Covet: A Candid Moment
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.
Exodus 20:17
King Ahab was so obsessed with Naboth’s vineyard that when Naboth wouldn’t sell the property, he went home to bed and pouted. Queen Jezebel told her husband to grow up and then unleashed her own adolescent attitude of noble entitlement. And Naboth’s homicide brought upon the wrath of God and her own family’s gruesome demise.
I think God included “thou shalt not covet” in the Ten Commandments because He knows we’re inclined to become obsessed with what we can’t have.
Eve did it in the Garden of Eden long before King Ahab.
What Do You Covet?
I pouted for several years when life-saving surgery left me unable to have the big family I’d always wanted.
But my Grandpa always used to say, “I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.”
Valerie's Grandpa always used to say, "I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet." Read more in this post on #CandidlyChristian Click To TweetThey say you can judge a man by his shoes, but God judges the heart. So instead of letting desire morph into idolatry, I’m learning to confess my sin and give thanks to the God who gave us everything we need in His son Jesus.
Jesus, You gave your life for me, yet I still want more. I’m sorry for being ungrateful. You are all I need, and I thank you for Your provisions. Please help me to better follow Your commandments. Amen.
Join the Conversation
Do you have any thoughts or experiences with coveting you’d like to share with us? We would love to hear from you. Join the conversation in the comments below.
Related Resource For Christian Women
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Envy is one of the sins I struggle with most. Thank you for writing about it.
It’s one of those things we want to pretend doesn’t happen, but you’re not alone, Lauren. You’re making me think I should write about it more, so thanks for sharing your struggle with us.
This is so good, Valerie. I’ve definitely been in a place of coveting . . . of craving for a husband, or for children, or even for other, lesser material things. I’ve had to give so many of these cravings to the Lord. I also find there are things I yearn for, and again, I have to lay those before the Lord and ask Him to do what He will with those yearnings. Great post!
I’m glad this was encouraging for you, Jeanne! You’re not alone in your struggle and you’re wise to lay it before the Lord as often as it takes. Thank you for visiting us and for sharing sharing how God is using our words to point you to Him.