Posted on 01/15/2017 2:18:45 PM PST by metmom
“Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5).
If you are content with what God has given you, you will not be a person who is covetous or a lover of money.
I once had a man come into my church office and confess the sin of gluttony. When I told him he did not look overweight, he answered, “I know. It is not that I eat too much but that I want to. I continually crave food. It’s an obsession.”
Covetousness is very similar to that man’s gluttonous attitude. You do not have to acquire a lot of things, or even anything at all, to be covetous. If you long to acquire things and are focusing all your attention on how you might get them, you are guilty of covetousness.
It is not wrong to earn or possess wealth. In the Old Testament, Abraham and Job had tremendous wealth. A number of faithful New Testament believers were also fairly wealthy. The problem comes when we have a greedy attitude that craves money above everything else. Paul warns us, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Tim. 6:10). Loving money is perhaps the most common form of covetousness; it is akin to lusting after material riches in various forms.
No matter how it appears, this kind of covetousness breeds the same spiritual result—it displeases God and separates us from Him. More income, a bigger house, nicer clothes, a fancier car can tempt all of us.
But the Lord wants you to be free from the materialism that so easily controls your non-Christian neighbors. Your earthly possessions are only temporary anyway. You will lose them all one day soon enough. So God tells you and me to be “content with what you have” (Heb. 13:5), realizing that we have “a better possession and an abiding one” (10:34) in our salvation.
Suggestions for Prayer
Is there any covetousness or materialism in your life today? Confess it to the Lord, and pray that He would give you a renewed desire to trust Him rather than uncertain wealth.
For Further Study
Read Luke 12:13-34.
Make a list of the things that illustrate how God cares for our material needs. How does the rich fool’s attitude contrast with what Jesus teaches in verse 31?
Studying God’s Word ping
this doesn’t seem so clear.
It’s ok to work and plan for new house etc, but that is not coveting? even if your old house is still fine and would be ok, but you feel you want bigger house or a house closer to a certain area or whatever the reason you want to move?
Same goes with so many people who upgrade tv’s appliances etc that work fine, just not so new or up to date as newer models? is that ok or coveting?
Does it make it ok if we donate or give away used items to some one in need? but not ok if we trash them? or sell them to recoup cost of new?
They don’t use the word, but the concept is that of detachment. Basically anything you have is to be used for the greater glory of God. If you have a house to raise a large Christian family in then great. If you have or want a bigger house than you need in order to impress the neighbors or stroke your pride then you have a problem.
It is and as my take is that it's fine.
If we're using the standard definition then "covet" means "yearn to possess or have (something)" so it's hard for me to see anything wrong w/ coveting more time w/ my kids. The quote wasn't in the post above but I do think we're basically talking about the tenth comandment (from here): “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.” So that would mean it's wrong to covet my neighbor's house that he wants to keep but if one just like it is for sale then I can work and plan for it.
We hear all the time about how the government's supposed to stop "income inequality", and imho this talk is a sin. Likewise I'm very unimpressed w/ complaints about how the U.S. economy used to be half the world's GDP but now it's only a third. The rest of the world's better off --that's a good thing isn't it?
This line from the original posting just kind of threw me “If you long to acquire things and are focusing all your attention on how you might get them, you are guilty of covetousness.”
because people who plan and save for some thing do spend a lot of time and lots of attention on how to make it work out to have what they want. What color, size, style etc etc etc of an item wanted.
As you said rmichaelj, i guess if the heart is that it is some thing to be used for the kingdom, for God’s glory not largely personal want then that makes difference.
I also agree with you expat_panama I don’t believe God intends all incomes be the same or even similar. We each are given the choice to work/contribute to our family’s overall resources, and how much to work, or unique life circumstances that may limit our ability to be of help to our family and truly need to be cared for instead.
Thank you both for your replies :) helps me understand clearer.
Somehow it always seems that this stuff is a lot easier to follow in a group, I know I sure learn a lot --tx metmom!
There been times I've gotten in arguments w/ other freepers who honestly believe we should covet the wealth of others; all I can think of there is we got a lack of a moral compass. One of these days I'd love to see a thread about the parable of the vineyard and how this fits into public policy --Equal Pay and Compensation eeoc.gov.
Well, the prosperity gospel fosters and encourages discontent.
That alone should give a clue to its source.
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