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Scripture References:
• Exodus 20:17
• Luke 12:13-21 (The Amplified Bible)
• Joshua 1:8
• 1Timothy 6:9, 10
Have you ever looked at something your neighbor had and could not get your mind off having it yourself? Now, I am not talking about aspiring to a higher standard of living based on what God says in His Word. I am referring to the greedy longing to obtain something that does not belong to you, getting it by any means necessary. This is covetousness, and it inspires many other wicked thoughts and actions that will eventually destroy a person’s life. Covetousness, like any other work of the flesh, is a way of thinking that opposes the will of God.
How does covetousness start? It begins with words that you pay attention to that do not line up with the way God thinks. Everyone will have the opportunity to get into covetous thinking, but it is what you do with the thoughts and suggestions of the enemy that makes the difference.
First, we know from the Word of God that covetousness is wrong. It is not okay to have greed and lust for money and material possessions in your heart. Whenever you have a wrong relationship with the material realm or even with a particular person, covetousness can enter your thought life. If you give place to it, it will then cause you to covet and act on your lustful and greedy desires.
The Word says to “beware of covetousness,” which clearly signifies there is danger associated with this way of thinking. Jesus gives an example of a certain rich man who allowed covetousness to infiltrate his soul. His wrong relationship with his money and possessions shut down the love of God and caused him to only be concerned with storing up his wealth for himself. He was not focused on using his prosperity to bless others. Unfortunately, his covetousness opened him up to an attack of the enemy and he died. This man lost everything he thought he would gain because of his greed.
The problem with covetousness is that it disrupts our relationship with God, who is love. Covetousness is absolute selfishness and causes us to turn our attention on ourselves rather than God and other people.
There are so many negative actions a covetous person can be driven to take. Theft, murder, and adultery are all the result of a person wanting something he does not have a right to and determining in his mind that he will get it, even if it means hurting others.
Abandoning a covetous mindset means identifying where we got our current way of thinking from and acknowledging it as wrong. We are all the product of the words we have heard on a consistent basis. Sometimes words and ideas that come from our families, friends, and environments, while growing up, tend to influence our mindset. However, we must renew our minds with God’s perspective on things. Meditating on the love of God and understanding the purpose of the things God blesses us with are two places to start. To love money or any material possession means we have a wrong relationship with it and are headed for trouble.
The only way to true and lasting prosperity is through the Word of God. By keeping the Word before us continually, we make our way prosperous and eliminate the need to acquire things and relationships through selfish means. There is more to life than the abundance of material possessions, and we should focus on using the things God has blessed us with to be a blessing to other people. When covetousness is eliminated from our lives, we are able to experience what true prosperity is all about!
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— Creflo A. Dollar
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