Greed Built This House

I did catch a portion of Larry King’s interview with Bishop TD Jakes of the Potter House Dallas, TX . Many topics were addressed including the possibility that prosperity preaching contributed to the housing crisis that we are facing today. What role, if any did prosperity preaching and a “go get your stuff mentality” play in creating the economic downturn we are currently experiencing? Many financially unqualified people were able to secure home loans well above their ability to repay those loans. Ask me how I know; I know this because I was one of those people. Everything on my application was true, nothing falsified and the cost of the mortgage on the new house exceeded the amount that is recommended as a portion of income that should be spent on a mortgage. So why did I do it? I did it because God told me to do it. But God didn’t tell everyone to do it and not all who obtained homes above their means were Christians or were associated with the institution of church. Obviously, lenders and others need someone to blame for the house that greed built.

Would God tell me to get a house I could not afford? He would and He did because it wasn’t a house HE couldn’t afford.

Long story short; I was enjoying a beautiful fifty year old home when in a time of prayer God spoke to me that he would give me a new house. I did not learn till later that the purpose of the house was so I could relocate my totally disabled mother from another state to spend her last years with her children. Despite the fact that I should have been strained financially I wasn’t. God provided over and above all that was needed and I was blessed to care for my mother in her last years.

Greed built the housing crisis. Why did lenders lend so much money to people who did not qualify? Why did they write so many risky balloon payment contracts? Many of those contracts were written without making sure the homeowners understood how enormous their payments would become. And what was the responsibility of those purchasing the homes? Didn't they have the responsibility of making sure they could afford them and that they understood the terms and conditions of the contract they were signing?

We can spend the next twenty years sorting out who is to blame or we can move out of and vacate the house that greed built. Natural houses aren’t the only houses greed has built.. Greed has taken sexual perversion to new heights, greed has impacted our youth, our government, our faith, our communities, our job market--virtually every aspect of our lives. This is just another tiney thought but don’t let greed build your house…...