One greedy for gain troubles his household, but whoever hates bribes will live. Proverbs 15:27, TLV

Bribing God?     Greed elevates a desire for things and power and work, above a desire for God and family. It is greed that changes our priorities from our relationship with God and our loved ones to us and our goals.

When our pursuits of money, possessions, food, recreation, or power eclipses those relationships, it’s time to stop and evaluate our priorities

We may attempt to “bribe” the family with a bigger house, nicer vehicle, or extravagant vacations, but nothing is more valuable than our time with them.

Ministry

One area of greed that isn’t discussed too often, is in the area of ministry — or good works. It’s very easy to become so focused on working for God, that we forget our relationship with Him.

How does this happen? It generally begins with neglecting our responsibilities at home. When our family moves down the list of our priorities, our relationship with our Heavenly Father will also be affected. This is because we choose the work over the relationship. Eventually, it’s not just our family that suffers, it’s our time with our Father.

We may even attempt to “bribe” the Lord with promises of bigger exploits on His behalf, but the Creator of the Universe doesn’t need our promises or exploits. He wants us.

It’s such a subtle shift, which is why it is so important to monitor. We need to be purposeful in guarding our time with God and family. It’s too precious not to.

Think More About It

Have we tried to bribe our family with more things to compensate for our investment with other priorities? Has it resulted in affecting our relationship with them—and God?

Until tomorrow, may we guard our relationship with God and family, my friends.

Thanks for giving priority to praying for Israel. God bless you and Shabbat Shalom!