- What Scripture Says
- Overcome The Sin Of Covetousness
- Covet Spiritual Gifts Instead
- As You Pray
- Suggested Reading
What Scripture Says
"You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour's" (Exodus 20:17).On the other hand, it is good to covet God's gifts: "But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way [love]" (1 Corinthians 12:31).
Overcome The Sin Of Covetousness
As a born-again Christian, you can overcome the sin of covetousness. Confess and repent of being covetous. Ask God to forgive and cleanse you (1 John 1:9). Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit and give you the power to overcome (Luke 11:13).Scripture says you can put off covetousness by inclining your heart toward God (Psalm 119:36). As you submit yourself to God, you will be strengthened to resist and break any fleshly desire to covet.
As you seek God and the things of God (Colossians 3:1-4), you will discover that your desire to have what belongs to another is replaced with an inner contentment. Begin meditating on God's Word so that you may be transformed into the image of Christ. Then you will be able to bless others, rather than covet their possessions. You are what you think. Therefore, it is important to fill your mind with Godly thoughts. One way to do this is by reading God's Word and books that testify of God's work in people's lives.
Covet Spiritual Gifts Instead
To covet (seek after) the good gifts of God, ask for them. Be especially sure to ask for a spiritual gift when it's needed. Study carefully the Scriptures concerning the gifts of the Spirit (1 Peter 4; Romans 12; Ephesians 4; 1 Corinthians 12). As a Spirit-filled Christian, you are able to do the work of God. The gifts of the Spirit are to equip you, to confirm God's Word and to bless others.As you grow in God's Word and in faith, the coveted gifts (and others not coveted) will be stirred up in you. Having fellowship with Christians who are experiencing the results of the ministry gifts will help you learn more about the gifts. Expect faith to rise up in you as you offer quiet praise to God.
As You Pray
Confess and repent of the sin of covetousness. Praise and thank God for transforming your desires. Also praise and thank Him for His gifts to the Church and to you in order to bless and minister to others.Suggested Reading
Read Prison To Praise and other books on praise by Merlin Carothers.Hebrews 13:15 Praise God continually
1 John 1:9 Commit covetousness to God Crossroads is happy to help. In fact, that's the whole reason we exist as a ministry. The daily 100 Huntley Street telecast and the 24-hour-a-day Telephone Ministry line are here for the same reason. You may want to call us as you are reading this: 1-866-273-4444
God loves you and we love you! Please give us the privilege of doing our best to help more. For further ministry, you may contact the Crossroads Ministry Centre by writing to:
Crossroads Christian Communications Inc.
Attn: National Ministry Centre
PO Box 5100
Burlington, Ontario L7R 4M2
