Blog
Exodus 20:17, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
The tenth and final command given in Exodus chapter twenty. A culturally acceptable way of expressing this commandment sounds like, “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”
As a child, I coveted things like wanting my friends’ parents; you know, the parents that allowed their kids to “do everything they wanted.”
Into my teenage years, I coveted those who had popularity because they were “never lonely.”
I am sad to say, as an adult, I still struggle with a spirit of coveting. I find myself coveting the things I do not have that I see others in my life possessing. Things like: more money, a fancier home, children, a more established ministry base.
Important to note is the difference between desiring and coveting.
Google defines desire as a strong wish for or want for something. We know, desire of good and or godly things in and of itself is not sinful.
Psalm 37:4-5 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Preceding this verse in Matthew, Jesus speaks to his followers about physical needs and God’s ability to provide them as they serve Him.
Biblically speaking, to covet means to desire something that belongs to someone else.
If I’m being honest, I am very secretive about my coveting. It is something that others often do
not see, but God who sees the intentions of my heart knows it full well.
Outwardly, coveting sounds like, “I saw on Instagram they went on a vacation to *insert dream vacation here*. The pictures looked nice!”
While my inner dialog sounds something more like, “I wish I was in *insert dream vacation destination* instead of them. If only I had money like them, I could be on vacation and happy. I deserve to be happy like they are getting to be happy.”
Covetousness is based on three lies:
Lie #1 Those that have what I covet (i.e., desire to take) are “happier”
Lie #2 Those who have what I covet are free from struggle/stress
Lie #3 Those who have “it” are at rest
When reflecting on my childhood and adolescent covetous mindset, I can quickly dismiss the perceived truths that kids with more liberties were happier and at rest; my adult self knows the granting of greater liberties encourages a moving target of desire.
I also know that being popular does not equate to the absence of loneliness; in fact, I’ve learned quite the opposite. Those at the “top” often don’t have people who truly know and appreciate them.
However, as an adult, I find myself still struggling to put these lies that lead me to sin (i.e ,covet) to death in my life.
If I’m honest, my prayer life often reflects me asking God to give me what others have so that I can be “happy and at rest” VS thanking God and contentedly resting in the provision and season he has for me.
Psalm 23:1-3 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
When I focus on the lush pasture of His mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual provision, other people’s “green lawns” are less appealing.
King Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes that there is a “time and season for every matter under heaven.” He goes on to tell us that the Lord “makes everything beautiful in his time.”
This truth reminds me that I must and can rest and invest in the season He has me in; I can be content right here and right now knowing this is His beautiful provision for me.
Copyright © 2024 Lifeword.org. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from Lifeword.org