Now there's an old fashioned word that you don't tend to hear too often.
In our church's children's club, they have been learning about the Ten Commandments. My husband Tom has been taking it in turns with our Pastor to do the little talk with the children. Today he will be covering "Do not covet". We had some discussion last night as to what that actually means.
I have to confess it is not a Commandment I think about that often, and find it difficult to apply to my own life.
Does it mean that you should not desire to possess anything that anyone else has? You shouldn't be greedy? You shouldn't want anything you don't actually need?
As Tom and I were chatting, he said he felt the essence of the Command was teaching us that we shouldn't desire to be somebody we're not. That by desiring the possessions of others, it is not only their belongings we want, but who they are and the lifestyle they might possibly have.
`As a crafter and someone who loves looking at other people's Blogs for inspiration I can often fall into this trap. I sometimes think - if only I had that new product that person used, my cards would look just as beautiful as theirs, and then maybe I’ll have as many followers as them and be asked to be on design teams like them...and so on. Can you see how the desire for a thing turns into wanting to BE someone else.
God requires us just to be us. To be accountable just for ourselves. To come to Him just as we are, with all our faults and gifts, imperfections and hopes. To be made complete by Him, through the work of Jesus. To the live the life we have been given, to do the tasks he has set and created for us to do, to love the people around us and to share the love of Jesus with everyone we meet.
So rather than get down and feel ever so guilty about all the times I have coveted, I am going to look to Jesus, to remind myself I have been made perfect by him. That God has a plan for my life and it's my job to find it and follow it, and with God's help run the race set before me.
