"Covetousness and Contentedness: A Lesson From BERNIE MADOFF"

I don't imagine that many will mourn the death of Bernie Madoff, 82, who passed away yesterday. Madoff (above) ran the world's largest Ponzi scheme ever devised and had served 12 years of a 150 year prison sentence. He defrauded many, many people as he enriched himself in the process. His name is pronounced "Made off" as in "Bernie MADE OFF with the loot," and he is universally hated.

The Lord Jesus asked "What does it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul" and Bernie helps to answer that question. It DOESN'T profit you!! Everything Bernie gained has been left behind, and the Bible teaches that if he, like anyone else, didn't repent of his sin, he's in Hell now. Hell is so awful because those who go in never, ever come out. The Gates of Hell don't open after 150 years, you see!!

Bernie's theft began with COVETING...wanting something (more money) that wasn't rightfully his, and not being CONTENT with what he ALREADY had (he was NOT a pauper, I assure you)!! More on this later.

See, you and I don't have to take the level of RISK, for the level of REWARD that Madoff did, to wind up lost and unmourned when WE die. All we have to do is break the Commandment about not coveting and never repent of that sin but keep going on with it. Nothing we can gain in this life is more important than the destiny of our eternal SOULS, people. Nothing.

COVETOUSNESS is something we all struggle with to greater or lesser degrees and it's something we have to guard our hearts against. I had an example of this YESTERDAY, before Bernie even died.

It wasn't about wanting more MONEY, it was about wanting to upgrade my VEHICLE.

I was at my Car Dealer getting work done on my beautiful 2015 GMC Terrian, investing in its maintenance, and I saw THIS new showroom model (below). My heart melted. I have never seen such a beautiful vehicle as this new showroom model!! But may God give me CONTENTEDNESS which is the only CURE for COVETOUSNESS!! Scripture says “Covetousness is idolatry” but CONTENTEDNESS shows Thankfulness and gives PEACE. Funny thing is I usually do NOT covet cars or even new gadgets if the OLD one is still working, but in an instant I began the foolish thought of trading in my beautiful, well-maintained vehicle towards buying THIS one...

To paraphrase a great Christian writer, either WE will kill covetousness or COVETOUSNESS will kill US!! May God help us all NOT to wind up like Bernie Madoff.