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Making the right choices – Ten Words
Word # 10 Content!
“You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbour's.” (Exodus 20:17)
The last Word in our series, if violated, will have a ‘domino effect’ on the previous nine and is pivotal to the rest. Interestingly, most commandments concern our actions, but this one concerns, first of all, our heart’s attitude.
The Proverb (4:23) says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Coveting is a really strong desire for something which is not ours and bubbles up from the depths of our heart as jealousy and greed; envious at what other people have and we don’t.
Coveting means to desire excessively, disregarding the limits of ‘enough,’ and to desire, illegitimately, what belongs to another. In fact, coveting was the original sin, as Adam end Eve desired what exclusively belonged to God and took what they shouldn’t have taken.
When dealing with coveting, we need to re-direct the priorities of our heart as Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” This means that the desires of your heart will follow what you treasure most, that which is most important to you.
Contentedness
The writer to the Hebrews (13:5) gave us the antidote to the sin of coveting. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” This gives us three ways to implement Word # 10.
First of all, we should not focus on money as the most important resource to solve all our problems and meet all our needs and desires. Only God can do that!
Secondly, we should learn to be content with what we have in whatever situation and economic level we find ourselves. Doing this is an act of thankfulness to God and an acceptance of His leadership in our lives.
Thirdly, we need to trust that God knows what we need and will provide. Remember, God always pays for what He orders!
Want to learn how to make good choices based on God's Word?
Compass - finances God's way has produced interesting and helpful Bible study booklets to help you make good choices. Visit our websites: Europe : USA : Global
About this Plan
One of the most famous sections in the Bible can be found in Exodus 20, often called the Ten Commandments. The Bible does not call them ’the Ten Commandments,’ but ‘The Ten Words.’ These ‘Ten Words’ or instructions God gave form the basis for making right choices, the foundation on which to make good practical, moral, and ethical decisions, personally and for your family, business and society.
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