You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…spouse…or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Exodus 20:17

In order to understand contentment, let’s look at its opposite: coveting. Coveting makes God’s Top Ten List of practices to avoid. We don’t use that word much anymore, but we are very familiar with the practice. In the 21st century, coveting fuels nearly every TV commercial and reality show. Coveting is behind our interest in celebrity lifestyles, designer handbags, flashy cars, and pornography. They’re all just a little out of our reach, so we spend time imagining what life would be like if only… Wall Street, Hollywood, and the porn industry survive primarily by making money off our covetousness.

God hates coveting because it destroys contentment. Let’s see how it looks on Lucy and Leo. Leo has been a kind and faithful husband, but Lucy has noticed that Mary’s husband sends her flowers every week. Leo wouldn’t know a flower if it bit him, so Lucy begins to fantasize about how much happier she would be with Mary’s husband. She begins to detest Leo. Leo, on the other hand, can’t keep his eyes off the neighbor’s new speed boat parked next door. He used to like those neighbors, but they keep flaunting their wealth and he starts to resent them. He deserves a boat as much as they do, so why them? Coveting is like acid poured into the human heart. It eats away at contentment through comparison. It stirs dissatisfaction with every aspect of our lives, including our relationships, but contentment frees us to love God and serve people unselfishly.

Final Thought:  Purpose to keep coveting out of your family’s Christmas.

Prayer: Father, I spend a lot of time coveting what I don’t have. I call it by other names, but it makes me discontented and I start feeling resentful of people who have what I want. Please forgive me. I will be satisfied with what you’ve given me. Amen.