17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
The Tenth commandment, found in the Exodus 20:17 tells us that we are not to covet anything that is our neighbor’s. Coveting is an excessive and extreme desire for what belongs to another that is wrong or harmful; it deserves condemnation or blame.
Coveting can get you into a mess.
Sometimes some behaviors are coveting in disguise. For example, a young woman who covets her girlfriend’s new God-established marriage to a saved young man might suddenly begin dating an unsaved man that she would never have considered before. In coveting her friend’s marriage, she could get herself in a mess both naturally and with God. Wait on God young woman.
Covetousness will send you to the poor house.
So, you see your peers wearing a certain popular brand of shoes. Because of your covetousness, you also buy a pair, knowing you can’t afford them. And then, because you used your rent money to buy them, you and your popular shoes are homeless. That’s foolish.
Covetousness is also not wanting an individual to have what they have.
One more thing about covetousness is that it does not just desire what someone else has, it could also present itself as not wanting a particular person to have what they have. For example, some people will see the new car that their friend bought, then go to the same dealership, buy the same car, same make, model and color and customize it just like their friend’s car. They didn’t want their friend to have a car that was so unique, so they customized their vehicle in the same way. That’s extreme covetousness. Actually, that’s just plain green-eyed jealousy.
Here’s another example. A young woman buys a new scarf that goes with several of her outfits. It is beautiful, and she loves it because God blessed her with it. A covetous “friend” approaches her, with the words, “Can I have that scarf?” That “friend” doesn’t have a thing to wear with it, and, truth be known, she doesn’t really like it that much. What is really happening here is the “friend” just doesn’t want the young woman to have it. That’s covetousness, and God is not pleased with that type of behavior.
We must not ever let covetousness be a part of our character. It will put us out of harmony with God and the Saints. Remember Philippians 4:19 (KJV) which says, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Trust God to meet your needs and shun covetousness.
Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, please keep our minds pure, our spirits holy and our motives representative of the Christ that abides with us. We want to be right, we want to be saved, and Lord, we’ve got to be whole. Tear down all iniquity until there is nothing left but Thee. Amen.
