Hello Everyone,

Well, I knew this day would come… the last of the 10 Commandments, # 10. Can you  believe time has progressed so fast? I mean, it is Spring already! Whoa! I think next week I will have a summary discussion and also perhaps an idea of what topic we’ll cover next.

Recall, I asked if anyone had any suggestions. I was thinking the last 10 weeks might have stirred some thoughts. I mean, I have no problems coming up with things to talk about concerning the Bible. But I love to speak about what is on other people’s hearts too.

We’re private now… And though I have tried to lead an online Bible discussion here, I certainly want you all to bring stuff up. What more worthwhile activity is there other than understanding and comprehending what our Maker has said?  I like to search the
scriptures and arrive at the truth. You know, if an issue comes up… what does the Bible say about it? If it has not been obvious… now you know… that is my gig here; The truth, whatever may come! Okay, so the 10 Commandments have been our teacher lately. And let’s look at the last one.

Exodus 20:17
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

Basically we are not to covet. We should avoid covetousness in all its forms. Put another way, a covetous person is thinking in a way that Almighty God forbids. Don’t forget that Jesus brought God’s law to bear on our inner thoughts and desires, intentions and motives too. What we think and desire on the inside is fair game to God! And covetousness is really one of those dangerous inner sins that can manifest yucky ugly fruit on the outside.

So what is coveting? Basically it is a strong longing to have what another has. Merriam-Webster states:

intransitive verb : to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another

Now to desire something is okay. It is normal. Desire is a trait common to all of us. Just like wanting something. My stomach is empty, I will want to eat. I desire to teach my kids good manners and I miss my friends so I want to be with them.

So when does normal wants and desires turn to coveting? Here is when we get into the dark recesses of our inner beings… we covet when we don’t have and wish we did in a self-centered way, in a greedy way, in a discontented and thankless way.

You have heard the phrase “The grass is greener on the other side.”, and it very may well be. But does it bother you? Does that grass on the other side make you look at your own grass and be disappointed with it? This is like keeping score and thinking you’re losing and
being either angry, depressed, apathetic or resentful. You think you deserve the greener grass yet you don’t have it. You don’t have it, someone else does.

Eons ago, I would have occasion to play gigs in rock and roll bands. I thought I was so cool. I felt I played pretty skillfully on the drums or bass guitar or whatever. Usually we were the opening band. We would draw a few people to watch us play. Then after we  finished and the next band was setting up, more and more people would arrive…
(attractive girls also)… and I would take notice.

Then once the headliner band played, I would hear and realize that were not very good. It was their persona that was attracting the crowds. The singer was either good looking or a circus act to watch, the drummer had a two-foot high Mohawk, the bass-player had a wall of booming top-brand amplifiers with a gazillion rack effects, and so on and so forth. It was pure image. The music (to me) was lame. I would make fun of them and pick out things to criticize about them to show how much of a poser they were. Soon I would walk away in disgust at their act.

But really I was bitter and resentful. Why? I was coveting the adoration they received from the crowd. I wanted the pretty girls to flock to see me play. I wanted to guys to see how cool I was. But they didn’t. Pretty silly of me, huh? You know, once in a while I still can
sense an urge to criticize Bruce Springsteen’s singing when I hear a certain song of his on the radio. But that thinking is really prideful, because I used to think I can sing better than him. So self- centered.

Think of some ugly fruit of covetousness… Someone who key-scratches your shiny new car. You have it, they don’t. Oh think of someone stealing something from you. They saw, they came, they took. Guys, pornography feeds your coveting of what you aren’t getting what you think you need to be content. Gals, being a little too familiar with men who aren’t your husband feeds your coveting of attention you aren’t getting what you think you need to be content. And the ever common, “If I can’t have her, you can’t have her either… boom”. Just think of this: Who wasn’t God and wanted to be?

So, how could we not covet what our neighbor has, and never long for anything they might have, but rather can be happy for them? We could possibly be this way if we were  contented with our own things. Generally speaking, a contented person is thankful. A contented person can be satisfied despite the Joneses new “his and her” Porsches.

Likewise, love is contented. A Christian knows a permanent type of contentment because they know they don’t deserve anything, but that everything they do have is a gift from God, right down to their very breath. Let us see and learn from Paul’s example:

Philippians 4:11b
…I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

Just reading the life of Paul in Acts and his epistles will indicate he had a supernatural capacity to be content. What was his secret? You’ll have to read Romans 8:28, ha!

Read it yet? How awesome is that?! Thank you Jesus!

Peace,
Jim