“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)

A study of over 4,000 millionaires revealed that only 13% had enough to be happy while over 73% of them stated they needed more. How much more? In the very least they wanted to double their salary but many said they needed to decuple what they had – that is a 10x increase to their income. The study reveals that as sinners we are prone to wanting more and never finding contentment. This quest for more has led many individuals, families, and organizations to unethical and immoral decisions in order to achieve more. Biblically this is known as coveting. God forbids this sinful thirst in the ninth and tenth commandments, “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).

At the core of covetousness is both a lack of trust in what God provides and comparison to others or worldly measurement (Hebrews 13:5-6; 2 Corinthians 10:2, 12). God promises in His fatherly goodness and care that His reign, rule, and providence is enough for us. He says our hearts are to be CONTENT not COVETING. Ambition for our lives and for the sake of others is also encouraged in the scriptures. Any seeking or pursuit in our lives should be for the Lord’s Kingdom, His blessings, and His righteousness. All things we receive from the Lord are to be received in humility and gratitude and utilized in ways that honor and serve Him.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, You are the giver of all good things, and You have promised to be faithful to provide everything that we need. Would You help us to find trust and contentment in You. That our hearts would not continually pine for more, but instead we would have a healthy version of ambition and growth and we would give You thanks and praise for all that You faithfully give to us as You hold true to Your promise to provide. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.