Let's Get Greedy?

It’s a rewarding experience for every team that makes the NCAA Tournament. For some teams, such as Texas, which won last night, and SMU and Miami (OH), the fact that they even made the tournament is a big deal, considering they were among the last few at-large teams selected.

There are also other teams like Idaho, Queens, Long Island, Howard, and Lehigh, who are surprised and pumped to be in the “Big Dance,” but some might say they’re “playing with house money,” and it doesn’t matter if they win any games in the NCAA Tournament - they should be good with just being there.

Of course, that’s not really how sports work because most players, coaches, and fans always want to win more and aren't ever truly satisfied.

Former UNC player and analyst, Brendan Haywood, once made this comment about a team winning a conference tournament: “Why not get greedy? …Let’s get greedy. Why not make an NCAA tournament run? ...We are not satisfied. Don’t let these guys get happy with just winning the [conference] tournament and then lose on Thursday, get greedy.”

It makes sense, right? Every team in this tournament should want to keep winning and go as far as possible. Even the teams that pull a first-round upset won’t settle but will want to win again. Same with the teams that win during the "first four" games.

When teams are greedy, they're motivated to keep winning, but it leaves little room for contentment, gratitude, and satisfaction. As we know, greed is a powerful motivator in many areas of life beyond sports, and we can relate to always wanting more, rarely being satisfied with what we have, and often lacking contentment and gratitude for where we’re at.

However, as followers of Jesus, we must adopt a different perspective and heart posture toward greed. Of course, we're competitive, want to grow in our careers, want more opportunities, and don’t want to be complacent, but if we aren’t careful, we can become motivated by selfish greed.

We can be consumed with always wanting more, especially money, and be willing to do whatever it takes for a little more. When that happens, it can lead to negative consequences.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NLT) tells us, “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

The truth is, if we know Jesus and have placed our faith in Him, we have everything we need. We can be content and satisfied in Him and filled with gratitude for the ways God chooses to bless us. Of course, we can work hard and make more money, but the key is being content rather than greedy.

Ultimately, instead of having a driving passion for more money or worldly pleasures, let's keep our eyes on the one who truly satisfies, and make our lives all about knowing God and resting in Him more, becoming more like Christ, and telling more people about Him.

With that motivation (a good kind of greed if you will), we continue to experience more and more winning while being filled with lasting gratitude, contentment, and fulfillment.

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for being greedy and too focused on wanting more and more selfish things. I pray that I find my contentment and satisfaction in Christ and live a life of gratitude for all You've done for me. Please give me a desire and passion to know You more, become more like Jesus, and tell more people about You. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.