“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
--Exodus 20:17
The first nine commandments have to do with actions. But the Tenth Commandment, “You shall not covet,” has to do with your attitude. The first nine have to do with deeds, but the tenth has to do with desires.
Think about it this way. Most of the sins we commit are outward and visible. It’s pretty easy to spot stealing when you see it, and if you’re the subject of a lie, you see it up-front. But the sin of covetousness is inward and invisible. Others can’t see it. You can’t see it. Only God can see it.
That’s why the apostle Paul spoke in 1 Thessalonians of the cloak of covetousness. It’s a cover-up for a lot of other sins like selfishness, greed, cheating, and on and on and on.
Right now, our nation and really our world are paying a high price for our collective covetousness and greed. Its symptoms, to name just a few, are things like excessive credit card debt, bank failures, and corporate scandals. We are paying a price for the ungodly way we have handled our possessions!
And it’s not just Wall Street who’s to blame. We need to look in our own hearts too! Because if we think we’ll be happier by having more stuff or better stuff… if we buy the lie that our identity is found in the car we drive or the clothes we wear or the street we live on… we will always be disappointed.
I mean, think about it. How many times have you experienced the “new” wearing off on something you bought? We all have. Things… while they might bring temporary satisfaction or pleasure… ultimately don’t satisfy! The only thing that will ever really satisfy the hunger in your heart is an intimate, growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
So today, let me remind you again of all you’ve been given as a child of God. You have forgiveness of sins. You have a new identity in Christ. You have the Word of God. And you have the Spirit of God living in you! Remind yourself today of these truths to combat the temptation to covet.
As a follower of Christ, you have far more than you deserve… and you have everything you will ever need!
THE ONLY THING THAT WILL EVER REALLY SATISFY THE HUNGER IN YOUR HEART IS AN INTIMATE, GROWING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:59–62
Though he was saved as a teenager, Charles Studd did little for the Lord until he went to hear D. L. Moody preach. The evangelist’s fervor for the lost stirred something within his heart and he became a fervent soul winner. After surrendering to go to the mission field, Studd gave away his massive inheritance, much of it to George Müller’s orphanage, and spent the rest of his life as a missionary in China, India, and Africa. C. T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”
There is no way we can fully comprehend the sacrifices Jesus Christ made for our salvation. Leaving Heaven filled with the praises of angels and laying aside His glory to take on the limited body of a man, Jesus valued our redemption more than His privileges. He took our sins upon Himself and endured the separation from His Father on the cross, which was far worse than the physical suffering He experienced.
Having done all that, He freely offers salvation to all who believe without any qualifications or merit. How could we possibly think any demand He makes of us is too great? Given what we deserve, we should already be suffering the torments of Hell; instead, we have eternal life. He deserves our complete and total surrender.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Those who are not willing to give up what they hold most dear are not prepared to follow Jesus.
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