Any teacher or speaker will tell you that people will only remember the first and last things in a list. Good teachers will always put the two most important points or concepts at the beginning and the end because those are the things people are most likely to remember.
In the Ten Commandments, the first command is "You shall have no other gods before Me." The last commandment is, "You shall not covet." These are strategically placed because these are the two most important commandments. Out of these two commandments flow the other eight.
The last one, "You shall not covet," is very rarely spoken about. We talk about coveting about as much as we talk about gluttony, most likely for the same reason. It is so prevalent and so much a part of our lives that we would rather not mention them, and if we were to rid ourselves of either of them, our lives would have to change so drastically that it would be too uncomfortable.
However, the sin of covetousness needs to be addressed. First of all, coveting isn't simply wanting what someone else has. That's not the issue. There is nothing wrong with seeing something that someone else has and enjoying or admiring it. My dad has a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T; black on black, matching numbers, 393 horsepower at the rear wheels- total road beast. I look at that and admire it. It's awesome. However, that's not coveting.
Admiration of what someone else has moves into coveting when you begin to feel like you have a RIGHT to have what others have. You begin to use words like, "It's not fair," and "why should he/she have that and I don't?" You begin to feel resentful towards people for having things you don't have. You begin to feel slighted, denied, treated unfairly, or demeaned because someone has something that you don't. You feel that your rights have somehow been violated if someone has something that you don't.
My admiration for my dad's muscle car would move into coveting if I were to begin to feel resentful that he has it and I don't. Admiration moves into coveting when I begin to structure my relationship with my dad around the car. I position myself to inherit it. I constantly bring it up in conversation. I feel slighted that he didn't buy one for me too. I feel like I've been cheated that I don't have that car- I feel resentful over his ability to buy one when I don't have the means. I begin to insult him behind his back, calling him all kinds of names, bashing him for his good fortune and saying it's "unfair." That's when admiration breaks down and the sin of covetousness takes over.
And this describes America in 2015.
Politicians and advertisers have seized upon the human tendency towards covetousness for two different reasons. Politicians realize that they can get votes if they stoke covetousness in enough people, claiming that: 1) you have been treated unfairly, 2) why should these people have what you don't have, and 3) vote for me. Advertisers realize that they can get people to spend money they don't have- people will go into debt- to have what others have. Both groups seize upon the jealousy and resentment that covetousness brings in order to accomplish their agenda- politicians want power and advertisers want dollars.
In order for both of these groups to get what they want, they have to fill the airwaves with messages of unfairness, inequality, the haves versus the have-nots, and how they will solve all your problems if you do what they want you to do. They have both found that it is easy to control someone who feels they have been slighted. It is easy to manipulate the emotions of someone whose covetousness has lapsed into anger. It is easy to make servants out of people who feel entitled to what other people have.
Therefore, covetousness has been stoked into a national fury. Everywhere you look you hear the siren call to covetousness. "You are being denied." "It's not fair." "You should have what everyone else has." "You have a right to ___________________"(fill in the blank with whatever it is that someone else has that you didn't work for but feel a right to have).
In contrast to the sin of coveting, the apostle Paul gives us the right mindset to approach life with. He says, in Philippians 4:12-13 "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 this through him who gives me strength."
Content. What a beautiful word. Contentment, in contrast to covetousness, is the state of mind where you don't feel the need for anything. You are at peace. You celebrate what your neighbor has; you don't desire it or feel entitled to it. Contentment says, "The Lord has satisfied all of my wants. The Lord has satisfied all of my needs. No longer do I look around to see what I should have. My thirsts are quenched, my hunger is satisfied, my appetites are under my control. I am content."
So, the question for Americans is- is God enough?
Coveting has passed up baseball as our national pastime. You can always tell that elections are getting close because the political ads and the political candidates stoke up as much coveting as they possibly can. They try to capitalize on what you DON'T have and promise to give it to you (although, conveniently, they never actually DO. That's why you need to vote for them in the next cycle).
I want to suggest that you edit out the following phrases from your vocabulary and even your thoughts:
"That's not fair."
"I have a right to . . . . "
"I think I'm entitled to . . . . "
"Why should they have a _________ and I don't?"
If you notice, breaking the first commandment leads to breaking the next four. * If you don't follow "You shall have no other gods before Me," you will most likely have idols, use the Lord's name in vain, break the Sabbath, and dishonor your father and mother. Similarly, breaking the tenth commandment leads to breaking the previous four. Murder is usually preceded by coveting what someone else has- you kill to get it. Adultery is always preceded by coveting what is not yours. Stealing is always preceded by coveting. Lying, many times, is preceded by coveting.
Following the first and tenth commandments by and large leads to following the other eight. It is time for the church to rid itself of the sin of coveting. It has become ingrained in our culture, in our churches, in our families, and in our lives. Today, replace any and all coveting with contentment. You can do all things through Him who gives you strength. Be content today. God is enough. Rest and relax in His amazing grace. Let Him be your satisfaction and let all the discontent, disquiet, anger, jealousy, and covetousness leave your life for good. Have a blessed day.
*Exodus 20:3-17: The Ten Commandments.
1. “You shall have no other gods before me.
2. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
3. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
5. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
6. “You shall not murder.
7. “You shall not commit adultery.
8. “You shall not steal.
9. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
In the Ten Commandments, the first command is "You shall have no other gods before Me." The last commandment is, "You shall not covet." These are strategically placed because these are the two most important commandments. Out of these two commandments flow the other eight.
The last one, "You shall not covet," is very rarely spoken about. We talk about coveting about as much as we talk about gluttony, most likely for the same reason. It is so prevalent and so much a part of our lives that we would rather not mention them, and if we were to rid ourselves of either of them, our lives would have to change so drastically that it would be too uncomfortable.
However, the sin of covetousness needs to be addressed. First of all, coveting isn't simply wanting what someone else has. That's not the issue. There is nothing wrong with seeing something that someone else has and enjoying or admiring it. My dad has a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T; black on black, matching numbers, 393 horsepower at the rear wheels- total road beast. I look at that and admire it. It's awesome. However, that's not coveting.
Admiration of what someone else has moves into coveting when you begin to feel like you have a RIGHT to have what others have. You begin to use words like, "It's not fair," and "why should he/she have that and I don't?" You begin to feel resentful towards people for having things you don't have. You begin to feel slighted, denied, treated unfairly, or demeaned because someone has something that you don't. You feel that your rights have somehow been violated if someone has something that you don't.
My admiration for my dad's muscle car would move into coveting if I were to begin to feel resentful that he has it and I don't. Admiration moves into coveting when I begin to structure my relationship with my dad around the car. I position myself to inherit it. I constantly bring it up in conversation. I feel slighted that he didn't buy one for me too. I feel like I've been cheated that I don't have that car- I feel resentful over his ability to buy one when I don't have the means. I begin to insult him behind his back, calling him all kinds of names, bashing him for his good fortune and saying it's "unfair." That's when admiration breaks down and the sin of covetousness takes over.
And this describes America in 2015.
Politicians and advertisers have seized upon the human tendency towards covetousness for two different reasons. Politicians realize that they can get votes if they stoke covetousness in enough people, claiming that: 1) you have been treated unfairly, 2) why should these people have what you don't have, and 3) vote for me. Advertisers realize that they can get people to spend money they don't have- people will go into debt- to have what others have. Both groups seize upon the jealousy and resentment that covetousness brings in order to accomplish their agenda- politicians want power and advertisers want dollars.
In order for both of these groups to get what they want, they have to fill the airwaves with messages of unfairness, inequality, the haves versus the have-nots, and how they will solve all your problems if you do what they want you to do. They have both found that it is easy to control someone who feels they have been slighted. It is easy to manipulate the emotions of someone whose covetousness has lapsed into anger. It is easy to make servants out of people who feel entitled to what other people have.
Therefore, covetousness has been stoked into a national fury. Everywhere you look you hear the siren call to covetousness. "You are being denied." "It's not fair." "You should have what everyone else has." "You have a right to ___________________"(fill in the blank with whatever it is that someone else has that you didn't work for but feel a right to have).
In contrast to the sin of coveting, the apostle Paul gives us the right mindset to approach life with. He says, in Philippians 4:12-13 "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 this through him who gives me strength."
Content. What a beautiful word. Contentment, in contrast to covetousness, is the state of mind where you don't feel the need for anything. You are at peace. You celebrate what your neighbor has; you don't desire it or feel entitled to it. Contentment says, "The Lord has satisfied all of my wants. The Lord has satisfied all of my needs. No longer do I look around to see what I should have. My thirsts are quenched, my hunger is satisfied, my appetites are under my control. I am content."
So, the question for Americans is- is God enough?
Coveting has passed up baseball as our national pastime. You can always tell that elections are getting close because the political ads and the political candidates stoke up as much coveting as they possibly can. They try to capitalize on what you DON'T have and promise to give it to you (although, conveniently, they never actually DO. That's why you need to vote for them in the next cycle).
I want to suggest that you edit out the following phrases from your vocabulary and even your thoughts:
"That's not fair."
"I have a right to . . . . "
"I think I'm entitled to . . . . "
"Why should they have a _________ and I don't?"
If you notice, breaking the first commandment leads to breaking the next four. * If you don't follow "You shall have no other gods before Me," you will most likely have idols, use the Lord's name in vain, break the Sabbath, and dishonor your father and mother. Similarly, breaking the tenth commandment leads to breaking the previous four. Murder is usually preceded by coveting what someone else has- you kill to get it. Adultery is always preceded by coveting what is not yours. Stealing is always preceded by coveting. Lying, many times, is preceded by coveting.
Following the first and tenth commandments by and large leads to following the other eight. It is time for the church to rid itself of the sin of coveting. It has become ingrained in our culture, in our churches, in our families, and in our lives. Today, replace any and all coveting with contentment. You can do all things through Him who gives you strength. Be content today. God is enough. Rest and relax in His amazing grace. Let Him be your satisfaction and let all the discontent, disquiet, anger, jealousy, and covetousness leave your life for good. Have a blessed day.
*Exodus 20:3-17: The Ten Commandments.
1. “You shall have no other gods before me.
2. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
3. “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
5. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
6. “You shall not murder.
7. “You shall not commit adultery.
8. “You shall not steal.
9. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
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