Siphon.
Their plan was perfect, they had spent years scheming and now they knew they were prepared. Nothing could go wrong now.
Each was already fantasizing on what he would do with his share; buy a jet; own fleets of cars, purchase mansions in London and US etc. None of them was prepared for what happened thereafter.
The mission was successful, the bank never even suspected anything, but of course, he who lives by the sword will definitely die by the sword. The plan they had initially thought to be perfect was not perfect after all, they had left behind a clue for the bank to trace.
Less than a week when they siphoned the money wholly into another account, the International Police (INTERPOL) was able to catch up with them in Nigeria and immediately got them arrested. They are presently in jail, while all their belongings have been confiscated. The money they never ever touched nor had a feel of.
Before the incident, these three persons one of whom was a lady were earning a living from respectable places of work. Imagine what could have prompted them into doing what they did…, imagine why they would be prepared to damn all consequences and reach for what they felt they would be unable to get through the right path…, imagine all the fantasies they must have harbored on how wealthy they could become from such a crooked means as this…, Imagine why they couldn’t wait to achieve what they wanted to achieve through diligence and perseverance? All these could be summed up under just one simple word… Covetousness or Greed!
“He who is greedy of gain troubles his own house, but he that hateth gifts shall live” Proverb 15:27
When Ahab saw that there was no way Naboth the Israelite could hand over his family land to him, he conspired with his wife, Jezebel to eliminate Naboth and thus take over his land.
Although he succeeded in his plot, the anger of the Most High was risen against him and his generations were marked for destruction! (1 King 21:1-22)
It is quite unfortunate that greed happens to be a common vice amongst the youths, in their quest to always get more than they deserve for the time being. The Oxford advanced learners dictionary sees greed as an excessive and selfish desire for something, be it Money, power, food etc. It goes further to explain Covetousness as the act of possessing or taking over what belongs to someone else. The actual taking over could come in various ways from stealing, deprivation to Pilfering, defrauding, embezzling and so many other examples.
The Most High commanded in His own words and written in His own hands in Exodus 20:17, “Thou shall not covet…” Apparently, He knew that man, with his “Oliver twist” attitude will always seek to take over what belongs to his fellow man.
Our Master, Yahshua, also urged us to beware of covetousness, urging us not to lay treasure on earth but in heaven (Luke 12:13-21), hence shaul (Paul) said:”But reverence with contentment is great gain, for we brought naught into the world, and it is impossible to take anything out “1 Tim 6:3-10. Put into consideration the negative inclination of covetousness, we are urged to be rather contented with what we have rather than break the commandment of the Most High and thus face the great penalty “….Nor thieves, nor greedy of gain… nor swindlers shall inherit the realm of Elohim” 1 Cor. 6:10.
Also Ephesian 5:5: “For this you know, that no one greedy of gain, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the realm of Yahweh and the Messiah”.
From, the second quotation, it can be deduced that covetousness is tantamount to idolatry. But reverence with contentment is great gain, for we brought naught into the world, and it is impossible to take anything out…. Tim 6:3-10. Why? Man resorts into worshiping those material things and thus places it on the same level with his Creator. Thus, Paul emphasizes in his letter to the converts of Ephesus: “But whoring and all uncleanliness, or greed of gain, let it not even be named among you, as is proper among set-apart ones” (Eph. 5:3). He is so much particular about the set apart ones because they have been called out of the world and have thus “died to sin.”
However, it is alarming the rate at which the Contemporary Youth believers get themselves involved in Covetousness, especially in their dealing both in school, in relationship with parents and also at their place of work. The Scripture buttresses them “having a heart trained in greed, children of a curse, 2 Peter 2:14. So serious is this offence by believers that Shaul (Paul) Said “Put to death your members which are on the earth desires and greed of gain which is idolatry” Col 1:5.
Be that as it may, the Almighty in His mercy and compassion is always ready to pardon and acquit all that acknowledges and repents from their sins. But this could only come to be if you are armed with steps in coping with covetousness, some of the tips being:
Seek to achieve what you want to achieve without depriving others from the sweat of their hands.
Never demand for more than you can get at a certain point in time. Remember that an idle man is the devil’s workshop, thus, seek to do something justifiable. Never wish to be someone else or you might find yourself getting involved in something devilish.
Consult the Bible daily and let it be your guide.
Pray always for the Almighty Yahweh’s wisdom; with these tips and much more, the problems of covetousness will have no place to breed amongst the believers and the elects.
