Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5
“I now want to give a counsel that may sound strange. It is that we should learn to pray even when we are dwelling on evil. Perhaps we are waging an interior battle over anger, or lust, or pride, or greed, or ambition. We need not isolate these things from prayer. Instead, we talk to God about what is going on inside that we know displeases Him. We lift up even our disobedience into the arms of the Father; He is strong enough to carry the weight. Sin, to be sure, separates us from God, but trying to hide our sin separates us all the more.”
Richard Foster in Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (San Francisco: Harper One, 2002) 14.
With David, the psalmist, Jenni and I testify that not covering up sin but acknowledging it with regard to money paved the way for freedom, life, and victory for us. Society told us that good stewards stored up treasures on earth, so we did it, until we realized that Jesus explicitly told us not to do that, though most everyone, including Christians, did it. It’s humbling to admit.
When we took our greed to God while still wrestling with the implications of obedience, He graciously forgave us and showed us that He was not trying to rob us but trying to help us. Remember “storing up treasures on earth” according to Jesus is “greed,” and it’s sin (cf. Luke 12:13-21). Don’t hear this as condemnation, but as a liberating confession!
How can people grow in generosity? Not by giving a little bit more. Stats show that’s not the answer. The Scriptures point the way! Talk to God about your greed. Be honest. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If you do, you will find forgiveness and freedom, help and hope from our generous God! And you just might discover your role on the planet in the process.