cov·et?[kuhv-it]
verb (used with object)
1. to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another’s property.
2. to wish for, especially eagerly: He won the prize they all coveted.
So God says, “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” Exodus 20:17.
Wait…do what?
I have a few thoughts about this verse.
- I don’t know what a manservant is. It’s probably just a male servant, but for some reason it sounds saucy to me. I keep wanting to say manservant…ewwww weee. To properly say ewwww weeee you need to say it in a deep voice and add some sauce to it.
- I’m thankful that we no longer use the word a$$ for donkey. Thanks to other translations I know that God wasn’t talking about butts. Although if this was spoken in our day, a day of Kardashian fame, it might still say that.
- I don’t think that is the way we spell neighbor. I’m not great with spelling, but I think that something has change since the King James Bible was printed. If you’ve never read the King James translation of the Bible, it provides some humor. I know that some people think that it’s the only translation that we should read. I’m not one of those people. I would get confused with all the thy’s and thou’s and with the fact that they call donkeys a cuss word.
So there are some things that don’t apply to us as much today. We don’t have manservants, we wouldn’t dare call a donkey a cuss word in church, and we know how to spell neighbor. There is however one thing that really applies to us…
Coveting.
I think a true test of coveting is how happy you can be for someone else that has what you want. If this verse were spoken today by God it might read…
- Do not covet another blogger’s traffic. In other words, don’t covet the amounts of people that go to Jon Acuff’s site. Don’t covet the fact that Carlos Whittaker could ask what does your belly button smell like and get 1.21 million comments.
- Do not covet someone else’s wife. This is in the original verse, but I think it still fits today. If you are single is it hard for you to hang out with married people because you are jealous? If you are married do your thoughts covet someone else’s spouse?
- Do not covet someone else’s baby. For six years Monica and I prayed desperately for a baby. For six years Monica celebrated when other people got pregnant. She did an amazing job of not coveting. Some people would actually apologize to her for getting pregnant. Or at least they would tell her that they didn’t want to tell her for fear that it would upset her. She never got upset. She would spend a lot of money for baby gifts for other people. She would truly be thankful for other couples when they got pregnant. Was it easy? Nope! But my wife did a great job of living this out.
- Do not covet someone else’s body. In our day and age skinny people talk about getting fat like it’s Aids. I’ve heard people say, “I’d die if I ever got fat.” Anyway, some people covet other people’s bodies.
- Do not covet O.P.P. “OPP, how can I explain it. I’ll take you frame by frame it. To have y’all jumpin’ shall we singin’ it. O is for Other, P is for People scratchin’ temple. The last P…well…that’s not that simple.” To get this one I think that you had to grow up in the 90’s.
- Do not covet someone else’s church attendance. I know that a lot of non-pastors read my blog. But I also know a couple of other pastors do read my blog. When you meet a pastor and they tell you about how big their church is, do you celebrate with them? If not then you might be a coveting.
So the moral of the story is stop coveting what you don’t have. We have to flip the script. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, let’s celebrate what we do have. If you blog, celebrate the readers that you do have. If you are single, celebrate the friends that you have. If you are married, celebrate the spouse that you have. If you don’t have kids, celebrate other people’s kids. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
What is one thing that you don’t have that you can thank God for today?
Rob, I did not covet the person that you wrote about yesterday. And if someone coveted my blog traffic, then they have no friends.
Larry, you’ve got a good thing going on with your blog. Keep it up!
I covet your traffic. I’m working on it, but it’s a process. Pray for me. 🙂
Kevin, will do. Have you read 31 Days to Blogging Mojo by Bryan Allain? I read it and it’s helped me out a lot with building an audience.
I’m on Day 23 I think. Good stuff! Trying to grow more confident in myself and not covet other people’s traffic. Also, other dude’s manservants.
A manservant and a serving wench are likely in the same category. Both are extremely saucy. … As for coveting, I try to mind my attitudes and mostly do O.K..
Daniel, good to know. Thanks.
If you cross the border from Michigan into Canada, you end up in Ontario. If you’re in Ontario, O.P.P. stands for something you definitely won’t covet:
http://cornwallfreenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/oppcar.jpg
Yes, in Ontario the O.P.P. is the Ontario Provincial Police. Do not covet Ontario’s law enforcement.
Burrill, good to know. Lucky for me I live in VA. That’s a long way from Ontario.
Yeah, you know me!
You caught me on the first covet…
Shame on me…
I’ve been working on this though…
I’m loving my tribe…
Thanks for being a part of it!!!
Arny, my pleasure. Great stuff. Keep it up.
I don’t covet anyone’s manservant as I have the best of the best.
I do covet others people’s jobs though. Since we moved for my wife to go to Seminary it has been tough finding one I can be passionate about.
Joe, where is your wife going to seminary?
Bethel Seminary, up in St. Paul. Too much snow here.
Thanks for the shout out on Twitter, Rob!
great stuff… love the word saucy…we’re doing a 10 commandments series with our young adults, may have to use manservant in there as well. thanks Rob!
Rob, I always appreciate your comments. Let me know how the saucy talk goes.
Rob – Nah I haven’t read it. I’ve heard of it. Guess I should check it out. I’ve read “Quitter” and other stuff off Acuff’s blogs that have been helpful, but nothing’s really pushed me over the precipice. (Sidenote: How awesome is the word “precipice?” Use it today in a conversation. People will think you’re brilliant, especially if you use it correctly.)
It’s really good. It helped me think through a lot of things when it comes to blogging.
This was a great post. I am 31 years old, and the thing that I have coveted, is also the thing I am most happy for others that they have. Strange I know.
I see all the time people who I feel have done way more for God in their life time. A lot of times, I find my self coveting this. But, on the flip side (that’s old school talk baby), I find myself crazy excited when I see God working in the lives of others. I do not have a sense that I have accomplished a lot for the Kingdom of God, but I am thankful for all those who have.
Thanks Joseph! You’ve got a lot of time left. Keep doing what you are doing and you’ll see God rock people through you.
For a little while I was jealous of my brothers’ houses. I bought mine before they did theirs. Their houses are bigger than mine. It’s petty and childish, but to a degree I equated that to success: they had done better than I. It was a struggle being happy for them. Then my wife said “but we don’t need a bigger house…and besides, it’s just more to clean!” She’s right on both counts.
So often the difference between coveting or not is in our perspective: want versus need. I don’t need a bigger house. I needed the change in perspective to appreciate what I had and to celebrate brothers.
Randal, right on! Love that perspective.
Oh that’s easy Rob.
Two words: Alimony and Child Supprt!
BINGO!
Hemorrhoids.
LOL. Really!!!!!
Great job Rob! It’s hard not to covet – even if we think we are above that! Someone ALWAYS has something you don’t – the old “keeping up with the Jones'” is very real in our society I’m afraid. It’s the learning to be content with what we have is what Jesus is talking about – that will bring the happiness we seek.
Cindy, so true. It’s crazy that works. Jesus is spot on!