Surely covetousness, or lust, is the underlying motivation behind so many of our sins, if not all. This law that we all break is set at the end of the list of commandments, but is by no means an after thought, or less important than the others. The law reflects the law-giver and we must not ignore His Word to us. We neglect the Lord our God and disregard Him and His commandments because we look for other more palatable gods to satisfy our fallen nature. These gods are falsehoods which make us weak and sinful and will excuse our selfishness and grasping nature.

We raise these gods as idols in our life because we desire what they do for us: give confidence and motivation to make situations better for ourselves; soft pedal on the wrong thoughts and deeds we indulge in and permit us to leave off the righteousness of God. We speak ill against the Lord, to boost up our own ideas and allow ourselves to fit in with prevailing culture. Indeed our “gods” will nicely fit into our covetous lifestyle and make us happy.

We want all our days, our time and our efforts to our own design, so we have no time for God or the things of God. We don’t want God’s authority over us because we desire our own will and decision making powers to have first place. We are naturally anarchic and therefore seek only our own ways. As far as our mindset is concerned, God is a tyrant made up by people who are weak and seek a prop for their life.

We seek the put down of others who oppose us because self comes first and we think our own thoughts and desires are the premium position. We put our own thoughts and feelings first and often gossip about other people so that it makes us feel better about ourselves. The desire for self can be so overwhelming that it takes over our life.

We want what other people have got because we are never satisfied and selfish self, wants all things to enjoy for itself. We allow petty jealousies to infiltrate our thought processes and make us so desire the things of this life without any thought of eternity or the future. We take what is not ours because we feel we deserve what others have and are lustful for gain, not satisfied with the provision of God.

We lie because we wish to cover up the truth about ourselves so that others will think well of us and we can get what we desire and lust after, whatever the outcome. We end up being driven by our own lusts and become fruitless people who are no use to anyone, rejecting the ways of God and becoming hard hearted and far away from the righteousness of God. The more we think the further we move away from God and His good ways.

We want all the time. We want all these things because selfish self is on the throne of our lives and not our loving God. We do not trust Him to meet our needs so we grasp and want and lust and miss out on all that God has stored up for us.

To put covetousness to death brings light into our mind and heart and leads us to a life in God, that loves Him and obeys the Word revealed to us in the Scriptures. To reject the ways of covetousness is to embrace love and peace and the righteousness that is found in Jesus. To put self to death is the way to life and joy and an eternal inheritance in heaven in eternity. We find ourselves when we give up on self and put our whole confidence in the Lord. We say goodbye to self and all its selfish desires and lusts and find God to be all we need. We look to Him with thankful hearts and He delivers us from sin. This is the way to life and peace.