Thou Shalt Not Covet
God’s final rule for life is that we shouldn’t covet. In
other words, we shouldn’t want what our neighbor has.
God knows, much better than we do, that material
possessions won’t make us happy. While it’s natural to
admire what someone else has and even think, I’d
love to have a car like that! it’s when we become
envious that we’re breaking this tenth commandment.
When we envy what someone else has, we become
resentful of him. A covetous spirit leads to spiritual
downfall.
To covet something means we begin thinking inward,
focusing on ourselves and what we want and how we
can get it. This naturally removes our focus from God.
He wants us to forget about ourselves and become lost
in Him. When we do that, we naturally want to meet the
needs of others instead of constantly fulfill our own.
This final commandment from God teaches us to learn
the secret of contentment — to be happy with what we
have. How do learn this secret? By allowing God to
produce the fruit of His Spirit in our lives — love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. When we’re truly living out
these characteristics, we allow them to take the place of
our sinful nature: sexual immorality, impurity,
debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord,
jealousy, rage, selfishness and envy.
Since true contentment is found only in a solid,
growing relationship with Jesus Christ, we need to
allow Him to meet all of our needs. When you become
envious of someone, ask God to help you dig a little
deeper to see if there’s a more basic need you’re
lacking.
For example, if you’re envious of Nathan’s being
elected class president, look a little deeper. Maybe
you’re feeling insecure, unappreciated or lonely. Ask
God to meet your basic needs, and this will help guard
against covetousness.
Which of the following statements depict an envious
spirit?
• “Wow! Did you see Beth’s new car? I’d love to be
driving one just like it someday.”
• “I can’t believe Alex got the new Nikes! I’ve gotta have
them. Hmmm. Wonder how I can get them? He doesn’t
even need new shoes. I really deserve them! I’ll watch
and see if he leaves them in his locker during P.E. If he
does . . . too bad, Alex! They were meant for my feet!”
• “Hi, Sami. I heard you’re moving to a new house. One
with a pool. I guess you think you’re pretty special now,
don’t you?”
Again, there’s nothing wrong with admiring something
that someone else has — as in the first example. It’s
only when that admiration becomes selfish, arrogant
and destructive that it turns into envy.
Know It!
