Why?
A lot of people think the United States is being run by a greedy oligarchy. These men are in government or behind government simply to profit themselves and make more money.
Let's look at President Trump, for example. He is already a billionaire and yet he is seeking to make more money, using the office of the presidency to make more deals for himself, his family, and his friends.
The question many people ask is: why?
The president is 80 years old and already financially secure. Why in the world does he need more money?
You look at these huge corporations making millions of dollars, and yet they are seeking to increase profits next quarter, to make even more money, to increase market share. Why?
To leave behind economics and go into romance: some kings in history had hundreds of wives and concubines. Why? What true relationship can you possibly maintain with all these women? One is simply robbing other men of women and robbing the women themselves of genuine affection.
You go to school, take out a lot of loans, and acquire multiple degrees. Why? Now, you are drowning in debt and the jobs you find don't pay you adequately.
An Arab prince who has hundreds of cars in his parking garage: why? Will he seriously be able to drive all these cars? Isn't it a waste of resources that could benefit the nation?
Or a person who has a closet full of clothes they never wear, buying expensive shoes that never see the light of day. I think there was a president's wife—Marcos of the Philippines—who had countless shoes in her closet. Why? A waste of national resources.
See, the thing is, we can see the issue when the billionaire is not satisfied with his billions and seeks more, but we can't see it when it applies to us. It is said that this world has enough resources to feed us all, but greed has turned it into a place of the haves and the have-nots.
See, the thing is, all these things we talked about are good, but taken to an excess, they cause ruin. It is good to have money, for the world system operates on money to help facilitate commerce; but when money becomes the aim of life itself, it corrupts the soul as a person seeks to fill his inner void at the expense of others.
Having one wife is good—the Lord Himself prescribed it—but when women become the aim of life, they become objects to manipulate, use, and dispose of, or to have as trophy wives to put on display and nothing else, robbing them of their humanity and other men of a good wife.
It is good to have degrees if the aim is to do a particular thing that requires degrees, but there comes a point where having the degree becomes a matter of ego and prestige, and it corrupts the soul.
The reason we seek more and more of things that we know at a certain point no longer satisfy is to maintain appearances, to feed our ego, to compete with others, and to make ourselves seem better than them. It is a psychological attempt to fill the spiritual void deep in our soul—the need to feel important, loved, and honored.
But these attempts can lead to the ruin of others, as with what oligarchies do, whether through robbing the workers, manufacturing wars for profit, etc. Or the Arab prince robbing the nation of its wealth while he lavishes it on expensive cars, or you robbing yourself of peace by being restless in keeping up with the Joneses and ruining your health or finances to maintain the appearance.
The truth is, we all have something we believe will satisfy us if we can only have one more, like the drunkard who thinks one more drink will do it. The thing is, experience has taught us it's not true.
The only thing that "one more of" will not only satisfy us, but also do no harm to self or others, is the love of Christ.
While it is good to pursue things, do all things in moderation, lest you become consumed by them and start to live an absurd life that to you makes sense, but is in reality utter foolishness.
The only cure for greed, the love of display, and keeping up with the Joneses is to seek more of the Lord; this alone will keep us balanced and content with what we have.
