A Statistical Analysis of Greed

READ: 1 Timothy 6:3-10

I’ve seen many Christian discussions of greed derailed by a prevailing tendency among us to define the rich as only those who have more money than ourselves, thereby absolving everyone but Jeff Bezos of this terrible sin of greed. 

Perhaps a more rational approach to defining greed would be a statistical analysis of how much wealth we have hoarded for ourselves compared to national medians, so I present the following chart which divides US households into five equal segments and presents the median net worth of each. (Net worth is the sum of home equity, savings, investments, etc; not annual income). Let’s define the segments as follows: really poor (red), poor (green), average (purple), rich (blue), really rich (orange). Find yourself on the chart.

Ok, now find where you would like to be on the chart.

If you would like to be in the orange or blue bar, you have a problem with greed. You wish to have significantly more wealth than the average American, perhaps even feel you need significantly more wealth than the average American. Your self-worth might be tied at least in part to your wealth, and you are in danger, according to Paul, of falling into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

Take it from me. I came to Christ as someone living in the orange bar and thirsting for greater wealth than what was even on the chart. The Lord confronted me with my sin by taking a lot of my wealth away, which at first seemed a curse but eventually proved a blessing as God developed in me the sense of godliness with contentment that Paul calls great gain.

Do you have food and clothing? Do you have the Spirit of God? If yes, then you have all you need.

*Chart taken from the U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation, 2008 Panel, Wave 10 - released in 2013 and dated as 2011