From Jerry Sittser and his book ‘the Will of God as a Way of Life, taught:
It seemed to come out of nowhere. Years ago I was shocked to hear that a minister acquaintance of mine had embezzled money from the church and then run off with the church secretary, abandoning his wife and two children. There appeared to be no signs of wrongdoing in the past. How could he have done such a thing? Where did he go wrong?
It started with covetousness. If lying is sin’s subtle accomplice then, covetousness is its obvious root. Sin begins with desire, not action. Adultery, theft, murder and lying have their origin in covetousness. Of all sins, covetousness is the most justifiable, too, because we usually covet something that is genuinely good—bigger house, better sex, more income. It entices and persuades with dangerous subtlety: “If only that house were ten thousand dollars cheaper.” “If only she weren’t married.” If only he would retire early.” Covetousness turns desire into necessity, until necessity becomes a virtual obsession.
Covetousness is also dangerous because it seems so harmless. People who covet don’t actually do anything wrong; they just think something wrong. It is a private sin, kept hidden in the mind and imagination. If anything, it is almost the perfect sin, for it appears to have no consequences. After all, what is wrong with only thinking about sin? It doesn’t hurt anyone. But there is a price to be paid. Covetousness divides the self. It tempts us to sin but doesn’t actually allow it, because of shame or fear or respectability. So we are forever fighting against ourselves, wishing to do what our conscious won’t allow it, because of shame or fear or respectability. So we are forever fighting against ourselves, wishing to do what our conscious won’t allow, flirting but never taking the plunge. Ironically, we end up experiencing no pleasure at all, whether the deep pleasure of godliness or the fleeting pleasure of sin.
The American economy is largely built on covetousness. When watching ESPN with my sons, I force myself to think critically about the advertisements that constantly barrage us, and then I usually offer a running critique. My sons even get irritated by it, though I think they are learning to do the same, too. Advertising tempts us to covet the people with more hair, a better body, a faster car, a newer appliance. It’s startling to consider how much we would have at our disposal to give away if we kicked the sin of covetousness. Our economy would be forced to make major adjustments, perhaps marketing things to us that might actually be good for us and for the world.
We overcome covetousness, Paul argued, by learning contentment, which requires us to count what we have as enough and thus make the most of it. “For I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to plenty….I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Paul advised that we think on what is noble, good, and pure, which will wean us from things attachment to things that, however good, are not ours, nor should be. ~Jerry Sittser, ‘the Will of God as a Way of Life’ (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 49530) 80-81.
