“Going from coveting to contentment”,  Devotional #5

            Have you ever seen a beautiful house and wondered why yours wasn’t that big or pretty?  I almost did it the other day while I was watching HGTV!  I haven’t always coveted a beautiful house but to be honest I’ve done it plenty of times.   There was a time when I would covet someone’s house or car or vacation at least once a week!  I knew at the time that one of the commandments states that we should not covet (“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 NIV).  I still coveted anyway.  It wasn’t until the Lord convicted me of why I coveted that I stopped.

            I was reading Philippians 4:11b-13 one day and that’s when the conviction hit me like a good slap on the face, like the ones you see in the Spanish novelas (soap opera)!  It says, “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

            The definition for coveting is, to wrongfully desire what belongs to someone else.  Content means to be pleased or satisfied.  If I were to be truly content with my life then why was I desiring what belonged to someone else?  The answer for me was that I was unsatisfied with what I did have and therefore opened myself up to the sin of coveting.  Yes, it is a sin to covet.  That is why its one of the commandments.  Coveting something from someone else means that what you have isn’t good enough.  This in turn means that the heart is ungrateful.  An ungrateful heart is unsatisfied with God’s provision.

            My friend, please do not misunderstand what I mean.  It is more than fine to have “wants” and not just “needs” brought to the Lord and a desire for Him to provide them to you or to your loved ones.  What I am saying is that after He has provided and the heart is ungrateful for what has been provided leads to sin.  It opens the door for the evil one to penetrate our hearts and our minds with negative thoughts that lead us to be ungrateful.

            Have you ever given your child a gift with all of your love to then have them fuss and complain that it was not what they wanted?  That’s the same thing as us wanting something from the Lord and when we receive it we are not satisfied.  Just like we fulfill a lot of our children’s desires the Lord does so for us too.  But sometimes we don’t fulfill their desire for whatever the reason, be it they’re too young, it’s too expensive, it was something inappropriate…whatever the reason the truth is we do not always fulfill their wants but we do all that we can to fulfill their needs.

            In Philippians 4:19 (NIV) says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”  Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him” (Mathew 7:7-11 NIV) 

            Again, in Philippians 4:13 it says “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”  Yes, it’s true, it’s hard to not covet especially when you do not have much but that is where Jesus’ strength helps!  He helps us to do all things even to be grateful in whatever our current situation. He knows what are needs and our wants are and He will provide what is best for us just as we would for our children.

            So, the next time I watch HGTV, which is often, I will be strong and not covet the beautiful houses that are shown and instead admire the beauty like I do a painting and leave it at that!