August 11, 2025 • 33 mins
Greed and lust are destructive forces rooted in insecurity and fear that drive us to seek excessive wealth, power, and possessions at the expense of others and ourselves. These insatiable desires represent not just occasional wants but pathological patterns that harm both the individual and those around them.
• Greed manifests in multiple forms: financial, material, power, experiential, and relational
• Early deprivation and insecurity fuel endless wanting even after basic needs are met
• Marketing constantly pushes us to believe we need things we don't actually want or need
• Jealousy, fear, and the need to overcompensate for lack drive greedy and lustful behavior
• Greed and lust are cover-ups for inner emptiness that cannot be filled with external things
• Self-assessment questions help identify what's driving our excessive desires
• Biblical wisdom teaches that contentment and godliness are more valuable than material gain
• Healing begins by addressing our insecurities rather than feeding our greed and lust
• Love builds rather than destroys, starting with self-healing and extending to communities
Tune in next time, be blessed, be at peace, be in Him and be in love. Truth drips.
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THE DRIP LINE
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dina LaFargue Augusti (00:00):
Greetings and welcome to a new episode of
the Drip Line, where love andhealing will drip into your soul
.
Tune in and come along thisjourney, allowing love and truth
to permeate your entire being.
Hopefully, the message sharedtoday will touch your heart,
(00:22):
bringing you closer to yourhealing and empowering you for
your daily life, helping youmove through the process
successfully.
Take a listen.
This week's podcast is aboutgreed and lust.
In the past podcast, Idiscussed the twos, the
(00:45):
parasitic twos being too angry,too fearful and too lonely.
Well, this week I'm talkingabout greed and lust being too
wanting, and I said well, youcan never be too this or too
that, but yes, you can.
And being too greedy and toolustful is a problem.
Yes, we all can be greedy atsome point.
(01:09):
Yes, we all have our lust.
But, there's another level thatI'm going to discuss this week.
What a word greed is! Greed canencompass so many things.
In my opinion, I associategreed with lust.
One just has to have something.
Greed says, 'I have to have it'.
(01:32):
Lust thirsts for it.
It's an internal drive thatmakes the person pursue
something even when they don'tneed it.
It's a must-have, a thirst forsomething that is more than
necessary.
It's a something that requiresit to be had at the expense of
(01:53):
someone else.
It's defined as an insatiabledesire for material gain out of
selfishness.
It can also be an insatiabledesire for anything, not just
something material.
It's excessive, it's almostcompulsive, a wanting of
(02:13):
something money, power, control,feeding the ego.
It's wanting beyond what isactually necessary or needy for
someone to survive.
It's almost as if someone ispossessed by something pushing
(02:35):
them to want more and to cravemore.
Lust is also an intense desirefor something.
Lust can take any form, such asthe lust for sexual activity,
money or power, but it can alsotake such mundane forms as the
lust for food, like gluttony, orthe lust for redolence, when
(02:58):
one is lusting for a particularsmell, that brings back memories
.
That's very rare.
Lust is similar to, butdistinguished from passion in
that properly ordered passionpropels individuals to achieve
benevolent goals, while lustdoes not.
Lust is never good.
Greed is never good.
Hence, greed and lust arefriends.
(03:23):
Again, we all have our timeswhen we get a bit greedy or
lustful things in life, but I amnot talking about those
occasional whims.
I'm speaking about thepathological nature of greed and
lust that causes us to harmourselves and others; I want her
, I have to have her, I wantthis, I want that.
(03:43):
I must have more and I'm goingto get more by any means.
I'm going to get what I want.
I'm going to have what I want.
I'm going to do what I want toget what I want.
I will have it.
That's greed and lust.
I'm going in this direction thisweek because I believe some of
(04:05):
us really go astray when wecrave for things that we think
will make us better, that wethink will satisfy us, but they
don't.
We think we have to have them,but in all reality, it's the
furthest thing.
We go after, we chase down andwe end up always wanting more,
because more always wants more.
(04:25):
The question is then, how muchis enough?
Greed and lust are likeaddictions.
Whatever one chases after,whether it's money, power,
control, things, people, greedkeeps wanting and lust keeps
lusting and thirstingcontinually.
They both scream continually tobe satisfied.
(04:50):
It's a problem.
They are bottomless pits.
Greed and lust are also labeledas part of the seven deadly
sins.
Now, in Psychology Today'sarticle, 'The Psychology of
Greed, Understanding yourEndless Search for More", there
are two major points.
(05:11):
One, greed takes many forms, itcan be financial, material,
power, experiential andrelational.
The second point, earlydeprivation and insecurity fuel
endless wanting, even after ourbasic needs are met.
(05:31):
This is important to be able toidentify forms of greed, which
is the first point, and thesecond to understand where it
comes from.
The article continues to saythat we live in a world obsessed
with more, more money, morefollowers, more likes, more
experiences, more stuff,marketing, marketing, marketing.
(05:56):
Marketing can be mindless.
Marketing pushes people tobelieve they want things or need
things that they don't reallywant or need.
There is this endless quest inour world today for more.
More has become so normalizedthat we rarely question it.
Yet beneath this perpetualdrive lies a question, 'why
(06:17):
can't we ever seem to haveenough?
'Psychology Today continues and
describes the many phases ofgreed.
Financial greed drives us tochase wealth far beyond our
needs, causing us to view moneyas a scorecard rather than a
tool.
Remember, we're identified byhow much money we make, or else
(06:38):
we're not considered to besuccessful.
The executive working 80-hourweeks despite having millions in
the bank isn't just working.
They're feeding an insatiablefinancial appetite.
Material greed fills our homeswith possessions that fail to
satisfy us and research showsmaterialistic individuals
(06:58):
experience less happiness,despite having more things.
Our closets overflow withunworn clothes, I'm guilty.
While storage unit rentals arenow one of America's fastest
growing industries.
Power greed causes some to seekinfluence beyond any practical
(07:19):
need, often covering up deeperpsychological needs for
validation or security that noamount of authority can ever
satisfy.
(07:46):
And this just isn't talkingabout corporate CEOs or Vice
Presidents.
No, you can be in a positionanywhere; in a local convenience
store, in your local cardealership and have a position
as a supervisor or manager andlet the power of the title go to
your head, causing you to beabusive in how you manage your
team.
Our own experiences have becomecollectibles also.
We collect selfies these days.
We take endless pictures savingconcert tickets.
Often we're more concerned withdocumenting moments than living
(08:06):
them.
The experiential greed turnslife into a checklist rather
than a lived reality, saysPsychology Today.
Perhaps most concerning isrelational greed, which involves
collecting superficialconnections rather than
nurturing genuine bonds.
I talked about that last week,speaking on being too lonely.
(08:29):
Our social networks expandwhere our intimacy shrinks,
leaving us with more friends orlikes, but feeling more isolated
and lonelier.
The hunger behind the hunt,several psychological factors
fuel our endless desires.
(08:50):
Early deprivation, whethermaterial or emotional, can
program us to continue wantingmore, even when we already have
enough.
Hear this.
The article is discussing apossible cause - deprivation.
Like someone who survived thefamine and continues to hoard
(09:12):
food.
Many who experience childhoodscarcity or poverty develop a
psychological hunger thatabundance never satisfies.
In an article on the website,examplesof.
net, entitled, "Examples ofGreed and Its Impact on Society,
(09:32):
says this longing, thisinsatiable desire, can lead to
various outcomes Increasedambition anyone may strive
endlessly for success, pushingboundaries, risky behavior.
One's judgment might becomeclouded, leading to reckless
choices and decisions,neglecting values.
(09:55):
One could overlook ethics orrelationships in the pursuit of
gain.
So let's discuss the causes ofgreed and lust.
The article talks about 11hidden reasons why we lust and
allow greed to rule our lives.
(10:16):
One may be deep-rootedinsecurity.
Yes, we may be surprised tolearn that greed often stems
from someone's deep-seated senseof insecurity or lack.
The next point the never-endingpursuit.
For some, greed arises from anendless pursuit of more, having
(10:37):
to have more money, more statusand more power due to not
feeling like they're enough,covering up a lack of
self-esteem or self-worth.
And then we go into ego andself-worth.
Greed is definitely tied to howone feels about themselves and
(11:01):
accumulating wealth andpossessions becomes a way to
prove self-importance.
Then there's control and power.
At its core, greed is often adesire for control and power.
By amassing more than they need, greedy individuals seek to
exert dominance over resourcesand people.
(11:24):
This grasping mentality givesthem a sense of security,
influence and authority in theirworld - how emotions like fear,
insecurity and jealousy canfuel greed.
Yes, fear, insecurity andjealousy can fuel greed, and, I
(11:49):
might add, lust.
The next point, jealousy trap.
Jealousy is another dangerousemotion that fuels greed's
vicious cycle.
Seeking others with moresuccess, wealth or status can
spark feelings of resentment andinadequacy and greed kicks in
as the person desperately triesto keep up with the Joneses,
(12:13):
accumulating more just to boostone's own fragile ego.
Then there's overcompensatingfor lack.
Sometimes greed and lust mask aninner void or lack of
self-worth.
The person will relentlesslypursue persons, wealth, things,
power and status to prove value,to prove worthiness, to feel
(12:37):
whole, but the truth isself-confidence really comes
from within.
We know the chasing of thingsdoes not fill the emotional
voids.
So I suggest to anyone to readthese articles.
They are very insightful andare filled with information
(12:58):
about why greed and lust persistand how to deal with them.
It will help us to be moreself-aware and it will also show
us how we might manipulateothers and how we might
manipulate others.
We must be self-aware or we arevulnerable to the triggers that
(13:20):
can make us pray to it.
See, whether we are greedy orlustful ourselves or the victims
of someone who is greedy orlustful, everyone's a victim.
The articles make it obviousthat greed and lust are
prevalent everywhere.
Greed is prevalent in politicsand leaders that fill their
pockets and serve their pocketsinstead of their people.
(13:42):
Corporate America - chasingprofits, sacrificing product
quality these days, sacrificingtheir employees' health and
mental health, physical health,emotional health.
The pharmaceutical andinsurance industry that
sacrifices people's physical andmental health over profits.
(14:03):
The messages we hear in musictoday -how women are displayed
or portrayed in art these daysoh, we have to tap that.
Women are portrayed as objectsand desires of whorishness, men
proving they have power by howmany women they can slay.
Movies romanticizing theft andvice, sending wrong messages
(14:27):
that make us feel like, well,I've got to have it or the world
owes me at anyone else'sexpense.
Greed, believe it or not, says,'I must have.
I will deprive anyone for myown sake.
'Greed and lust timeless human
(14:52):
traits.
They both have been describedas insatiable desires for more,
irrespective of the consequences.
They transcend cultural,historical, and socioeconomic
boundaries, manifestingthemselves in various forms;
again defined as excessiveselfishness, longing for
(15:13):
something that is not necessary.
Greed and lust are destructiveforces that lead trails of
ethical, moral and socialrepercussions that are domino
effects, ripple effects acrossthe world.
We see it locally, we see it infamilies, we see it in our
communities, we see it in ourcountry.
(15:34):
We see it in the world.
When we speak of the desiresfor more, wanting more means at
any cost.
If I have more, I have morepower.
If I have more, I have morefulfillment.
If I have more of somethingthat feeds this insatiable
(15:56):
monster in me, then so be it.
The greedy and the lustfuldon't try to figure it out, they
just feed it.
And I hate to generalize, but Ihave to because it's only a
podcast.
Therefore, in looking at greedand lust and the points that
(16:19):
these articles have made, I canconfidently say that fear is at
the root of it all, becauseneeding more means that I'm not
satisfied or comfortable orsecure enough not to have.
I'm fearing not having enough.
(16:39):
I'm fearing not showing enough.
I'm fearing not proving myselfenough because I'm not enough.
There are questions that haveto be answered.
Why more?
Why more money?
Why more power?
Why more women?
Why more control?
(16:59):
Why the taking?
Why the trampling upon someoneelse, why the denying someone
else to satisfy self?
So, what does greed and lusthave to prove?
What is being proven?
What is the point of the more?
What will satisfy the thirst?
Greed and lust speak.
(17:23):
Greed and lust say.
"I must fight for more becauseI have to save me.
I must fight more, I must takemore because I have to protect
me.
Who is the real me?
The real you that's been hiddenand buried beneath the
insecurities and the fear andthe lacks.
(17:44):
So why do corporate moguls earnmillions, if not billions, and
refuse to pay their employeesbetter wages or allow them to
share a decent share in theprofits?
Why is it profit over people?
Why do they have to controldestinies where people struggle
to survive instead of being ableto thrive?
Why do they feel they have tobe so far above everyone else
(18:08):
that no one can catch up withthem?
What are they afraid of?
Contemplate this.
Look at the racism, the sexism,misogyny, the machismo.
Look at colonization and evenimperialism.
Some of these things may soundarchaic, but they're not.
They're real and alive andthey're all evidence of the lust
(18:30):
for power, control, profit,authority at the expense of
people, culture, family andindividuals.
Fear is the root.
Fear of being taken over.
Fear of somebody else beingbetter.
Greed and lust scream for more.
The desire to conquer anunderlying lack is the real root
(18:56):
of these parasitic TOOs - beinggreedy and lustful, too greedy,
too lustful.
They gobble at the psyche andpose as shields of fear.
They are cover-ups everybody.
Greed and lust are cover-upsfor a darkness inside.
There is deprivation.
(19:16):
Greed and lust are thieves.
Greed and lust are parasitesfor the host.
The greedy, lustful people arerobbing others to satisfy their
own fear masked in desires.
The fear is the 'never enough',I'm not enough.
This pair, these parasitic TOOs, are selfish and excessive.
(19:39):
They are diseases.
Where you see the one, you seethe other.
So who is really being drivenby greed and lust?
Greed and lust create victims.
Everyone is a victim, becausesomething is wrong with the
(19:59):
person's soul that is chasing,that is wanting beyond the
necessary.
A deprived soul is crying out,but again, satisfying the need
in the wrong way.
So pay attention! Examineyourself.
(20:21):
Do a self-assessment.
It's time to analyze ourbehavior.
I mean, we should do itregularly anyway.
We should always check what'smotivating our behavior, what's
motivating our emotions.
But, here are some questions toask: What do you want so badly
(20:46):
that you're willing to doanything for, willing to break
the rules for, willing to takeunnecessary risks for the
expense of your own truewell-being?
The next question, who do youharm because you have to prove
you have power, control, money,and means?
Whose feelings do you trample?
How do you relate to others onthe job, at home or anywhere you
(21:10):
go, whether you're in arestaurant, berating a waiter?
How do you treat your friendsand acquaintances?
What are you trying to buildand why?
Are you building a business?
What are you building?
(21:31):
What are you constructing?
What are you wanting to do andwhy?
What is at the root of yourdesires to have and to build?
Then next, we go in an evendeeper.
Who denied you?
Who took from you?
Who starved you?
Who hurt you?
Who made you feel less than?
(21:52):
So, what's driving you and why?
What are you trying to hidefrom others?
What are you running from?
Where do your insecurities lie?
Who are you jealous of and why?
Is hate lying right therebeneath the surface?
(22:12):
Why do you feel the need tocontrol others?
What are your relationshipslike and why?
Who damaged your sense of self?
How do you feel about men?
How do you feel about women?
(22:33):
If you're white, how do youfeel about minorities and why?
Yes, I'm going there.
I want to address the realissues, especially of what is
happening in this country.
It's a major issue that'skilling us and destroying lives,
and we have to be real withourselves.
(22:54):
And then, the last one, how doyou feel about God?
So, all these questions arenecessary questions to do some
real self-discovery, to reallydetermine where you're at and
what you lust for and why youlust.
(23:15):
What are the proclivities inyour character that are driven
by insecurities?
Isaiah 56, verse 11, says, "hedogs have a mighty appetite.
They never have enough, butthey are shepherds who have no
(23:35):
understanding.
They have all turned to theirown way, each to his own gain,
one and all.
" Hmm, being greedy is referredto being like a dog, never
having enough, ravaging andalways hungry for more.
James, chapter 4, verses 1through 3, reads," what causes
(24:00):
quarrels and what causes fightsamong you?
Is it not this that yourpassions are at war within you?
You desire and do not have, soyou murder.
You covet and cannot obtain, soyou fight and quarrel.
You do not have because you donot ask.
You ask and do not receivebecause you ask wrongly to spend
(24:23):
it on your passions.
" So this scripture is reallytalking about the soul being at
war and why the soul is at war.
What is your soul desirous of?
Your passions are in the wrongplace.
You cannot determine ordiscover your true self, so you
(24:44):
kill.
Your anger causes you to actout.
You can murder for real, buthere it's talking about not just
taking a life, but destroyinganother's life like a python
choking out the life of othersaround you and yourself
because you're striving for thewrong things, you're feeding the
wrong desires - you're notaligned with God.
(25:05):
You're seeking and asking forthe wrong things instead of
knowing and seeking the thingsof the Lord, because the Word of
God says, "Seek ye first thekingdom of God and His
righteousness and all else willbe given unto you " So, we need
to ask Him to lead us, to guideus and to heal us.
1 Timothy 6, verses 6 10 reads,"But godliness with contentment
(25:28):
is great gain, for we broughtnothing into the world and we
cannot take anything out of theworld.
But if we have food andclothing with these we will be
content.
But those who desire to be richfall into temptation, into a
snare, into many senseless andharmless desires that plunge
people into ruin and destruction.
(25:49):
For the love of money is theroot of all kinds of evils.
It is through this craving thatsome have wandered away from
the faith and pierced themselveswith many pains.
" So in reading this scripture,the love of money can also be
substituted with the love ofanything that is fleshly, that
(26:09):
is worldly.
We're to desire the will of God, we're to seek after the love
of God, we're to abide in Him.
If we crave Him first, thenother things will follow, but in
a healthy way.
He's not telling us to be poor,no, but he's saying we're not
(26:31):
to chase after things that areof the world, but to chase after
truth, to chase after him, andthen all else will follow in
godly order.
Ephesians, chapter 4, reads,"hey are darkened in their
understanding, alienated fromthe life of God because of the
(26:52):
ignorance that is in them, dueto their hardness of heart, they
have become callous and havegiven themselves up to
sensuality, greedy to practiceevery kind of impurity.
(27:15):
Okay, so, there's somethingwrong when we are callous and
have given ourselves over togreed and lust and things of
this world.
Our souls are darkened andwe're not following or living in
the life that God has writtenfor us.
We must understand the truth oflife, what is worthy, what is
to be chased after, what healsand what matters.
(27:36):
So I suggest to everyone toread these verses.
If we feel that things areimbalanced in our lives, if
we're running after things,exhausting ourselves, chasing
after things that really don'tmatter, if we got this inner
(27:58):
strife that just seems not to befulfilling, that is causing us
grief and angst, go to the wordof God.
Proverbs 16, verse 2, says, "Alla person's ways seem pure to
them, but motives are weighed bythe Lord.
God knows us very well and heis ready and willing to heal us
(28:22):
if we let him.
He knows our hearts, he knowswhat moves us, he knows what
drives us.
We can give everything to Him.
We can give that strife to Him,that chasing after, to Him.
We are to live for Him and notfor the worldly gain or to
satisfy our ills.
We're not to satisfy our ills.
(28:43):
We're to get healed of them,but not feed them.
1 Peter 3, verse 4 starts with,"rather, it should be that your
inner self, the unfading beautyof a gentle and quiet spirit
which is great worth in God'ssight.
Verse 5, for this is the waythe holy women of the past who
(29:07):
put their hope in God used toadorn themselves.
" And that verse goes on to sayabout how men are to love their
wives and wives submitting totheir husbands and I know that
(29:28):
can be controversial to many,but if we're operating in
godliness it's a whole otherlevel.
Romans, chapter 12, verse 2reads, "Be not conformed to the
pattern of this world, but betransformed by the renewing of
your minds.
Then you will be able to testand approve what God's will is,
his good, pleasing and perfectwill.
" So we're not to chase afterthe things, we're not to be
(29:50):
hypnotized and mesmerized by allthe marketing and all the
things that say we must havethis, we have to look like this,
we have to do this in order tobe successful.
One by one, as individuals, wecan build a better environment
in ourselves, within ourselves,then within our families, in our
(30:16):
workplaces, in our communities,and ultimately, in the world if
we seek inner healing and innerpeace in the ways of God.
It's got to start somewhere andit starts with each one of us
as individuals.
So let's not feed our lust andgreed that are symptoms of inner
(30:38):
strife and fear.
Fear has no place in God.
(31:01):
The Lord says it's torment.
He " says, I did not createyou with a spirit of fear, but
with power, love and a soundmind.
" Perfect love has no fear.
God's love has no fear.
We are not to live in torment.
So, let it go, give it to God.
Whatever insecurities we have,whatever fears we have, whatever
reasons we're moved by greedand driven by greed and lust,
give it to God and be healed byhis loving faithfulness.
So, what do we need?
God's love.
What does the world need?
(31:23):
God's love.
Love builds, it does notdestroy.
Love builds does not destroy
Greetings and welcome to a new episode of
the Drip Line, where love andhealing will drip into your soul
.
Tune in and come along thisjourney, allowing love and truth
to permeate your entire being.
Hopefully, the message sharedtoday will touch your heart,
(00:22):
bringing you closer to yourhealing and empowering you for
your daily life, helping youmove through the process
successfully.
Take a listen.
This week's podcast is aboutgreed and lust.
In the past podcast, Idiscussed the twos, the
(00:45):
parasitic twos being too angry,too fearful and too lonely.
Well, this week I'm talkingabout greed and lust being too
wanting, and I said well, youcan never be too this or too
that, but yes, you can.
And being too greedy and toolustful is a problem.
Yes, we all can be greedy atsome point.
(01:09):
Yes, we all have our lust.
But, there's another level thatI'm going to discuss this week.
What a word greed is! Greed canencompass so many things.
In my opinion, I associategreed with lust.
One just has to have something.
Greed says, 'I have to have it'.
(01:32):
Lust thirsts for it.
It's an internal drive thatmakes the person pursue
something even when they don'tneed it.
It's a must-have, a thirst forsomething that is more than
necessary.
It's a something that requiresit to be had at the expense of
(01:53):
someone else.
It's defined as an insatiabledesire for material gain out of
selfishness.
It can also be an insatiabledesire for anything, not just
something material.
It's excessive, it's almostcompulsive, a wanting of
(02:13):
something money, power, control,feeding the ego.
It's wanting beyond what isactually necessary or needy for
someone to survive.
It's almost as if someone ispossessed by something pushing
(02:35):
them to want more and to cravemore.
Lust is also an intense desirefor something.
Lust can take any form, such asthe lust for sexual activity,
money or power, but it can alsotake such mundane forms as the
lust for food, like gluttony, orthe lust for redolence, when
(02:58):
one is lusting for a particularsmell, that brings back memories
.
That's very rare.
Lust is similar to, butdistinguished from passion in
that properly ordered passionpropels individuals to achieve
benevolent goals, while lustdoes not.
Lust is never good.
Greed is never good.
Hence, greed and lust arefriends.
(03:23):
Again, we all have our timeswhen we get a bit greedy or
lustful things in life, but I amnot talking about those
occasional whims.
I'm speaking about thepathological nature of greed and
lust that causes us to harmourselves and others; I want her
, I have to have her, I wantthis, I want that.
(03:43):
I must have more and I'm goingto get more by any means.
I'm going to get what I want.
I'm going to have what I want.
I'm going to do what I want toget what I want.
I will have it.
That's greed and lust.
I'm going in this direction thisweek because I believe some of
(04:05):
us really go astray when wecrave for things that we think
will make us better, that wethink will satisfy us, but they
don't.
We think we have to have them,but in all reality, it's the
furthest thing.
We go after, we chase down andwe end up always wanting more,
because more always wants more.
(04:25):
The question is then, how muchis enough?
Greed and lust are likeaddictions.
Whatever one chases after,whether it's money, power,
control, things, people, greedkeeps wanting and lust keeps
lusting and thirstingcontinually.
They both scream continually tobe satisfied.
(04:50):
It's a problem.
They are bottomless pits.
Greed and lust are also labeledas part of the seven deadly
sins.
Now, in Psychology Today'sarticle, 'The Psychology of
Greed, Understanding yourEndless Search for More", there
are two major points.
(05:11):
One, greed takes many forms, itcan be financial, material,
power, experiential andrelational.
The second point, earlydeprivation and insecurity fuel
endless wanting, even after ourbasic needs are met.
(05:31):
This is important to be able toidentify forms of greed, which
is the first point, and thesecond to understand where it
comes from.
The article continues to saythat we live in a world obsessed
with more, more money, morefollowers, more likes, more
experiences, more stuff,marketing, marketing, marketing.
(05:56):
Marketing can be mindless.
Marketing pushes people tobelieve they want things or need
things that they don't reallywant or need.
There is this endless quest inour world today for more.
More has become so normalizedthat we rarely question it.
Yet beneath this perpetualdrive lies a question, 'why
(06:17):
can't we ever seem to haveenough?
'Psychology Today continues and
describes the many phases ofgreed.
Financial greed drives us tochase wealth far beyond our
needs, causing us to view moneyas a scorecard rather than a
tool.
Remember, we're identified byhow much money we make, or else
(06:38):
we're not considered to besuccessful.
The executive working 80-hourweeks despite having millions in
the bank isn't just working.
They're feeding an insatiablefinancial appetite.
Material greed fills our homeswith possessions that fail to
satisfy us and research showsmaterialistic individuals
(06:58):
experience less happiness,despite having more things.
Our closets overflow withunworn clothes, I'm guilty.
While storage unit rentals arenow one of America's fastest
growing industries.
Power greed causes some to seekinfluence beyond any practical
(07:19):
need, often covering up deeperpsychological needs for
validation or security that noamount of authority can ever
satisfy.
(07:46):
And this just isn't talkingabout corporate CEOs or Vice
Presidents.
No, you can be in a positionanywhere; in a local convenience
store, in your local cardealership and have a position
as a supervisor or manager andlet the power of the title go to
your head, causing you to beabusive in how you manage your
team.
Our own experiences have becomecollectibles also.
We collect selfies these days.
We take endless pictures savingconcert tickets.
Often we're more concerned withdocumenting moments than living
(08:06):
them.
The experiential greed turnslife into a checklist rather
than a lived reality, saysPsychology Today.
Perhaps most concerning isrelational greed, which involves
collecting superficialconnections rather than
nurturing genuine bonds.
I talked about that last week,speaking on being too lonely.
(08:29):
Our social networks expandwhere our intimacy shrinks,
leaving us with more friends orlikes, but feeling more isolated
and lonelier.
The hunger behind the hunt,several psychological factors
fuel our endless desires.
(08:50):
Early deprivation, whethermaterial or emotional, can
program us to continue wantingmore, even when we already have
enough.
Hear this.
The article is discussing apossible cause - deprivation.
Like someone who survived thefamine and continues to hoard
(09:12):
food.
Many who experience childhoodscarcity or poverty develop a
psychological hunger thatabundance never satisfies.
In an article on the website,examplesof.
net, entitled, "Examples ofGreed and Its Impact on Society,
(09:32):
says this longing, thisinsatiable desire, can lead to
various outcomes Increasedambition anyone may strive
endlessly for success, pushingboundaries, risky behavior.
One's judgment might becomeclouded, leading to reckless
choices and decisions,neglecting values.
(09:55):
One could overlook ethics orrelationships in the pursuit of
gain.
So let's discuss the causes ofgreed and lust.
The article talks about 11hidden reasons why we lust and
allow greed to rule our lives.
(10:16):
One may be deep-rootedinsecurity.
Yes, we may be surprised tolearn that greed often stems
from someone's deep-seated senseof insecurity or lack.
The next point the never-endingpursuit.
For some, greed arises from anendless pursuit of more, having
(10:37):
to have more money, more statusand more power due to not
feeling like they're enough,covering up a lack of
self-esteem or self-worth.
And then we go into ego andself-worth.
Greed is definitely tied to howone feels about themselves and
(11:01):
accumulating wealth andpossessions becomes a way to
prove self-importance.
Then there's control and power.
At its core, greed is often adesire for control and power.
By amassing more than they need, greedy individuals seek to
exert dominance over resourcesand people.
(11:24):
This grasping mentality givesthem a sense of security,
influence and authority in theirworld - how emotions like fear,
insecurity and jealousy canfuel greed.
Yes, fear, insecurity andjealousy can fuel greed, and, I
(11:49):
might add, lust.
The next point, jealousy trap.
Jealousy is another dangerousemotion that fuels greed's
vicious cycle.
Seeking others with moresuccess, wealth or status can
spark feelings of resentment andinadequacy and greed kicks in
as the person desperately triesto keep up with the Joneses,
(12:13):
accumulating more just to boostone's own fragile ego.
Then there's overcompensatingfor lack.
Sometimes greed and lust mask aninner void or lack of
self-worth.
The person will relentlesslypursue persons, wealth, things,
power and status to prove value,to prove worthiness, to feel
(12:37):
whole, but the truth isself-confidence really comes
from within.
We know the chasing of thingsdoes not fill the emotional
voids.
So I suggest to anyone to readthese articles.
They are very insightful andare filled with information
(12:58):
about why greed and lust persistand how to deal with them.
It will help us to be moreself-aware and it will also show
us how we might manipulateothers and how we might
manipulate others.
We must be self-aware or we arevulnerable to the triggers that
(13:20):
can make us pray to it.
See, whether we are greedy orlustful ourselves or the victims
of someone who is greedy orlustful, everyone's a victim.
The articles make it obviousthat greed and lust are
prevalent everywhere.
Greed is prevalent in politicsand leaders that fill their
pockets and serve their pocketsinstead of their people.
(13:42):
Corporate America - chasingprofits, sacrificing product
quality these days, sacrificingtheir employees' health and
mental health, physical health,emotional health.
The pharmaceutical andinsurance industry that
sacrifices people's physical andmental health over profits.
(14:03):
The messages we hear in musictoday -how women are displayed
or portrayed in art these daysoh, we have to tap that.
Women are portrayed as objectsand desires of whorishness, men
proving they have power by howmany women they can slay.
Movies romanticizing theft andvice, sending wrong messages
(14:27):
that make us feel like, well,I've got to have it or the world
owes me at anyone else'sexpense.
Greed, believe it or not, says,'I must have.
I will deprive anyone for myown sake.
'Greed and lust timeless human
(14:52):
traits.
They both have been describedas insatiable desires for more,
irrespective of the consequences.
They transcend cultural,historical, and socioeconomic
boundaries, manifestingthemselves in various forms;
again defined as excessiveselfishness, longing for
(15:13):
something that is not necessary.
Greed and lust are destructiveforces that lead trails of
ethical, moral and socialrepercussions that are domino
effects, ripple effects acrossthe world.
We see it locally, we see it infamilies, we see it in our
communities, we see it in ourcountry.
(15:34):
We see it in the world.
When we speak of the desiresfor more, wanting more means at
any cost.
If I have more, I have morepower.
If I have more, I have morefulfillment.
If I have more of somethingthat feeds this insatiable
(15:56):
monster in me, then so be it.
The greedy and the lustfuldon't try to figure it out, they
just feed it.
And I hate to generalize, but Ihave to because it's only a
podcast.
Therefore, in looking at greedand lust and the points that
(16:19):
these articles have made, I canconfidently say that fear is at
the root of it all, becauseneeding more means that I'm not
satisfied or comfortable orsecure enough not to have.
I'm fearing not having enough.
(16:39):
I'm fearing not showing enough.
I'm fearing not proving myselfenough because I'm not enough.
There are questions that haveto be answered.
Why more?
Why more money?
Why more power?
Why more women?
Why more control?
(16:59):
Why the taking?
Why the trampling upon someoneelse, why the denying someone
else to satisfy self?
So, what does greed and lusthave to prove?
What is being proven?
What is the point of the more?
What will satisfy the thirst?
Greed and lust speak.
(17:23):
Greed and lust say.
"I must fight for more becauseI have to save me.
I must fight more, I must takemore because I have to protect
me.
Who is the real me?
The real you that's been hiddenand buried beneath the
insecurities and the fear andthe lacks.
(17:44):
So why do corporate moguls earnmillions, if not billions, and
refuse to pay their employeesbetter wages or allow them to
share a decent share in theprofits?
Why is it profit over people?
Why do they have to controldestinies where people struggle
to survive instead of being ableto thrive?
Why do they feel they have tobe so far above everyone else
(18:08):
that no one can catch up withthem?
What are they afraid of?
Contemplate this.
Look at the racism, the sexism,misogyny, the machismo.
Look at colonization and evenimperialism.
Some of these things may soundarchaic, but they're not.
They're real and alive andthey're all evidence of the lust
(18:30):
for power, control, profit,authority at the expense of
people, culture, family andindividuals.
Fear is the root.
Fear of being taken over.
Fear of somebody else beingbetter.
Greed and lust scream for more.
The desire to conquer anunderlying lack is the real root
(18:56):
of these parasitic TOOs - beinggreedy and lustful, too greedy,
too lustful.
They gobble at the psyche andpose as shields of fear.
They are cover-ups everybody.
Greed and lust are cover-upsfor a darkness inside.
There is deprivation.
(19:16):
Greed and lust are thieves.
Greed and lust are parasitesfor the host.
The greedy, lustful people arerobbing others to satisfy their
own fear masked in desires.
The fear is the 'never enough',I'm not enough.
This pair, these parasitic TOOs, are selfish and excessive.
(19:39):
They are diseases.
Where you see the one, you seethe other.
So who is really being drivenby greed and lust?
Greed and lust create victims.
Everyone is a victim, becausesomething is wrong with the
(19:59):
person's soul that is chasing,that is wanting beyond the
necessary.
A deprived soul is crying out,but again, satisfying the need
in the wrong way.
So pay attention! Examineyourself.
(20:21):
Do a self-assessment.
It's time to analyze ourbehavior.
I mean, we should do itregularly anyway.
We should always check what'smotivating our behavior, what's
motivating our emotions.
But, here are some questions toask: What do you want so badly
(20:46):
that you're willing to doanything for, willing to break
the rules for, willing to takeunnecessary risks for the
expense of your own truewell-being?
The next question, who do youharm because you have to prove
you have power, control, money,and means?
Whose feelings do you trample?
How do you relate to others onthe job, at home or anywhere you
(21:10):
go, whether you're in arestaurant, berating a waiter?
How do you treat your friendsand acquaintances?
What are you trying to buildand why?
Are you building a business?
What are you building?
(21:31):
What are you constructing?
What are you wanting to do andwhy?
What is at the root of yourdesires to have and to build?
Then next, we go in an evendeeper.
Who denied you?
Who took from you?
Who starved you?
Who hurt you?
Who made you feel less than?
(21:52):
So, what's driving you and why?
What are you trying to hidefrom others?
What are you running from?
Where do your insecurities lie?
Who are you jealous of and why?
Is hate lying right therebeneath the surface?
(22:12):
Why do you feel the need tocontrol others?
What are your relationshipslike and why?
Who damaged your sense of self?
How do you feel about men?
How do you feel about women?
(22:33):
If you're white, how do youfeel about minorities and why?
Yes, I'm going there.
I want to address the realissues, especially of what is
happening in this country.
It's a major issue that'skilling us and destroying lives,
and we have to be real withourselves.
(22:54):
And then, the last one, how doyou feel about God?
So, all these questions arenecessary questions to do some
real self-discovery, to reallydetermine where you're at and
what you lust for and why youlust.
(23:15):
What are the proclivities inyour character that are driven
by insecurities?
Isaiah 56, verse 11, says, "hedogs have a mighty appetite.
They never have enough, butthey are shepherds who have no
(23:35):
understanding.
They have all turned to theirown way, each to his own gain,
one and all.
" Hmm, being greedy is referredto being like a dog, never
having enough, ravaging andalways hungry for more.
James, chapter 4, verses 1through 3, reads," what causes
(24:00):
quarrels and what causes fightsamong you?
Is it not this that yourpassions are at war within you?
You desire and do not have, soyou murder.
You covet and cannot obtain, soyou fight and quarrel.
You do not have because you donot ask.
You ask and do not receivebecause you ask wrongly to spend
(24:23):
it on your passions.
" So this scripture is reallytalking about the soul being at
war and why the soul is at war.
What is your soul desirous of?
Your passions are in the wrongplace.
You cannot determine ordiscover your true self, so you
(24:44):
kill.
Your anger causes you to actout.
You can murder for real, buthere it's talking about not just
taking a life, but destroyinganother's life like a python
choking out the life of othersaround you and yourself
because you're striving for thewrong things, you're feeding the
wrong desires - you're notaligned with God.
(25:05):
You're seeking and asking forthe wrong things instead of
knowing and seeking the thingsof the Lord, because the Word of
God says, "Seek ye first thekingdom of God and His
righteousness and all else willbe given unto you " So, we need
to ask Him to lead us, to guideus and to heal us.
1 Timothy 6, verses 6 10 reads,"But godliness with contentment
(25:28):
is great gain, for we broughtnothing into the world and we
cannot take anything out of theworld.
But if we have food andclothing with these we will be
content.
But those who desire to be richfall into temptation, into a
snare, into many senseless andharmless desires that plunge
people into ruin and destruction.
(25:49):
For the love of money is theroot of all kinds of evils.
It is through this craving thatsome have wandered away from
the faith and pierced themselveswith many pains.
" So in reading this scripture,the love of money can also be
substituted with the love ofanything that is fleshly, that
(26:09):
is worldly.
We're to desire the will of God, we're to seek after the love
of God, we're to abide in Him.
If we crave Him first, thenother things will follow, but in
a healthy way.
He's not telling us to be poor,no, but he's saying we're not
(26:31):
to chase after things that areof the world, but to chase after
truth, to chase after him, andthen all else will follow in
godly order.
Ephesians, chapter 4, reads,"hey are darkened in their
understanding, alienated fromthe life of God because of the
(26:52):
ignorance that is in them, dueto their hardness of heart, they
have become callous and havegiven themselves up to
sensuality, greedy to practiceevery kind of impurity.
(27:15):
Okay, so, there's somethingwrong when we are callous and
have given ourselves over togreed and lust and things of
this world.
Our souls are darkened andwe're not following or living in
the life that God has writtenfor us.
We must understand the truth oflife, what is worthy, what is
to be chased after, what healsand what matters.
(27:36):
So I suggest to everyone toread these verses.
If we feel that things areimbalanced in our lives, if
we're running after things,exhausting ourselves, chasing
after things that really don'tmatter, if we got this inner
(27:58):
strife that just seems not to befulfilling, that is causing us
grief and angst, go to the wordof God.
Proverbs 16, verse 2, says, "Alla person's ways seem pure to
them, but motives are weighed bythe Lord.
God knows us very well and heis ready and willing to heal us
(28:22):
if we let him.
He knows our hearts, he knowswhat moves us, he knows what
drives us.
We can give everything to Him.
We can give that strife to Him,that chasing after, to Him.
We are to live for Him and notfor the worldly gain or to
satisfy our ills.
We're not to satisfy our ills.
(28:43):
We're to get healed of them,but not feed them.
1 Peter 3, verse 4 starts with,"rather, it should be that your
inner self, the unfading beautyof a gentle and quiet spirit
which is great worth in God'ssight.
Verse 5, for this is the waythe holy women of the past who
(29:07):
put their hope in God used toadorn themselves.
" And that verse goes on to sayabout how men are to love their
wives and wives submitting totheir husbands and I know that
(29:28):
can be controversial to many,but if we're operating in
godliness it's a whole otherlevel.
Romans, chapter 12, verse 2reads, "Be not conformed to the
pattern of this world, but betransformed by the renewing of
your minds.
Then you will be able to testand approve what God's will is,
his good, pleasing and perfectwill.
" So we're not to chase afterthe things, we're not to be
(29:50):
hypnotized and mesmerized by allthe marketing and all the
things that say we must havethis, we have to look like this,
we have to do this in order tobe successful.
One by one, as individuals, wecan build a better environment
in ourselves, within ourselves,then within our families, in our
(30:16):
workplaces, in our communities,and ultimately, in the world if
we seek inner healing and innerpeace in the ways of God.
It's got to start somewhere andit starts with each one of us
as individuals.
So let's not feed our lust andgreed that are symptoms of inner
(30:38):
strife and fear.
Fear has no place in God.
(31:01):
The Lord says it's torment.
He " says, I did not createyou with a spirit of fear, but
with power, love and a soundmind.
" Perfect love has no fear.
God's love has no fear.
We are not to live in torment.
So, let it go, give it to God.
Whatever insecurities we have,whatever fears we have, whatever
reasons we're moved by greedand driven by greed and lust,
give it to God and be healed byhis loving faithfulness.
So, what do we need?
God's love.
What does the world need?
(31:23):
God's love.
Love builds, it does notdestroy.
Love builds does not destroy
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