Have you ever watched young children play together? Each one can be happily playing with their toy until they notice the toy that their peer is playing with. Suddenly, you hear “I want that!” and see a hand rushing to grab what appears to be better.

I had the privilege of being raised with the best of everything. However, when I was a teenager, I noticed classmates who owned designer purses and clothes. Suddenly, what I had did not seem to be enough and I felt unhappy. I desired to have what they possessed.

But these must be struggles limited to our younger years when we lack maturity and understanding, right? Well, unfortunately this desire can rear its ugly head at any stage in life. Maybe you have found yourself riding in your air-conditioned car listening to music until you arrive at your friend’s house and see their new car. It looks so luxurious that now, your car seems like a jalopy and all you want to do is purchase what your friend owns.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, to covet is defined as to desire wrongfully what belongs to another.

Among the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses, He addresses this issue in the tenth commandment: “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) This law was put in place to teach us right from wrong in our relationships with others. What we may dismiss as harmless desires actually is sinful.

In addition, when our hearts are in this place of wrongful desire, we are communicating to God that we are not content with what we do have. Whether we are unhappy with the material possessions we own or the relationships we are in, our lack of satisfaction conveys that we are not grateful for our blessings. Boy am I sorry for not giving thanks to God for all that I did have as a teenager!

The Bible reminds us that “Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:10b). The Apostle Paul said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” (Philippians 4:11)

Lord, please forgive us for coveting. May our hearts be content and grateful because we know that You are good and greatly to be praised. Amen.