Mr. Businessman

Luke 12:15 AMP

15 And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs.

Itemize the things you covet As you squander through your life Bigger cars, bigger houses Term insurance for your wife Tuesday evenings with your harlot And on Wednesdays it's your charlatan analyst He's high upon your list You've got air conditioned sinuses And dark disturbing doubts about religion And you keep those cards and letters going out While your secretary's tempting you Your morals are exempting you from guilt and shame Heaven knows you're not to blame You better take care of business, Mr. Businessman What's your plan? Get down to business, Mr. Businessman If you can Before it's too late and you throw your life away Did you see your children growing up today And did you hear the music of their laughter As they set about to play? Did you catch the fragrance of those roses in your garden?

Did the morning sunlight warm your soul Brighten up your day? Do you qualify to be alive Or is the limit of your senses so as only to survive? Spending counterfeit incentive Wasting precious time and health Placing value on the worthless Disregarding priceless wealth You can wheel and deal the best of them Steal it from the rest of them You know the score, their ethics are a bore Eighty-six proof anesthetic crutches Prop you to the top Where the smiles are all synthetic And the ulcers never stop When they take that final inventory Yours will be the same sad story everywhere No one will really care, no one more lonely than This rich important man Let's have your autograph, endorse your epitaph You better take care of business, Mr. Businessman What's your plan? Get down to business, Mr. Businessman If you can

Covetousness is a very grave sin; indeed, so heinous is it that the Scriptures class it among the very gravest and grossest crimes.

Luke 12:13–21 ESV

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

1 Timothy 6:1–12 ESV

1 Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. 2 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things. 3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.