Contentment 101

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

The tenth and final of the Ten Commandments is last for a reason. It holds great importance in the law of God. As with the first commandment—“you shall have no other gods”—when we obey this one, we kill in the root several of the others. You will never get to adultery if you do not covet your neighbor’s wife. You will never steal if you have no desire for your neighbor’s possessions. Most murder would be avoided if there were no jealousy or envy or lust for power or wealth. And how much lying and deception is in an attempt to grasp for what we desire? Covetousness is a mighty sin.

And again, the reason it is so mighty is that it is a root sin. James puts it this way: “Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (1:14, 15) He reiterates this point later: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain.” (4:1, 2) When you get down to it, covetousness forms the root of just about all of our other sins.

Oddly, however, and most unfortunately, it is probably the sin we least acknowledge but excuse the most. How many men—and women, surprisingly—think “looking at the menu” is OK as long as you don’t “order the meal,” meaning one can commit adultery in the mind—lust—as long as he doesn’t follow through with actions? How many pine after a bigger house, a newer car, a more lucrative job, a prestigious position—and are secretly angry (this is true envy) when they perceive their neighbor has something “undeservedly” better?

Is it wrong, then, to desire good things? Of course not. But desiring what God has given our neighbor and what God has chosen not to give us is always wrong. We should desire and look for and long for and pray for the blessing of God—and give thanks for the great blessings we have received from His hand. But when we are upset with the good fortune of others, or their perceived good fortune, we have crossed the line into the realm of envy and covetousness. We should be joyful and thankful for what God has given others as well.

We can know we have crossed over into this realm when we are eaten up with discontentment and a complaining spirit. Gratitude is the sure remedy. Love for others will lead us to be happy for their welfare and blessing, and love for God will lead us to be happy with what He in His sovereign and benevolent wisdom has given us. True and ultimate satisfaction and contentment will only be found in God, of course, but those who have Him have all things in Him. Contentment recognizes this by faith and finds a joy that cannot be robbed by any circumstance or situation.

“Father of lights and Giver of every good gift, we give You thanks this day for all the blessings of this life and of the life to come. We deserve none of this, and that makes us that much more grateful. Grant to us true contentment, dear God—make us truly satisfied with You, with Your will, and with all You have designed for our lives. Deliver us and keep us from covetousness, envy, jealousy, discontentment, and lust. Teach us how to keep Your righteous command not to covet and in that way nip in the bud so much other sin born of our desires. May our one desire be to dwell in Your holy presence, we pray in Christ’s name. Amen.”