After pride, one of the next great pitfalls that beginners face is a form of greed—spiritual greed. This isn’t about money or possessions, but about a craving for spiritual experiences.

Many beginners are so eager for the things of God that they begin to hoard them. They’re constantly seeking more: more books, more teachings, more prayers, more devotions, more retreats, more insights. They become obsessed with accumulating spiritual stuff, thinking that the more they consume, the holier they’ll become.

But this desire is not always rooted in love for God. It’s often about feeling spiritual, rather than being transformed. They collect spiritual practices the way others collect souvenirs—each new devotion or insight gives them a kind of emotional high, and they begin to equate experiencing with growing. But true growth often requires simplicity, surrender, and silence—not constant consumption.

When Spiritual Practices Become Possessions

These souls may find it hard to be content with just one prayer or one way of encountering God. They always want something new, more powerful, more emotionally moving. They get restless if they can’t feel something, as though God were absent just because the feelings are. But God often withdraws these consolations to teach the soul to love Him for who He is, not for how He makes them feel.

Even in their confessions, these beginners may feel more satisfaction in confessing virtues than faults. They may “enjoy” speaking about their spiritual victories, while avoiding the true work of exposing their weaknesses. This isn’t humility—it’s spiritual self-promotion disguised as confession.

The Soul That Consumes Grace Like a Product

This form of spiritual greed can also lead to jealousy. When they see others receiving blessings or spiritual gifts, they become anxious or competitive. Why not me? Why don’t I feel what they feel? Why isn’t God speaking to me like that? This reveals that the soul still sees spiritual growth as a kind of competition, or worse—a marketplace.

They may spend excessive time and energy trying to find the “best” spiritual experience, the most moving homily, the perfect worship service, or the most knowledgeable director. But in doing so, they’re forgetting that the goal of the spiritual life is not to feel full, but to be emptied, so that God can fill them with Himself.

The Cure: Simplicity, Trust, and Detachment

A soul that is truly growing in holiness becomes less interested in quantity and more open to depth. It may stick with one simple prayer for months, even if it feels dry. It may prefer silence over stimulation, surrender over striving. It does not chase after spiritual highs but waits patiently in the valleys, trusting God is just as present in the darkness as in the light.

God often leads these greedy souls into a kind of spiritual famine—not to punish them, but to heal them. He strips away the sweetness of prayer, the comfort of worship, the emotional rewards of devotion, so the soul can finally begin to seek Him, not His gifts. That is the heart of purification.