When I first started my Institute, Dr. Melvin gave me two important pieces of advice.
First, he told me, “You cannot do the ministry for the whole of Korea by yourself. Build a team and move forward together.”
Second, he told me to publish a monthly newsletter. He said that these two things were essential for the progress and growth of the ministry.
His advice was deeply embedded in my mind, and I kept these two commitments for more than twenty years.
But something interesting happened. At first, I thought I was simply producing a newsletter to support the ministry. After a few months, however, I began to feel that the newsletter itself was beginning to lead the ministry. As the ministry gained momentum, the newsletter became more than a report about what we were doing; it became something that helped shape what we were doing.
I think writing a newspaper column can create a similar phenomenon. Sometimes, when we continue writing about something, the writing itself begins to challenge and lead us. Today, as I write about greed, I wonder whether this column might also be leading me to examine my own heart.
The Danger of Greed
Recently, I watched a foreign movie called House of Gucci. Its story is about the Gucci family and the destructive consequences of ambition, wealth, and greed. The story eventually leads to the murder of Maurizio Gucci by his wife, Patrizia Reggiani.
The story made me think about a simple truth:
Greed can produce sin, and sin can eventually lead to destruction.
Gucci had tremendous wealth. His house was enormous, and he had many luxury cars. Yet, it seems that the more he had, the more he wanted. His wealth and lifestyle eventually created tension within the company and among those around him.
Greed is dangerous because it rarely tells us, “You have enough.”
Instead, it whispers, “A little more.”
The Greed of a Group
I once saw something similar happen in a seminary.
The president had served beyond the normal term—three or four terms—and more than ten years had passed. Eventually, people around him began to say, “He has been president too long.”
In the end, he was removed from his position, and it was a very sad situation.
I knew him personally, and I was grateful for the many ways he had cared for me. I do not necessarily think that his situation was simply the result of personal greed. Rather, I believe there was another kind of greed involved—the greed of the group around him.
Sometimes greed does not come from the individual.
Sometimes the people around us become greedy for us.
They may say, “You should stay a little longer.”
“You are doing such a good job.”
“We cannot replace you.”
“You should continue for another two or three years.”
Their words may sound like encouragement, but sometimes they become a temptation.
When People Want Too Much
I have seen something similar in large churches.
A pastor may have served faithfully for many years. The church has grown, and the pastor has built a respected ministry. As the pastor approaches retirement age, some members or elders close to him may say, “Pastor, please stay another two or three years.”
It sounds honorable.
It sounds loving.
But it can also become a temptation.
If the pastor gives in and continues beyond what is appropriate, everything he has built over many years can eventually be damaged. His reputation, his ministry, and the respect he has earned may be diminished.
Sometimes we must have the courage to say no, even when everyone around us is saying yes.
The first example I mentioned was a case in which someone gave in to the temptation of group greed. The second was an example of someone who resisted it. Their present positions are very different.
The first person continues to hear criticism from younger people in the seminary and denomination. The second is still respected as a retired senior pastor and is honored by the church community.
The lesson is simple:
Not every opportunity should be accepted, and not every request should be granted.
What Is Greed?
What exactly is greed?
Is it simply wanting too much?
Some people say they want the best husband, the best wife, or the best daughter-in-law. Sometimes that desire can become greed.
I once knew a family that expected too much from their son’s future wife. Their son had gone to graduate school in the United States and later obtained a good job in Gangnam, Seoul. Naturally, his parents hoped he would marry someone they considered suitable.
When their son introduced his girlfriend to them, however, they rejected her. Eventually, he married the woman his parents wanted him to marry.
But the marriage did not last.
For one reason or another, they eventually divorced. They had a son, but the child remained with the former wife. The man then spent years living alone, carrying resentment toward his parents.
I cannot judge every detail of that family situation. But when I look at it, I wonder whether excessive expectations played a significant role.
Sometimes what we call love may actually contain a desire to control.
Sometimes what we call a good standard may actually be greed.
And sometimes, in trying to give someone what we think is “the best,” we may take away what is truly best for them.
Greed Can Enter Ministry Too
Greed can also enter our university and ministry.
We may suddenly want the university to become bigger. We may want more students, more buildings, more recognition, and more financial resources.
There is nothing wrong with growth itself.
The question is: Why do we want to grow, and are we ready for that growth?
If we are not prepared for growth but suddenly insist on becoming much larger, that may not be vision. It may be greed.
Our university is still young. There are already universities that have existed for decades within two hours of our school. Compared with them, our university is like a baby.
A baby cannot become an adult overnight.
Buildings take time.
Students take time.
Faculty development takes time.
Reputation takes time.
Financial stability takes time.
Therefore, we must not force growth simply because we want to see impressive numbers.
The number of students will not suddenly multiply because we desire it. Our local circumstances must also be considered. We need to grow according to what God gives us and according to what we are prepared to handle.
Too much, too quickly, can become greed.
We do not need to overdo things simply to prove that we are successful.
Perhaps the wiser attitude is to be grateful for what we have today and to be faithful with what has been entrusted to us.
Greed or Vision?
This brings me to an important question:
What is the difference between greed and vision?
Both can look like a desire for something greater.
But their starting points are completely different.
Greed begins with the desires of our hearts.
Vision begins with the heart of God.
Greed asks, “How much more can I have?”
Vision asks, “What does the Lord want me to accomplish?”
Greed seeks to enlarge ourselves.
Vision seeks to fulfill God’s purpose.
Greed says, “I want more.”
Vision says, “Lord, give me what I need to accomplish what You have entrusted to me.”
There is no natural limit to the size of God’s vision. If God gives a vision, we should not be afraid of its greatness. We should move forward in faith.
But if greed continues without limits, eventually there will be consequences.
History gives us many examples of people who accumulated wealth, power, position, and honor, only to discover that the very things they pursued eventually destroyed them.
In pursuing God’s vision, however, we can receive our daily bread with gratitude. We can accept the position God gives us with humility. We can grow when God gives us growth, and we can wait when God tells us to wait.
We do not have to become rich to prove that God has blessed us.
We do not have to hold a position forever to prove that we have been successful.
We do not have to make our ministry bigger simply to demonstrate our importance.
The important question is not, “How much have I gained?”
The important question is, “Have I been faithful to what God entrusted to me?”
Greed ultimately seeks to possess.
Vision seeks to serve.
Greed says, “More for me.”
Vision says, “More for the Lord.”
Perhaps one of the greatest forms of wisdom in ministry is knowing when to grow, when to wait, and when to say, “This is enough.”
Let us therefore be grateful for today’s bread, faithful with today’s responsibility, and humble about tomorrow’s possibilities.
If the vision is from the Lord, we do not need greed to accomplish it.
We only need faithfulness.