The Seven Deadly Money Sins that Kill
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The “deadly seven” of Sloth, Envy, Gluttony, Pride, Lust, Anger and Greed are all showcased in our money behaviors. Though not all neatly listed together anywhere in Scripture, they are referred to throughout God’s book. Whoever penned them originally is not certain, but it’s believed by many that the artists and philosophers of 14th century ingrained them into the Christian consciousness.
They are not direct violations against God’s Commandments, but they are the vices, or stepping stones that stir up the tendencies to commit serious offenses against God.
On the next few pages are examples of these seven deadly sins as they apply to your money. Ponder the questions for each of them—and then ask yourself additional ones that may apply to you. Then review their offsetting virtues. The more we practice these virtues, the better chance we have to protect ourselves from falling prey:
Sloth
Am I too lazy about controlling my spending habits, improving my savings habits and investing the needed time and effort in a serious long-term plan for my financial future?
Am I too lax or forgetful about regularly asking God for wisdom in my financial matters?
Offsetting Virtue: Diligence
Persistence in action and in prayer with a determination to eliminate or at least minimize our slothful money habits. It takes more than sitting in our prayer chair saying “Oh sweet Jesus. I’ve got this house payment coming and don’t know what to do.” We need to change our money behaviors from the inside-out.
“Go to the ant, oh sluggard and learn her ways.”
(Proverbs 6: 6-11)
To combat sloth, I resolve to...
Envy
Do I fret over my next door neighbor’s new Mercedes or girlfriend’s new $40,000 kitchen?
Am I always looking “up the ladder with envy” more often than “down the ladder with thanks”?
Offsetting Virtue: Kindness
Envy shows itself in a person’s distress over the fortunes of others. But to compare ourselves with others this way is living death. Kindness, however, shows itself in the unbiased and caring concern for others. So if you feel envious of people with more money, know that God can help you overcome it. Money in God’s eyes is no basis for measuring equality.
To combat envy, I resolve to...
Gluttony
Do I squander my money on immediate pleasures instead of disciplining myself to save and invest regularly?
Do I spend like there’s no tomorrow, never paying attention to the price of things?
Offsetting Virtue: Temperance
Temperance is having moderation and self-control over our spending habits. People who receive windfalls, particularly lottery winners for example, will often burn right through the money subconsciously until they end up right back where they were before they got it. When you suddenly become flush, it’s easy to lose respect for your money and the wisdom you may have gained. As Psalm 49: 20 says—
“For in all their riches, if mortals do not have wisdom, they perish like beasts”
To combat gluttony, I resolve to...
Pride
Do I pat myself on the back when I achieve financial success?
Do I think I’m better than those who have not achieved as much as I have?
Do I live by my own ego boundaries that restrict others from coming into my space and my life?
Am I too stubborn about not diversifying my investments in places besides my employer’s company stock?
Offsetting Virtue: Humility
Pride is an overblown view of your self-worth compared with humility, which is based on selflessness and respect for others. It’s easy to pat ourselves on the back after we achieve some measure of financial success. But we must always remember where our abilities came from to make that success. Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us—
“Remember, it’s the Lord, your God, who gives you the power to acquire wealth.”
To combat pride, I resolve to...
Lust
Is my answer to the question “How much money is enough,” always a little more than what I have?
Have I become inflicted with the lures of lifestyle creep?
Offsetting Virtue: Chastity
Though chastity commonly refers to purity and respect for God’s gift of sexuality, it can also relate to respect for “God’s money.” The way some people abuse, misuse and disrespect it is far from chaste behavior.
“Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you (Hebrews 13:5)
To combat financial lust, I resolve to...
Anger
Am I too unreasonable, dominating and rude with people whom I’ve had financial dealings?
Do you get angry with your advisor or broker when your investments are not performing to your expectations?
Do I fight with my spouse over financial matters?
Does my anger or prejudice affect my investing decisions such as only purchasing socially conscious mutual funds or tax shielded investments?
Offsetting Virtue: Meekness
When we are meek, we work for solutions to conflicts with patience and forgiveness for the errors of others instead of with anger and unneeded revenge.
To combat anger, I resolve to...
Greed
Am I determined to keep my “silos on earth” topped off?
When I do business deals, am I always looking out for number one at the expense of others?
Am I tempted to invest in “too good to be true” investments that promise obscene returns?
Offsetting Virtue: Liberality
Liberality, unlike greed, is about our willingness to give freely, cheerfully and lovingly with no expectations of anything in return. The incident about the rich man asking Jesus what he had to do to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus saying “Sell all you have” is a lot to ask of us, but His point is clear about the perils of possessiveness.
To combat greed, I resolve to...
