I discovered two nights ago that I have fallen victim to the sin of covetting. Unfortunately (or a blessing in disguise?) I had no idea how to approach irradicating myself from this sin. I don't recall talking in church much about covetting, nor approaching the subject in Bible studies. Even talking with friends didn't really seem to shed any light on how to "not covet."
So, I went to the last place I could think of: The Bible. Should have been the first, I know.
I looked up the word "covet" in the topical index on Biblegalaxy.com. The first reference to this topic was Genesis 3:6 about Eve eating the apple.
"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." Genesis 3:6, NIV
Wow...what a verse to start with. The root of covetting starts in the garden: Eve sees an fruit, not just ANY fruit, THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT, and takes it. What's interesting is that there were plenty of legitament reasons to want the fruit: nutrition, looked good, provided something she lacked. And yet it came down to this: God had said no beforehand. Eve just saw the potential of such a fruit. God saw the actual.
Lesson one, for me at least: realizing that so often I see the potential in things I desire, while the Lord sees the big picture. He sees how a person, event, material item fits into the grand scheme of things in His plan for my life. While I only see the immediate, how it looks NOW. So technically NOW it will do fine, but later...what is beyond my understanding...well, we saw what happened to the rest of mankind when Eve lived in the "now".
But covetting goes beyond just desire. It is desiring a specific thing that is not mine and yet I demand and devise how to take it anyway. But why is this so tempting? Why do I want things that are not mine?
My college pastor said that all sin has this root: lack of faith in the Lord. So then I started wondering, where is my lack of faith when I covet? I found 3 main areas:
1. I lack the faith that the Lord knows my needs to fulfill His purpose on this earth.
2. I lack faith that the Lord has currently provided what is necessary for me to live His purupose right now.
3. I lack faith that the Lord will satisfy and provide my needs to fulfill His purpose in the future.
And the overarching lack of faith is this: that God made a mistake when distributing gifts, both spiritual and material, to His people. The video commerical above ended with Sarah Jessica Parker saying, "I had to have it." Apparently God didn't know that SJP would die without the perfume. That's crap. But, how often do I say, "Lord, I had to have it!" when I disobediently attempt to have what was not meant to be mine? If I had to have it, the Lord would have provided, either by prompting someone else, giving it Himself, or prompting me in a way that was honoring Him and keeping in line with His commandments.
So identifying these pitfalls has allowed me to search the Scriptures for both promises, warnings and encouragments in my Spirit-filled fight against covetedness. I pray that these verses help arm you as well if you ever find yourself in this battle.
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." - Hebrews 13:5
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. - 1 Timothy 6:9
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. - Psalm 90:14
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made. - Psalm 145:16-17
The fear of the Lord leads to life: then one rests content, untouched by trouble. - Proverbs 19:23
The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your fram. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails. - Isaiah 58:11
2 comments:
As Christians, we are no longer living under law, but under grace. This is why Jesus Christ came; to set us free from total obedience to commands which bring a curse when we try and follow them to the letter of the law.
It sounds like you are trying to obey the law. If that is so, then you do not require the grace that is obtainable through faith. You may as well go back to practicing Torah.
The devil preys on man's ignorance of of the differences between OC law and NC grace. He will accuse a man until he is worn-out. Up to you to resist your enemy and know the Word of God.
We are here on Earth working with our flesh bodies in the physical realm. Each man has different talents and abilities and we all have to make things with our hands to survive in the world. It is going to happen that each person needs things for their existence.
Matthews gospel says that those who practice the commands and teach others to do the same will be counted most in the kingdom of heaven, but those who do not practice them and teach others to do the same will be counted least in the kingdom of heaven.
However, please remember that these words were spoken while Jesus was alive - he was speaking to those still under law. By Jesus' death, the commandments and the written code were nailed to the cross. His death was to set us free from the curse of the law.
According to Gal 3:10, all who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
All you need to do is ensure that you keep faith by remaining in God's word each day and to say the Lord's prayer which requests forgiveness of sins. That will take care of your sins when commands are disobeyed.
Soterios:
Thank you for the reminder of how we are saved by grace in faith of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The blog was my personal struggle with that described in 1 Corinthians 12. It's a joy when reminded to be thankful for what the Lord has given us, rather than be unthankful and covetting another gift. When we become jealous of eachother rather than celebrating the differences, we are:
1) essentially doubting the Lord's provision/sovreignty in His decision of whom to distribute gifts
2) causing disunity in the body through jealousy or self-deprication. This disunity within the body of Christ is another tactic of the Devil.
I believe that as we are sanctified by Christ, the Holy Spirit will reveal sin that has a strongholdin our lives. In Christ I am not under the curse, but I still ask the Lord to search my heart to reveal any sin that is within me and ask for that forgiveness.
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