My Covetous Heart

A good friend of mine recently moved to another state. Before she moved we had lunch one day. Over lunch, she shared with me that she was really battling with coveting something her neighbor had. I've never known her to be materialistic, she is happily married, so I couldn't imagine what she was coveting. She explained that her house had been on the marketing for several weeks now, and it had not sold. During that time, several of her friends and neighbors had sold their houses in a matter of days. As the time went on, the enemy used this to cause her distress, as she and her husband were in different states and she wanted her family to be reunited. She was coveting her friends' real estate contracts!

As a result of this revelation, my friend was able to surrender the real estate process to God, and her house sold not long after our meeting. God used this friend to show me that coveting can creep up in unexpected places. I guess, like most, I thought of coveting in terms of people or material possessions (your neighbor's spouse, your friend's car, etc.). But sometimes we covet other less tangible things, like in my case.

I asked God to show me places in my own life where this might be a problem, and I saw one very unexpected area recently. I am a writer by trade, and over the past couple years, I've completed my first book. The book has been bogged down in the things that happen at the front of the publishing process, and the cost of self publishing. But I have been diligent about connecting with other writers and exploring my options, preparing myself for that time when God opens doors.

One of the people I've met through this process is also a first-time writer, in a similar space (faith-based writing). She has numerous opportunities to promote her work, attend a conference I badly wanted to attend, and has had champions to help her get her work out there. I saw a post she published recently at a meeting I badly wanted to attend, but couldn't afford. She got guidance and critiques of her writing, and industry insiders to help steer her in the right direction.

Today it hit me, I am coveting the opportunities she has had, that I have not! Here is the bottom line, whenever we look at someone else's journey and compare it to our own, and some to the conclusion that somehow WE fall short, we are either coveting (wishing their journey was ours), or judging (thinking somehow they don't deserve what they got, but we do).

I am more guilty of this than I realized, because I rarely want a "thing" that a friend of mine has. But I what I do covet is their experience (i.e. getting engaged), their result (i.e.a publishing deal) or their journey (a seemingly care-free life).

What about you? Do you have a covetous heart without realizing it? Ask God to show you where you can shore areas that are opening you up to the enemy's attack. Once they are revealed, repent and re-dedicate that part of your life to God's plan for YOU, not for someone else, and then you free Him up to act on your behalf.