“And He said to them: ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses'”.  Luke 12:15

“But O Lord of Hosts, You who judge righteously, testing the mind and the heart…..” Jeremiah 11:20

“Father, the hour has come, Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may also glorify You….”  John 17:1

In looking at the definition covetousness it states:  one aspect is to show a strong desire especially for material things – implying an inordinate desire for another’s possessions.

In looking at the definition of motivation it states:  the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

There is a commercial out now for a financial trading company where it shows a rich person doing outrageously outlandish, over-the-top excesses with their wealth and the tag line comes on:  “Don’t get mad get (name of the company). Now from a worldly sense, the add is cute and has a powerful message.  That message being if you see something the rich has and you want it, not to resent the rich; but come to us and we can get it for you.

Over the past few years I have been on a journey of transition in my professional life from that of being a member of the corporate world, to that of an entrepreneur.  While in that transition, it has been interesting to see the different aspects of motivation that exist is those two different worlds.

Within the corporate world, there is a general sense of getting ahead, whether it is all the way to the top leadership or not.  Getting ahead or “climbing the corporate ladder” often infers rewards of more money, more power and responsibility and greater prestige.

Within the world of the entrepreneur the motivations can be more diverse.  They can range from fulfilling a dream, to having greater freedom, to having more control, to sharing less of the proceeds with others; just to mention a few.  One of the interesting things that I found with entrepreneurs is that they almost always have an example to go by.  There is almost always someone that they know personally or someone whose story they’ve heard about that they want to emulate.  Even if the goal of the business or organization seems to be altruistic in nature; I have often found the person still has someone that they aspire to “be like”; to have the success that they have or the life that they live.

Thus we get to the heart of covetousness.  I want what they have, I want to live like them, I want to BE them.  There are some significant hazards and pitfalls we must be very careful about when we have those desires or motivations.  Now wait a second, Doug, you say to me; I don’t want to be like someone rich or powerful, heck I want to be like Mother Theresa ( a wonderful, beautiful person to be sure).

Before we get to the spiritual aspect, one glaring practical thing we have to understand; RARELY do we actually REALLY KNOW WHAT THEIR LIFE IS LIKE!  Please reread that sentence again.  So often we’re judging someone’s life, even the positive aspects, based on very limited information.  Even for those people whom we may know, are in our sphere of acquaintances or work colleagues; often what we are allowed to glimpse of their lives is  purely what they are going to want us to see, allow us insights about.  The true impact of their decisions whether business or life, is primarily known only to them, perhaps a trusted confidant/family member and therapist!  Additionally, to the extent that they are honest with us about all facets of their lives, we are still filtering those aspects based on our own experiences, values and assumptions.  Sadly, sometimes tragically we find out how skewed and erroneous those assumptions are when we try to replicate someone else’s life in our own.  Thus when I find myself motivated by trying attain what it is that “they have”, I often don’t even have an accurate clue about actually what “they have” and the true impact of having it is.

Well okay, okay I may not really completely know what “they have” but what I do know is if, I had what I think they have, I’d handle it in such a way that it would be good, no great for me!  I confess to you that I have been known, on rare occasions to play the lottery, normally when the jackpots are ginormous.  Now of course I’ve read the biblical admonitions and warnings about wealth, especially extreme wealth.  Therefore I am open to the idea that even my playing the lottery is tottering on temptation and sin.  Yet I tell myself; if that infinitesimally long shot thing were to happen, I COULD HANDLE IT.  And in fact it would be God’s will if it did!  I will at least say I don’t really count on it and am not disappointed when God has decided not to place the burden of winning on me.  The moral or at least question is:  given what God and Christ has warned about vast riches, how much am I fooling myself to say I could handle it and that I would be humbly obedient to God’s plan for the use of those gains.

So let’s start to wrap this up by now looking at this from a spiritual perspective.  After Jesus gives this warning about covetousness, He tells a parable about a foolish farmer who wants more.  Even once the farmer gets “more”, he wants to keep even more and goes through great lengths to secure it.  Once the farmer goes through all the effort and sacrifice to get the total more that he finally thinks he needs and is now ready to sit back an enjoy that more; the farmer dies that night.  In its basic tenant, coveting is mostly about getting more!  On that rare occasion we look at someone who has less, let’s say a less time consuming job, or less clients to be responsible for, or smaller house to take care of; we covet what they have because we want more, maybe more time for ourselves, more peace in our lives, more simplicity.

Jesus Christ stresses over and over and over again; Our Heavenly Father knows and will supply all that we need and that is blessedly beneficial to us.  Yet it is not a sin to want, because if it were, Jesus would not have implored that we can ask in His name, in the name of Christ to our Heavenly Father and the Father will hear and answer.  Now our Heavenly Father will reply with what is best for us, which may be different than the request that we made.

Finally, Jesus Christ teaches us, why should we be asking for, whatever it is that we’re asking for, in the first place.  When Jesus prays in the presence of His disciples and asks for His, that is Jesus’ name to be glorified, it is so that ultimately the Father’s name will be glorified.  Is what motivates us the glory of our Heavenly Father.  Is the desire that we have for the new (fill in the blank, car, house, promotion, job, retirement, etc, etc, ) to use that to glorify the name of Our Heavenly Father?  Is that where our desire rests?  It did for Jesus and Our Heavenly Father did glorify the Name of Jesus Christ above all other names.

Yet I am not Jesus Christ and I know that the fallen nature within me does not naturally tend toward the glorification of the Father but rather to my own self gratification.  So I believe I and we must pray to receive the strength to put aside our own covetousness desires and gain the true motivation to abide in Christ and glorify the Father.  It is with that motivation we can have the confidence that we will live ultimately rich, fulfilled, blessed lives in praise to our Heavenly Father’s most Holy Name.

Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we proclaim and praise Your Gracious Generosity to fulfill all our needs whether we know of the need or not.  We also confess that we too often look to others in the world and desire what they have for our own gain and purposes.  Forgive us when we covet what our neighbor has and give us the strength to resist that temptation, asking for those things which would bring glory to Your Most Holy Name and blessed peace and joy to our lives.  We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen