BE SATISFIED

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus 20:17

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today, we come to the last of God’s Ten Commandments that were handed down to the Israelite people from God through Moses. This final command deals with the matter of coveting and a look at the dictionary will render the following definition of the verb "covet":

1. To wish for earnestly.

2. To desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably.

3. To feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another.

In the case of the nation of Israel, God demanded that they weren’t to covet (or desire) "anything that belongs to (a) neighbor." This included their home, wife, servants, or livestock.

It’s interesting to note that this final commandment of the ten actually serves as a reinforcement to a few of the others already mentioned. For coveting what another has can lead to adultery, stealing, and even murder. And using the political example from yesterday’s message, a candidate that is behind in an election race could covet the position so much that they would be willing to bear false witness against their opponent.

The point is that people will often do almost anything to get what they want, even if means sinning in the process. After all, at its core this is what coveting is, a sin and a violation of God’s tenth command.

So the questions our message asks us include:

Do you covet or have you ever coveted?

Have you ever envied another because they seemed to have more than you?

Have you ever found yourself wishing you could be another person just to have what they have, whether that be fame, good looks, success, wealth, or love?

Frankly, I think we’ve all been guilty of this if we’re honest. The enemy loves to put us in a place where we’re not satisfied with what the Lord has given. And so instead of just being thankful, we choose to yearn and yearn for more.

So why do we do this? Why do we covet despite the Lord telling us not to?

I think the simple answer is that we are in the world, even if we are not of it. And this world we live in is a "me and I" society where people typically only care about themselves and this leads to a selfish heart, a selfish heart that wants it all, even if it has to be at the expense of someone else.

Indeed, we are a people who simply can’t be content with what the Lord has blessed us with. Too often, people develop an insatiable appetite for more and more things, possessions that they feel will make them feel fulfilled but in the end, they only end up wanting more still. And here’s the thing, these possessions people obsess over are fleeting. No one can take anything with them when death comes and this worldly life ends. This is why Jesus had this to say in His Sermon on the Mount which we have touched on in previous messages:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-20

So given that this is a problem that impacts a large majority of people in the world, to include Christian believers, how do we deal with this problem of being covetous?

Here are two tips:

1. Appreciate what the Lord has provided and give thanks.  

When we seriously step back and take account of our lives and the lives of our families, we can either yearn for more than what we have or count all the many blessings God has given us. Two very different life attitudes and the Lord would expect us to choose the latter for when we do, we will find ourselves happy and grateful rather than dissatisfied and complaining.

2. Simplify your life.

Friends, we get so caught up in materialism that we forget our Christian spiritualism. Possessions - or the quest for them – can take us over and begin to possess us if we’re not careful. And when this pursuit of the things of the world reaches a fever pitch, turning into an obsession, we can start down the road of coveting and its negative consequences.

Go back to the words of Jesus on treasures from Heaven versus treasures on earth and you will find Him ending this exhortation with the following:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. v.21

The point He makes here is that if your heart is set on material things, then you’ll be on a perpetual hunt for more and more worldly treasures. But, if your heart is truly on Him (Jesus), then He and He alone is your treasure and you will cherish Him more than anything else in life.

One thing’s for certain, Jesus didn’t get caught up in materialism.

Why?

Because His heart was one with His Father God’s. His Father was His treasure and this is what led Him to live as He did. Jesus’ magnificent obsession was to obediently carry out the will of His Father, a will that have Him willingly suffer and die so to save all sinners who would place their belief in Him. Had He only cared about Himself, coveting life, Jesus would have chosen self preservation. Thanks be to God He didn’t for none of us would be with hope today if He had.

So let’s give thanks for the greatest gift we have today as Christian believers, the gift of eternal life that we did nothing to earn. Rather, it comes to us through Christ free because of God’s love and grace. And with this, let us vow to simplify our lives, fully realizing that having Jesus as our treasure is all we really need, a truth that eradicates covetousness.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.