Saturday, August 14, 2010

Coveting

I read a blog a couple days ago (and due to my extreme short term memory! have forgotten where I actually read it) that talked about coveting. I think when most Christians hear that term they think, "you shall not covet your neighbor's wife." Or they simply mistake coveting with lusting for something big. We forget that something as simple as "I wish my house were cleaner on a regular basis!" is coveting!!
I've tried to keep that in the forefront of my mind this week and remember....

While it takes a while to water the garden, I need to be thankful that I don't have to water my garden like this:


Or that while we have 6 people living in a very small house, we don't have to live in something like this:


Praise God that He is so gracious and giving! Praise God for the abundant blessings that He has bestowed upon our family! May I be mindful today and in the future that He provides all that I need and that I need not covet anything. May I be content in the things He has provided because really, I have it oh so good.


"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."
Matthew 5:4-6 The Message

9 comments:

The Prairie Homemaker said...

What a lovely message, thank you.
I was chatting with a friend the other day and she said the saddest thing
She said that she was not happy but she was content. As if contentment were not enough.

I am happiest when I am content. I want what I have, God has blessed me abundantly and it would be horridly wicked of me not to be content with what He has chosen for me!
hugs
mel

Dee said...

What a great message and a great reminder! The Lord has provided everything we need and I am blessed.

Unknown said...

SO TRUE, Heather! It's those little sins that so easily creep into our lives and settle in for the long haul that we often don't even recognize or see. And this is one of those (coveting) that we need to continually be on guard against. Thanks for the reminder!! You put it very well.

A friend of mine who grew up on the mission field in Papau New Guinea said that every now and then his father would walk over to their refrigerator, open the door wide, and exclaim, "Would you look at this! We're filthy RICH!" All because of the fact that they had more food than they could eat at one meal. Imagine that. I think of that story often whenever I open my own refrigerator and thank the Lord we have something to eat!

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

What an encouraging word... I've been challenged this week about that too, especially with work and not getting the hours that I want/need...but I'm reminded about all the good things that God has given to me...and I'm truly blessed indeed!! God is so good!!! Have a lovely weekend. Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)

Anonymous said...

This is so true...covetousness is an attitude of the heart and it begins at a very young age. I have been meditating upon this lately in my own life and the lives of my children. We don't need more...we need to be content with what we have. "Godliness with Contentment is great gain!"

We are caught up in a society that says we can have, whether or not we have the money to pay or not. That is why debt is so rampant...it's because of no self-control, which is fed by covetousness.

Thank you again for the reminder to be praying harder, practicing thankfulness and being content with what we have.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this reminder. We need to constantly be reminded how blessed we are. Our creator gives us exactly what we need no more, no less for every moment in our lives.

Here at our house we are learning to continuously praise Abba so there is no room for the enemy. Praise Yah.
Blessings ~ Carmen

Cora said...

This is so true...thank you for this gentle reminder. Our preacher told a story of another preacher who had had a heart attack and was not expected to live very long....but he has truly amazed all the doctors and it is a true miracle he is still alive and is still preaching. All that said to say this...He said "I have to go mow the grass...NO! I don't have to do anything.... I 'get' to mow the grass" and he was thankful that he still could.

Have a blessed week!

Mrs. Laura Lane said...

An excellent reminder.

Holly said...

Thats good Heather. Glad to know I am not the only one. We all have it so good.

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