Greed is the excessive acquisition of possessions. Most commonly, it involves the pursuit of material wealth or goods—but not always. A greedy person might jealously guard or long for a single possession. In fact, the sinful vice of greed can be directed toward many things: power, recognition, acceptance, romantic interests, or any other form of excessive desire. Whether one is greedy for material things like money, houses, and cars, or for other self-gratifying pursuits, the end result—if greed is not repented of and abandoned—is captured in the Bible’s sobering warning about the love of money: “some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10).
Like all the deadly sins, greed has a divinely supplied remedy. Learning about and practicing the virtue of generosity allows the Holy Spirit to drive greed from our hearts.