Covetousness vs Contentment

Recently, my wife and I were at the checkout in Walmart. The cashier was a Christian, and while she rang up my groceries, we talked about the goodness of the Lord.

I paid for our groceries and other items and put them into my shopping cart to proceed to my vehicle. As we walked away, I heard the cashier calling me and running towards us with two bags of items that had been accidentally left behind.

While she approached us, two women who were walking our direction overheard the cashier. One lady shouted, “I’ll take it!” Meaning she would gladly take my paid for items. I responded quickly and humorously, “Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”

How often have you or I wanted something that belonged to someone else or felt envy when someone else was blessed with something we desired to have?

Currently, in almost every society, we are taught to strive for more. This mindset comes from educators, family, friends, and every type of social media platform and news outlet.

If you watch TV almost every commercial shouts at you to buy more, have more, or enjoy more. Covetousness and hedonism are portrayed and celebrated, especially here in North America.

Our culture teaches us the more money and toys you have, the happier you will become. Monetary gain and earthly possessions are the focus and goal. This mindset is fixed on the temporal world and only what it has to offer.

Many people are more concerned with their 401K than the condition of their soul and walk with the Lord. They are more worried with their family’s financial status and comfort then their eternal destiny. As long as everyone in the family has a good education, career, and retirement plan, everything is simply fine. This was the mindset of the rich man (Luke 12:15-21) who was not rich towards God.

Success is not evil. The Bible teaches us to have excellence in what we do (Proverbs 12:4; Philippians 1:10) and even promises us success as we meditate upon God’s word day and night to obey it (Joshua 1:8-9; Psalms 1:1-3).

Having abundance is not wrong. Abraham was a very wealthy man, but he loved God more than his stuff and was even willing to sacrifice his son in obedience to the Lord, when he was tested (Genesis 22). His heart was not in what he had. It was in the fear of the Lord and pleasing Him.

How often have you purchased something that was never or seldom used, and after holding on to it for years, you finally decided to donate it to a charity or a nonprofit? Was the impulse to buy the object motivated by covetousness?

What becomes evil is when we crave the things of this life, and they become our primary focus. Our hearts are then burdened down with the cares and the deceitfulness of riches, and we lose our fervent love for the Lord and our relationship with Him goes on the back burner, just close enough for any need or emergency that may arise. The apostle James calls this condition adultery (James 4:1-4).

The scripture teaches us to desire the things which are not seen (2 Corinthians 4:18) and to set our minds and affection on things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1-2). There is no law against craving these things (Galatians 5:22-23).

Where is our affection? What are we really looking for in this life? When will enough be enough? Where are our values? Is it all right to be content with what we have? When is it more about giving than receiving? Sharing instead of taking?

You seldom hear of contentment and modesty being encouraged by the news, Hollywood, or other media outlets.

However, we do not have to blame it on TV, friends, or anything else. Covetousness is a sin that accompanies the flesh, and we all have to deal with it in one way or another (Galatians 5:19-21).

Covetousness and selfishness go hand and hand. They are part of the fallen nature of man, and even though we come to Christ and become New Creatures in our spirit, we still must deal with the carnal nature of our flesh until we die and leave these mortal bodies. We still have choices to make.

Before going further, the Father wants His children to walk in health and prosperity, as long as it does not get in the way of their relationship with Him. Wealth has never been the Father’s number one priority for His children. Spoiler alert! His number one desire is for us to become like Christ in every way (Romans 8:29; Galatians 4:19).

The Lord does not want us to be obsessed with anything that draws our hearts away from Him, His Word, and our sincere love and devotion (Jeremiah 2:13).

Covetousness will draw us away from our first love. It will stagnate our walk with the Lord and cause us to be double-minded, trying to love God, while loving the world and chasing after everything it offers.

But what is covetousness? What is contentment? Let’s find out what the Word of God has to say about it.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU." Hebrews 13:5

This passage tells us to avoid being covetous. The word used in the Greek text means not avaricious or not greedy of filthy lucre. Throughout scripture the words covetous and covetousness are mostly used in negative connotations.

For example, “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man [or woman], who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Ephesians 5:5”

Here covetousness and idolatry are connected. We know from reading the Old Testament, idolatry was an abomination to the Lord, and the nation of Israel was often severely punished because of it.

You may be wondering if having nice things is idolatry. No, it is not idolatry to have a nice house, car, or any other basic provision of this life. It is a sin when we are obsessed with those things, and they become the appetite and focus of our heart.

In its simplest form covetousness is a strong craving for something that is usually forbidden or draws us away from God. It could be something that belongs to your neighbor, family member, or friend, such as their position, home, car, husband, wife, status, or wealth.

When we crave this world and what it has to offer, our focus leaves the Lord and His Kingdom and work. We are caught up with this brief life and the lust of other things, and our joy and happiness are in temporal things that will ultimately burn up in the coming judgement as the apostle Peter wrote (2 Peter 3:10).

We will discuss this more in our next post. Until then, may God our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ richly bless and keep you.

James Brown

03/29/2025