By Dr. Joe Yelton
Interim Pastor
Brett Younger, senior minister at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. said, “We don’t think of ourselves as materialistic because we don’t want much, but we do want more. Wanting more is so American; not wanting more is so un-American.”
Coveting leaves us blind to our own wealth and the beauty that surrounds us. After spending four and a half decades in ministry I’ve discovered patterns that have transcended space and time. Most Christian people I’ve encountered who struggle with having plenty but wanting more aren’t materialistic hoarders who have unreasonable demands. No! Instead, they are troubled by a quieter, more personal struggle. They can’t enjoy their own homes for fixating on their neighbor’s house. They miss the joy of the friendships they have because they can’t figure out why one certain person doesn’t seem to desire their time. Coveting robs us of what is already ours.
If we are but consumers, we will always strive for more than we have. When we see ourselves as the children of God, when we bathe in the waters of more grace than we can possibly imagine, we discover the foundational truth that wanting what isn’t ours keeps us from seeing and celebrating what is. As Younger said, “When we covet, our lives are small and petty, but when we open our eyes to God’s goodness, we see a big, wide world. The antiddote for envy is gratitude. God wants us to stop looking at what’s on other people’s plates and love what we’ve been given.”
– Joe