The Dangers of Covetousness

4-4-16

Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.

 Bible Verse of the Day: Deuteronomy 5:21 " You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land. his male or female servant, his Ox or Donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor

According to Webster's Dictionary, Covetous means greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious, mean, having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions. Covetous implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.

I have found covetousness to be a very subtle and deceptive form of sin that the Devil uses to keep us in bondage. If not identified and repented of, it can lead to many problems. In my experiences, the real problem of covetousness is it is rooted in your heart as a means of expressing displeasure with your current situation or circumstances. It takes your focus off of being grateful for what you have and instead makes you anxious and tense worrying about what you don't have, or what you think you deserve. It is that subtle shift in mindset that can really leave you bitter or unappreciative. That in turn can make you very difficult to be around. I have been that person before and I know for a fact I wasn't any fun to be around when I was in that state of mind. It robs you of trusting in God and thanking him for what you do have and instead you put tension on yourself in focusing on what you lack or what other's have. It can take many forms: unhappiness with your appearance, the neighbor's house or car, the job you are in, the state of our political situation, our teacher or boss, your relationships etc.

Covetousness can lead to many problems if not dealt with swiftly through identification and repentance. If you really think you deserve something you don't have, you are prone to shortcuts, ill gotten gains, laziness, entitlement attitude and greed by focusing on what is lacking rather than praising God for what He has already provided you. It is the old saying of I was complaining about not having a new pair of shoes until I looked over and saw a person without any legs. When we compare our situation to someone else's using material possessions as a "scorecard" we are setting ourselves up for emotional disaster. We will never feel happy or content as there will always be someone else that has more "stuff."

The impatience we exhibit in wanting something for ourselves that we think we deserve now has many consequences associated with it. Getting out in front of God's timing or purpose can lead to many other unforeseen events which can create even bigger challenges for us. In our mind we create a scenario that I call the "if only" syndrome. "If I only had this or had that, then I would be happy, or content, or at peace or whatever." So we become ungrateful and anxious. In contrast, when we are grateful for what we do have, that leads to contentment which leads to peace. The former creates a negative feedback loop that usually leads to us being miserable, doubting God's goodness or ability to help us through a situation. The latter leads to a life of peace and contentment as we focus our attention on the gratitude for what we do have through God's great provision. When we are grateful and content, we are more likely to take bold action in relying not on our own abilities, but in recognizing the abilities we have been given by God in order to glorify Him. It is purely a matter of perspective.

So we can choose which path to follow. An ungrateful and anxious heart focused on all of our lacking's or a grateful heart full of contentment and joy that springs up out of an intimate relationship with the Lord. The time is now. The Kingdom of God is not off in the distant future, or buried in the past, but is right now! He has already given us all we need to be effective in whatever area of life He has called us to; namely, our strength which is found in Him! Satan will use covetousness to destroy our testimony and our lives. Our job is to use the strength found in Christ to keep that from happening.