The Consequences Of Coveting
Are you struggling with covetousness? Contact an online mentor to talk about it, privately and confidentially, via email.
Please open your Bible and read Exodus 18:17-21
People oftentimes develop a desire for something that is not in God’s plan for them. When they fail to attain what their heart is set on, the desire can build into intense, unrelenting pressure.
Christians who are consumed by covetousness have ceased to depend on God. To reach our goal, we can manipulate circumstances because we have lost faith in the Lord’s ability to know what is best and provide it. Such behavior indicates that we reject the sovereignty of God. Then fear fills our life as we chase harder and harder after the things we desire.
Letting go of sin: Exhale sin, inhale the Holy Spirit
Needing a timeout with God?: Take our Life Lesson
The consequences of covetousness are painful. Our sensitivity to God weakens to the point that we cannot hear when He speaks to us. As we distance ourselves from Him, our envious attitude breeds ungratefulness. We can no longer be thankful for what we have, because our focus is on what we do not possess.
Covetousness leads to a life of tension and worry. Jethro wisely advised his son-in-law Moses to search for assistants who hated ill-gotten gain. These men were more interested in what God provided for them than in what they could acquire for themselves. If we want to be like them, we must focus on God’s purpose for our life. When we are sensitive to His voice, He will teach us to distinguish between desires falling within His will and those that lie beyond. As believers, we have the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us resist the lure of wrong desires. Covetousness does not have to be our downfall.
Question: How does our dependence on God reduce our urges toward covetousness?
About this Author: Charles Stanley
