The False Gods We Worship: When Greed Feels Like Survival
Sunday, April 12, 2026
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There’s a kind of honesty that only shows up when everything else is stripped away.
Not the polished kind.
Not the kind you’d post when life is going well.
The kind that shows up when you’ve got three pairs of clothes, a carry-on bag, and you’re laying your head down in someone else’s house wondering how you got there.
That’s where this story begins.
When You Have Nothing… and Still Want Everything
A few months ago, I came to St. George with almost nothing.
Three pairs of clothes.
A CPAP machine.
Medication.
A phone.
A computer.
That was it.
No home.
No car.
No stability.
And yet… something inside me was still reaching.
Still wanting.
Still grasping for more.
Not just needs… but wants. Expectations. Even entitlement.
That realization hit harder than the poverty.
Because I expected the opposite.
I thought if someone had nothing, they’d be humble. Grateful. Content.
But in my own life, I saw something different:
I was the greediest when I had the least.
The Hard Truth About Greed
After studying The False Gods We Worship by Spencer W. Kimball, something became painfully clear:
Greed isn’t just about having too much.
It’s about wanting something for nothing.
It’s about expecting blessings without sacrifice.
Harvest without planting.
Increase without contribution.
And if I’m being honest…
That was me.
I didn’t think I had anything to offer.
So instead of giving… I waited to receive.
That’s a dangerous place to live.
Modern Idols Don’t Look Like Statues
In his talk, President Kimball teaches that we still worship idols today.
Not carved figures.
But things like:
- Wealth
- Comfort
- Status
- Security
- Possessions
- Even our own ease and appetite
And here’s the part that shook me:
Anything we put before God becomes a false god.
Even survival.
Even fear.
Even the desire to “just get back on our feet.”
Because if we’re not careful…we start trusting things more than we trust Him.
The Lie I Believed: “I Have Nothing to Give”
That lie will rot a man from the inside out.
I believed it.
I thought because I didn’t have money… I didn’t have value.
So what did I do?
I stopped offering.
Stopped serving.
Stopped creating.
Stopped giving what I could give.
And when you stop giving…
You start expecting.
And expectation without contribution turns into resentment real fast.
The Truth: You Always Have Something to Offer
Even at your lowest:
- You can encourage someone
- You can share what you’re learning
- You can serve
- You can listen
- You can create
- You can build something small
Value isn’t just money.
And when you realize that… everything shifts.
Because now you’re not a consumer anymore.
You’re a contributor.
Greed Is a Heart Problem, Not a Money Problem
I used to think greedy people were the ones with too much.
Now I’m not so sure.
Some of the greediest thoughts I’ve ever had came when I had nothing.
Wanting life to be easier.
Wanting things to be handed to me.
Wanting results without the process.
That’s not poverty.
That’s a misaligned heart.
“A Heart of Stone” vs. “A Heart of Flesh”
Scripture talks about the Lord replacing the heart of stone with a heart of flesh.
“A new heart … will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).
A stone heart says:
- “I deserve this”
- “Why don’t I have more?”
- “Someone should help me”
A heart of flesh says:
- “How can I serve?”
- “What can I give?”
- “Lord, what would You have me do?"
That’s the transformation I’m after.
Not more stuff.
A better heart.
What Changed for Me
I sat down with my bishop.
And he told me straight:
“You need to get the greed out of your heart.”
No sugarcoating.
No soft language.
And he was right.
Since then, I’ve started asking different questions:
- What value can I create today?
- Who can I help right now?
- What has God already given me that I’m not using?
And slowly…
Things started shifting.
Not overnight.
But directionally.
God First. Everything Else Second.
This is the fight.
Every day.
Putting God first means:
- Not chasing things for their own sake
- Not measuring your life by what you have
- Not expecting blessings without obedience
- Not placing comfort above calling
It means trusting Him enough to:
- Give when it’s inconvenient
- Serve when you’re tired
- Build when it’s slow
- Wait when it’s hard
A Warning… and an Invitation
This world is full of false gods.
And they don’t announce themselves.
They show up quietly:
- In your desires
- In your frustrations
- In your expectations
And before long…
You’re serving them without even realizing it.
I know.
Because I was.
Maybe I still am in ways I don’t fully see yet.
But I’m working on it.
Start Here
If you’re feeling this…
If you’ve been wanting more but feeling empty…
If you’ve been waiting instead of giving…
Start small.
Today.
- Give something
- Serve someone
- Create something
- Pray honestly
And ask God to change your heart.
Because that’s the real miracle.
You’re Not Alone in This Fight
I’m right there with you.
Still learning.Still repenting.Still trying to put God first.
But I’ve seen enough to know this:
When God comes first… everything else finds its proper place.
And that’s a life worth building.
If you want to read the full talk that sparked this shift in me, you can study it here:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1976/06/the-false-gods-we-worship?lang=eng
Gratefully,
Scott Alan Westhoff
Create A Great Day.
Hi, I Am Scott Alan Westhoff
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