Deadly Workplace Sin #3: Greed
     Good morning!  They had plenty.  They wanted more.  They wanted what they did not have.  In the wilderness the Israelites complained and whined about the manna which the Lord generously provided every morning (Num. 11:1-35).  Though their bellies were filled daily, they could not be satisfied and they cried until the Lord gave them meat.  Their desire was not wrong.  The sin came when their desire turned into greed, believing it was their right to have more.

     So, the Lord sent quail from the sea.  Interesting.  We normally think of fish coming from the sea.  This time it was birds!  (Wonder if that's where the term Chicken of the Sea originated?)  Lots of them.  In fact, so many that the camp was three feet deep in quail!  After gathering them they sat down to eat.  Before they could even swallow, the greediest of them were struck down as a sign of God's unacceptance of their insatiable desires!  They named the place "Graves of Greediness" (v. 34). 

     Think for a moment about your business or organization.  It is an understatment to say that making a profit is important.  If you don't you won't stay in business.  Jesus made it clear that the Lord expects a profit (Matt. 25:26-27).  But if the only reason we work or are in business is for the money then we have truly missed the mark.  Fortune 500 consultant and leadership expert Lance Secretan said, "The primary purpose of an organization is to help human beings grow, express their creativity, contribute to their lifesource, and make the world a better place.  The purpose of an organization is to inspire a person's soul."  Inspiring people and making a profit are not at odds with each other.  In fact, they normally exist in tandem.  The good news is that the Lord rarely makes us choose between the two.

     On a more personal note for some, consider this.  When you received your last raise or bonus, what was your response?  "Hey, I now have the money I need to buy that new (fill in the blank.)"  Or was it more like this:  "Lord, what do you want me to do with this?  Is there someone you want me to bless or share this with?"  When we think the money God 
graciously provides is just for us then we begin dipping into a pool of poison.  This poison proved deadly for the guy who kept building bigger barns, assuming his wealth was to be horded for himself (Luke 12:20). 

     Rick Warren, in an address to 11,000 Christian leaders in Atlanta, Georgia, yesterday said, "The purpose of influence and affluence is to use it for the benefit of those who have no influence or affluence."  Imagine if each of those 11,000 Christians simultaneously lived that way.  What would happen if  you did?  How would our world be changed? How would you be changed?

     Today's Challenge:   Examine your heart and answer the following.  Are you blessed with an abundance of manna yet crying because you have no meat?   Are you consuming your resources on yourself alone or are they being generously used to bless and assist others?  Are you hording with the assumption of self-use tomorrow?  Are you open to do more? give more? share more?  Can the Lord (en)trust you with more or would you just heap more upon the abundance you already have (see James 4:3)?  Read Acts 4:32-35 right now or at lunch today to see what happens when a Christian is without greed and fully controlled by the Holy Spirit.  Amazing!  What will you do with what the Lord has given you?  
"...I  have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity..."  Phil. 4:11-12
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