day 247: 10 Commandments (the Tenth)

Deuteronomy 5:21

'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

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This little series has came to an end rather abruptly (to me) because I numbered them wrong and thought we were just up to nine. Apparently, I think we need 11 commandments----

Anyway, here we are on Commandment number 10: "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors goods."

Of course, we know that our 'neighbor' includes everyone-- not just someone who lives by us. If we are supposed to love our neighbors (everyone) then we shouldn't covet what they have either.

And this one is hard-- I admit it. Because we always see something we want that someone else has. Someone has a new car, new clothes, new ring, new baby, new house, new calling, new ministry, new computer, new blog, new blog award, new *whatever*.

OR we covet others' relationships (marriages when ours isn't going the way we want), body (if we aren't liking ours), friends, tv, job opportunities (being a stay at home mom is something I've coveted at times), blog followers.....

Anything we covet-- is a sin.

And why is that (besides because God said it was)? Well, it is a sin because it makes us look like we aren't grateful for what God's given us. It can make us focus so much on what we don't have, that we don't enjoy what we do.

It can hurt marriages---

I remember a few years back, I was on a mommy message board. Everyone seemed to have happy marriages--- their husbands did this and that--- and guess what? Mine didn't!  Mine worked 3rd. Mine didn't get up to see his kids every evening. Mine didn't get up early at night to see me.  Mine didn't live up to the picture they were painting of their marriage.  And I found myself becoming more and more unhappy in my own marriage because I wanted what 'they' had.

Thankfully, the husband and I got through it. I stopped trying to compare him to other husbands (he really is a good husband :) ) (nd instead started comparing myself to other wives.... (which wasn't a good thing either to be honest...).

We have to remember that God gives us exactly what we have-- from our fingernails, to our hair, to our husbands/wives, to our kids, to our house, to our car, to our callings, to our carriers, etc. We have exactly what God wants us to have. And to want something else is a slap in God's face....

Ouch, Kelly! That hurt!

Yeah, it did. It hurt me too. I don't want to slap God, and I want to be thankful for everything I have-- and not dwell on everything I don't.

How about you?

God Bless You and I hope you did well on your 10 Commandments. I have some things I need to work on, but I'm so grateful God forgives.

~Kelly

Linked with: Woman Living Well Wednesday and Winsome Wednesday