Pathway to Contentment: Effects of Covetousness – Part 4

People get into all sorts of debt buying stuff they could have done without. If the truth be told, there are some stuff I could have done without, but I still bought them anyway. Moving right along, let us consider another effect of Covetousness, and as always the scripture is our pillar of truth.

DEBT: I believe, quite a number of people need “plastic surgery.” Plastic surgery is the process of cutting up a credit or store card into bits and pieces, never to be seen in its former form again. Listen to what this beautiful scripture says, “Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other.” Read Romans 13:8 (MSG). Watch this dearly beloved, we must be debtors of love to one another. The Bible is quite clear on this right, I would have thought so, but sometimes we act in ways where we “only tolerate” people as supposed to love them. Selah (pause and calmly think). Let me paint this scenario, someone who owes you money would most likely be avoiding you; and in some cases can lead to anger and frustration on the lenders part to such a point, the borrower is struck off (you know what I mean). Where there is debt, pressure mounts, the Bible says, “Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.” Imagine with me for a moment, debt collectors constantly writing letters, calling your mobile, banks chasing, overdraft mounting up; beloved this can put enormous pressure on you, and once that begins to happen, guess what suffers, your giving or sowing into the house of God. So you can see why the Bible counsels us to stay out of debt. Well, you might say, I am already down that road; stop for a moment, put a payment structure in place, call your creditors and negotiate an amount you can afford to pay every month. Let me ask this question, he / she who is without debt, signify by show of hands-:)

DIS-SATISFACTION: Like we already alluded to before, material things won’t lead to satisfaction. Have you noticed, it fizzles out after the initial high. Buying a new car, a new home, won’t bring Contentment. The opposite of Satisfaction is Dis-satisfaction. The Bible says, “If you love money and wealth, you will never be satisfied with what you have. This doesn’t make sense either.” Read Ecclesiastes 5:10 (CEV). The Bible also says, “And He said to them, Guard yourselves and keep free from all covetousness (the immoderate desire for wealth, the greedy longing to have more); for a man’s life does not consist in and is not derived from possessing overflowing abundance or that which is over and above his needs. Read Luke 12:15 (AMPC). Permit me to use the street parlance, “cut your coat according to your size, or your wallet.” Here what Apostle Paul says, “I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances may be. I know now how to live when things are difficult and I know how to live when things are prosperous. In general and in particular I have learned the secret of facing either poverty or plenty. I am ready for anything through the strength of the one who lives within me.” Read Philippians 4:12 (CEB). Here is a question for you, are you willing to adjust for a while, and to do so in joy? People who are dis-satisfied live on their feelings, and in a most extraordinary way are governed by them, therefore, check to ensure you are not governed by your feelings.

Dear Lord Jesus, we look to you as our source indeed. We are grateful for the education and career you enabled us to have, but our trust is not in those things Lord, it is in You and Your word. Thank You Lord Jesus for Your hand of provision upon our lives, and we can boldly declare, “The Lord is our helper.”

We write You read Be encouraged.