Absolute greed ruins one’s life hard-core; can we avoid and overcome it?

By Tu’uu Mata’afa Mulipola Peato Mikaele 29 October 2017, 12:00AM

We are observers of our own human world and nature; and we are so good at interpreting appearances of the earth but not the signs of time.

Therefore this article is not in particular an attack on someone specific or making a judgment on any singled-out person; but generally speaking as a contribution to what we all should be reminded of; as we are all living beings subjected to earthly sinful nature called ‘‘Greed’’ in our daily living. So talking about greed, have you ever seen a person who wanted “everything’’ just for himself?

‘’Everything’’ in this context are from money to wealth to all our fleshly desires and pleasures to bodily addictions and lust of every kind. 

Eventually everyone is greedy at some point and also even sometimes people can demonstrate greed without even knowing what they are doing it.

In the long run, they might get an idea about the definition of greed without truly knowing the definition of it. At some instances, greed is when someone feels like another person is getting something more and becomes jealous so they become secretly angry; a problem happens and then acts unexpectedly strange in order to get to that level or get pass it. 

Greed is only being demanding but can also be someone who can’t share at all. Greed sometimes happens out of pure jealousy and burning anger or even hatred to the ones who are in good standing in their own right and then trying your best to live as close as possible to that level in everything; but so forcibly unprecedented. I am talking about money and wealth here. 

Jealousy over those who are rich and outstanding and why they come to acquire plentiful of money, successful businesses, own freehold lands, beautiful homes, wealth, cars, recognition because of their honest commitment to their own work.  They will become greed and those who see those successes also would become greed. So greed would go either way. 

Greed also applies to those who are so greedy that they think they are the only ones or the only heirs who are entitled to a disputed ‘’matai’’ title. That is very dangerous; ‘’greed of family matai titles’’ with limited understanding of ancestry and lineage rights, coupled with arrogance, stupidity and jealousy.  

But why should one be so jealous of others and end up in aggressive life and enjoin in the shameful lifestyle and then ultimately become so strangely snobby and underestimate ordinary friends?

By the way, there are people who have been ‘‘gifted with Richness’’ by GOD at His Own Choosing and Plan, throughout the generations and family ancestry bloodline. It’s their blessing and they keep it that way to provide one way or another for the people who really need them via business trading and so forth or by donating for the needy or the poor at some stage.

But for the others, it’s normal that our human purpose is not to look for excess money or wealth to grow rich but to make a living within a reasonable margin and give to the poor at the same time.

The Lord’s Prayer says it all when our Lord taught us to pray, he said this; ‘‘Give us this day our daily bread.” It deeply means  “we ask God through the work of our own hands to give us enough for a day’s feed’’.

It does not say “Give us this day extra heaps of breads to store for tomorrow or a 100 year period.” God knows that if we do, we will definitely become so greedy and our focus will shift to the earthy things rather than to Himself; GOD. Greed can be personal with a hidden agenda that no one knows other than you yourself.

It sometimes can become a collective result of conspiracy of a gang corrupted, colluded and criminal minds. Whatever the case may be, if you show little or no greed then you will do really well in life.

Sometimes showing no greed is the ticket for you to earn friends. Sometimes if you have a job and show no greed whatsoever and show that you are on top of things it can cause a promotion and others will hate and become jealous of you. So, pretty much greed is one of our personal traits inside us - human beings. 

Overall, greed is pretty miserable and can sometimes be the highlight of your life. Greed will make everyone hate you sometimes because you become so abusive and it causes you to live an isolated life. It ruins your life pretty hard-core, brings about a bad family name and bad reputation when you excessively overdo it.

You then become less care about critics as greed tastes so sweet in the mouth, but how about it in your intestine – I don’t know? Showing too much greed then you can turn everything you worked so hard for in life ‘‘upside down’’. Greed means a complete “inconsiderate of other human beings.” 

For the affected person’s rights to the moneys, wealth, assets, jobs, titles and everything which they are suitably qualified for and entitled to is in haze and completely shut down by those greedy people who are chosen to administer or those who prey on people’s innocence. 

Now that being said, though how much greed you show is basically up to you. Nobody can control you or the thing that you do. However; if you show greed just to get your way for everything then that can really be a part of your character.

In other words, if you show a lot of greed then that will make up a lot of your character and vice versa and that is what the title of this piece ‘‘Absolute greed’’ refers to. When greed becomes an addiction desire and routine, it sadly becomes a mortal sin then its worse. 

By one’s love of money and wealth it will become the root of all evil; Scripture says - but to this columnist personally; it can only become evil if one desires to receive such money and wealth, fleshly evil pleasure so exceedingly unwarranted, by not only with a corrupted mindset, lust but with an evil selfish intent. 

Greed can sometimes a continuous show of some people’s ancestry traits and personalities ending up in the unfairness treatment of workers or forced labor in some family line tradition within disdainful feelings. There are so many kinds of greed and we still see it happening everywhere in this world and is there a way we can always put an end and take a u-turn, if one is living under those shameful and ugly habits?

The answer is a big YES. There is always an answer to every question. To me this is how to deal with it at some stage?

You take a close and deep look at your own image in the mirror for 2-3 minutes. Think about the greedy things you’ve done and how long it were.

See your suffering face as a result of your own evil greed. Think of others who are suffering as you continue to exercise non-stop greed for so long. Then pray devotedly for a change, to avoid and to overcome.

Think lowly of yourself, discern and deny yourself and to extinguish in you the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of worldly evil desires that cause all these greed; repent and try to change the course of living life with graces and eternal gifts of GOD via the Holy Spirit. Pray constantly for God’s mercy for change in your life, to blot out your offenses.

Wash your guilt and cleanse you from sin. Praying help us indentify what matters most and strengthen the mind and heart to give priority to those things rather than to our own self-desires. It’s your inmost being that must be renewed and become a new person. You cannot change your life without God’s gifts of graces and mercy.

My advice in addition to prayer as aforesaid to avoid greed; it is all about good planning for your future. That helps avoid the shame and effect of greed.

It goes like this; As long as you have paid everything before retiring or you are still under employment; you have done with your kids schooling and your kids have raised families of their own, and raise your grandchildren; they have jobs for their own financial support; you have already got a home on a fully paid freehold piece of land, you have paid all loans; have a good running car for transportation, possess a reliable back-up savings fund for fa’alavelave and church donations activities [if you are retired]; through your own personal matai matāfale lotu serve God and give to the Church, do your own daily errands personally and freely, look after your own home, your small manageable farm, crops and pets; attend daily Mass and pray the Rosary daily for your kid, grandkids, the Church, your families, your neighbors, your aulotu and parish, your country and its leaders, pray for those who make you their enemies and you don’t know why, pray for world peace and pray to completely eradicate greed from this world and that’s all you need; enjoy life, no stress, no greed, no jealousy and hatred of others.

 Have a peaceful Sunday and God Bless Samoa.

By Tu’uu Mata’afa Mulipola Peato Mikaele 29 October 2017, 12:00AM
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