Yesterday we finished up our series on the 10 Commandments as I spoke on developing contentment. I had to confess to our church that this is the one that tempts me, drains me, and  the one that makes me sad. I am not into coveting someone elses wife, their car, home, money, or even their ox 🙂  What I do covet is success. I have coveted fame.

Of all the commandments, ths is possibly the hardest because when I break the tenth one, I also break the first one – “You shall have no other gods before me.” Consumerism and materialism are as much a threat to our churches as any other heresy we might envision or any other sin we might understand. It is all about our desires. We are to desire Christ. We are to desire the glory of God. We are to desire the things above, not the things below. We are to desire to please the one who died for us. We are to desire heaven. We must learn to find our fulfillment in Jesus. This world, and the things in this world, will never fulfill us. God wants us to find our fulfillment in Him. God wants people who will place themselves in His arms. He wants people who are secure in His provision, trusting in Him to provide what they need in His wisdom.

Every week during our series, I would tie in the OT commandment to the NT principle that God wantes us to learn. To overcome covetousness we must be unselfish and give – Matthew 6:19-20 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.