Why does Paul pose greed against patience (1 Timothy 3:3)? A strong desire to continually gain more possessions colors an individual's character. The focus on earthly things leads to deceiving others, dishonesty and watering down the truth to gain favor.
Sermons may be maneuvered to influence people to give more, rather than speaking truth. This is sometimes done by continual badgering, but more often than not, in America, it is done by preaching prosperity and not the gospel of repentance and changed behavior.
The desire for wealth can lead to dishonesty. The individual is not willing to wait for the possession by working and saving, but may stoop to stealing, may become resentful toward those more fortunate, or sharp and dismissive to those who do not have wealth.
Greed is like a silent cancer that eats away at patience and destroys the soul.
