Luke 12:15(KJV)
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
In our anchored Scripture, Jesus firmly denounced covetous living. He said life is not defined by what we have, even when we have a lot. To understand what the Savior taught about riches as He walked the earth among men, we must realize that He paid no heed to the traditions of men. The words of Jesus contain lessons that counter the customs of our day. He was very emphatic when He warned us about covetousness. Covetousness is a mortal sin that has taken over our society. It is to desire that which is not ours, to live for self-pleasure instead of living for God’s pleasure, and to enrich oneself at the expense of others. Covetousness is to love and pursue money and wealth instead of being content with life and loving and seeking God and His will. Covetousness is a heart issue. It is a heart that loves money and possessions. It is mentioned in the Ten Commandments as a grave sin, as Exodus 20:17 states, “you shall not covet… anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Covetousness enslaves people and drives them into being obsessed with stuff they do not have or belong to them. Covetousness is a lack of contentment with one’s lot. When we are never satisfied with what we have per time, nothing is ever enough; we always want more. In other words, discontentment is what usually drives people into covetousness. Life means much more than the abundance of our possessions. A wrong perspective of life has misdirected so much of people’s time, efforts, and money toward eternally irrelevant things. Many people are willing to die to attain fame, success, and power. In their imagination, they define success as material acquisition, which explains why people focus so much on acquiring wealth and material possessions. Some hurriedly join the millionaires’ club through shortcuts at others’ expense. They will do just about anything to get money: steal, defraud, inflate the cost of materials, and so on. In 2 Kings 5:20, Gehazi suffered the punishment of leprosy when he yielded to the disease of greed. Many have lost their salvation and other Christian experiences due to covetousness and greed for money and material things. They have traded their souls for the devil. Such people are in serious trouble because no covetous, greedy, or lying fellow will enter Heaven. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Beloved, live in total obedience to God by being content with what you have instead of bowing to the devil. Godliness with contentment is a significant gain. Thank God for what you have so that unbelievers will see the light and glorify our Father in Heaven. You have Christ, and that is all you need. Christ in you is the hope of glory, the guarantee that everything else you could ever require is already in you. Guard your heart against greed and covetousness! Never allow them to kill your conscience. Separate yourself from any friend who will talk you into materialism. Wait patiently for the Lord, and do not worry when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes. Today, shun covetousness and embrace God’s Word in contentment. Incline your heart to the word of God and not to covetousness. Be excited about where you are now, for your future is colorful and bright. You don’t have to steal or cheat to have more, just be content and accept your present position. Don’t struggle to be like others because you don’t know how they got what they got. Don’t live your life according to the expectations of people, but live your life according to the expectations of God. Remember, whatever is not yours that enters your hands has come to reduce what is yours, for when you take what is not yours, you tamper with the future of your seed.
O Lord, break the hold of covetousness over my life and fill me with godliness and contentment in Jesus’ Name.