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Posts Tagged ‘covet’

Competitive Edge

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I believe that God revealed His design for all of creation in the Garden.  Within this original blueprint there was no strife, or any need to push to the front of the line.  Every creature had their place, and He was their limitless provision.  Each creation derived its sense of worth and purpose from its unique relationship to the Creator. 

Had mankind chosen to remain under the umbrella of His Lordship, unspeakable joy and a peace that surpasses understanding, could have been our daily bread.  But the choice to go our own way, and to rely on our own sense of what is right came with significant costs.  Not the least of which was the change in how we view ourselves, and how we look at one another.

Unhinged from the Father’s perspective, we lost track of our identity, purpose, and sense of belonging.  Without Him as a singular reference point, we began to look at each other, and to measure ourselves by what we saw.  I believe it’s telling that after eating the forbidden fruit man and woman covered the parts of themselves that were different from each other.

As mankind was expelled from the garden, life became a struggle for provision and a battle to survive (Gen.3:17-19).  Estranged from our limitless Provider, and unseated from our place at His table, we floundered to find our place in the world, or to conjure a sense of self-worth.  Our comparisons (to each other) inevitably led to competition, and it didn’t take long for that dynamic to become lethal (Gen.4:8).

Because of man’s natural proclivity to compare, to covet and to compete we seem to have accepted that this is all part of God’s design, but I would suggest that it’s actually a byproduct of the fall.  If our identities were rooted in Christ, and if we trusted that He is our provision, there would be no need to compare, covet or compete.  As such, I think it’s fair to say that our compulsion to compete is generally rooted in both our insecurity and our instinct to survive.

Western culture has not only accepted competition as a normal part of the human condition, it has embraced it as a core value.  Our society loves to turn every facet of life into a contest (e.g. The Voice-singing, The Bachelor-relationships, The Biggest Loser-weight loss, Beat Bobby Flay-cooking, Rock the Block-home renovation…), and we indoctrinate our children into this pattern at an increasingly young age (e.g. Pee-Wee sports leagues starting at 3yrs old).  But the reality of competition is that it is most often poisonous in terms of cooperation, collaboration, community and any sort of meaningful relationship.

Perhaps worse than our cultural embrace of this destructive paradigm is its broad acceptance within the Body of Christ.  Whether it is wrestling for the lead vocal on the Worship team, or trying to woo congregants from other local ministries, or all the preening and posturing that goes on at church leadership conferences, our religious system is absolutely infested with a competitive spirit, featuring countless “ministries” solely dedicated to discrediting other ministers and ministries.

Though the followers of Jesus were meant to be identifiable based on their great love for one another (John 13:35), we “Christians” routinely struggle to gather together without all manner of envy and strife.  But if love is patient and does not envy.  If it is not self-seeking and keeps no record.  If it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres (1Cor.13:4-7), then there is no context in which it can be competitive.  And without love, we have nothing and are nothing (1Cor.13:2-3).

God commanded that we refrain from covetous (or coveting) and if we hope to be obedient to that standard we must also resist our natural urge to compare and to compete.  We need to take a hard look (i.e. through spiritual eyes) at our ideas about competition, and to examine them in light of what the scripture teaches.  If we continue to view competition through the lens of culture, the church will remain fractured in much the same way our society is.     

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Fitting In

Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Throughout my lifetime I have heard countless people attest to the fact that they feel as though they “never really fit it,” which is a sentiment that is generally greeted with a hearty chorus of amens.  Even folks who seem to be popular and successful often profess to battling such feelings.  Indeed, in all my years I’ve never encountered even one person claim the converse of this condition (i.e., I feel like I always “fit in”).

I’ve heard Psychologists assert that most people wrestle with the subconscious fear that, “if you really knew me, you wouldn’t love me,” and I sense that is probably truer than any of us would like to admit.  There does seem to be a very human tendency to conceal and safeguard the inner most part of our being for fear of being rejected.  Though some experience traumatic levels of rejection at a very young age, this apprehension seems to be prevalent even in those who haven’t. 

Anxiety about other people truly knowing us tends to manifest itself as insecurity, which then becomes a breeding ground for covetous, competition, envy, manipulation, and strife.  Needless to say, all of those dynamics are highly destructive in terms of our relationship to others, which greatly impedes our ability to function as a family, a community or as a body of believers.  Given Jesus’ description of how people would be able to distinguish His followers (i.e., by their strong, loving relationships -John 13:35), this would seem to be a significant issue for those who are called by His name.

In praying about the root of this problem, I sense that it goes all the way back to the first man, and his decision in the garden.  When Adam and Eve were walking in undeterred fellowship with the Father, they were aware of their nakedness, but they were unashamed (Gen.2:25).  Yet immediately after eating the fruit, it says that their nakedness became a source of humiliation (Gen.3:7), and they felt the need to cover themselves.  

Though the scripture doesn’t really describe these coverings, I sensed the Spirit clarify that they didn’t feel the need to cover their face, or hands, or legs…  It was only the parts of them that looked different from each other that they felt compelled to conceal.

Prior to eating the” fruit of the knowledge of good and evil,” they viewed each other through the lens of the Father’s love, and were unashamed of their differences, but after the fall, they viewed each other through the context of their own senses, and were embarrassed by the things that made them unique.  

Thus, mankind became mired in an endless cycle of comparison, covetousness, and competition, which turns out to be the antithesis of unity.  This pattern became lethal within the first generation, as jealousy compelled Cain to murder his brother (Gen.4:8).

Considering that our Creator saw fit to make each one of His children a unique expression of Himself (Gen.1:27), and that Paul would later describe the Body of Christ as the coming together of all these distinctive aspects (1Cor.12:1-26), our apprehension at being vulnerable and genuine with one another is no doubt at the heart of our ineffectiveness in manifesting the body that the Lord described.

Our concept of “fitting in” seems to be predicated on the idea that we will be just like everyone else.  So we tend to dress like the proverbial “them”, speak like them, and act like them, in the vain hope that we will find acceptance.  But no two pieces of a puzzle are exactly alike, and if they were, a clear picture would not emerge at the end.  I would suggest that we were not created to “fit in,” we were designed to “fit together”. 

Yet, even if we come to recognize the power in diversity that potential can only be realized when each member of the group is willing to yield to the unique aspects of the others.  The whole cannot partake of its rich variety of parts, if a singular element or elite grouping is allowed to dominate at the expense of the others.   

Indeed, a clarinet was never meant to sound like a flute, and you actually need both to play the symphony as it was originally written.  But you’re not likely to hear either of them if the brass continues to play beyond their prescribed stanzas.

Church models that promote some to be soloists, while making the remainder accompanists (or even worse, simply an audience) virtually ensure that we will never truly function as the body described in scripture (1Cor.12:12-20).  Much of the new Apostolic movement has fallen into this trap, as they seek to elevate the position of a few, when the five-fold gifts were actually intended to cultivate the gifts of the many (Eph.4:12-13).  Effective “Five-fold” ministry is when every member’s gift finds its place at the table (and every instrument is given its rightful place within the concerto). 

Sadly, these mindsets (e.g., I never fit it, if you really knew me you wouldn’t love me…) have become strongholds within the body, and drive most people to willingly forfeit their seat within the orchestra. They will happily sit in the audience if it means that no one will ever truly see what is inside of them.  And they will freely gather around someone else’s gifts, while their gifts go dormant.

There is little doubt that the enemy of our souls loves to stir our sense of alienation, so that we will willingly isolate ourselves from the group.  It is a classic predator tactic.  These feelings of estrangement are often at the emotional core of those who pursue and assume a completely new identity in the hope of finding a suitable new tribe (i.e., the place where they fit in).  

Of course, the cost of pursuing a new identity is the identity that they were endowed with by their Creator, which tends to relentlessly haunt them in moments of quiet reflection.  They suppose that no one can accept them for who they really are, when it is actually their innermost being that is rejecting this contrived facade.

If this compulsion to “fit in” and be like everyone else is a byproduct of mankind’s fall, then the antidote surely lies in returning to God’s original plan, which is to view ourselves and each other through the lens of the Father’s love (Psalm 139:14, John 13:34).  Until we learn how to walk together in unity, by considering others before ourselves (Phil.2:3-4) and submitting to one another in love (Eph.5:21), we will not be able to experience the fullness the Lord authored for His Body (1Cor.12:12-20).  

If we continue to fall into the snare of the compare-covet-compete dynamic, we will remain a house divided (Mark 3:25) and never step into the fulness that has been authored for us.  For this, and so many other issues, the renewing of our minds (Rom.12:2) is at the heart of the “revival” we cry out for. 

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Child’s Play

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 30, 2025| 1 Comment »

At the time of this writing, my two youngest granddaughters are 2 and 3 years old respectively.  Though they are cousins, they have spent a tremendous amount of their young lives together, and relate to each other more like siblings.  When they are apart, they pine away for each other, and whenever they come together, it is with great enthusiasm and affection.  But I’ve noticed that it doesn’t take very long for that initial excitement to wear off, and for contentiousness to rise up in its place.

It tends to start with one of them noticing what the other one has in their hands, or maybe what they’re wearing, and wanting it for themselves.  In such moments, you can offer them something else, but once they get their eyes (and hearts) fixed on that one “thing”, it becomes the only thing that will do.  There can be doll houses, and scooters, and stuffed animals, but they will suddenly be in a death match over some little plastic piece from yesterday’s Happy Meal.

One may like hamburgers, while the other prefers chicken nuggets, but when they’re together they insist on having whatever the other one is having, even if they won’t actually eat it.  If you don’t get them both the same thing, one will feel as though you have somehow favored the other, and treated them unfairly. 

When we have only one of the girls, they can go through long stretches of the day being fairly content, but when they are together, it is difficult to go 15 minutes without some form of conflict.  Despite their genuine affection for each other, this endless cycle of comparing, coveting and competing tends to steal the joy of their time together.

Anyone who has spent much time around toddlers, or young children would likely attest to the fact that this kind of behavior is typical, especially amongst children who grow up together (e.g. siblings).  But something that is rarely acknowledged is how intact this pattern carries over into our adult interactions. While we may eventually learn not to throw ourselves on the floor and cry over the sippy cup, we often remain just as prone to our emotional tantrums, which can be even more destructive than those of our childhood.

This becomes most evident when we try to gather with people we claim to care about, whether that is our family, our neighbors, or in our churches.  Though we enthusiastically endorse the concepts of tight-knit families, healthy communities, and Christian fellowship, we struggle to achieve or sustain any of them.  Like my granddaughters, we like the idea of being together, yet rarely experience the fulfillment that was meant to accompany it; because like them, we fall into this perilous cycle.

Jesus said the way people would be able to distinguish His followers from other groups would be by the way they loved one another, and that is a standard the “Christian” community has rarely risen to.  Indeed, “church people” are more typically known for their divisive and contentious behavior.

While some might want to rationalize that this is simply a maturity issue, I would beg to differ.  In my experience, the most seasoned congregants are frequently the most zealously quarrelsome, and sadly, gatherings of religious leaders are generally the clearest example of the compare-covet-compete dynamic.

As western Christianity continues to abandon concepts like dying to self, and being transformed into Christ’s image, in favor of promoting ideals like empowerment, and self-actualization, this issue is bound to get worse.  “Self” is the toxin that ultimately poisons unity.

We see this played out in the entertainment world, as young musicians band together in order to create something transcendent.  At first, they openly share their gifts, and often go through years of struggle together to achieve their dreams. But upon finding success, this bond is frequently destroyed by power struggles, greed and envy. 

Similarly, young athletes will often team together in pursuit of a championship.  On the way up, players will make sacrifices and accept the role the team needs them to play. But after a taste of success, everyone wants to be treated like a star, and the team chemistry is destroyed.

As disciples of Christ, we cannot afford to continue to fall into this standard pattern of human behavior.  Unless and until we confront the issue of “self”, we have no hope of ever functioning as a body, where each part provides something for the greater good of the whole (Rom.12:3-8, 1Cor.12:12-26).

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Compare-Covet-Compete

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 1, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Before we were in our mother’s womb, God knew us (Jer.1:5), which means that His intent, purpose, and calling were established independently of our parent’s DNA, the circumstances surrounding our physical conception, or the history of our family. 

He not only made us in His image (Gen.1:27), but “pre-destined” us to be conformed to that image as well (2Cor.3:18).  Scripture goes on to say that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God (Psalm 37:23), that the days ordained for us are written in His book, before one of them comes to pass (Psalm 139:16), and that God is faithful to complete the good work that He has begun in us (Phil.1:6). 

Within that framework, our identity, our value, our security, and ultimately our destiny were all meant to be completely derived from Him.  This design was fully realized in His Son, Jesus Christ, and to the degree that we are willing to surrender our lives to that pattern, it can be manifest in us as well.

A catastrophic consequence of sin is that as we become disconnected from the person of God, we also lose our connection to these provisions, and thereby invest those aspects of our being in other things.  Indeed, as originally conceived, Adam and Eve were naked, yet without shame (Gen.2:25), as they viewed themselves through the lens of the Lord’s affection.  But upon eating of the fruit, they gained a new awareness that caused them to look at themselves, and each other with a different perspective (Gen.3:7). Nothing had actually changed, other than their perception.

Undoubtedly, this is where the poisons of comparison, covetous, and competition were first introduced, and mankind has grappled with them ever since.  Within the first generation these toxins produced murderous effects (Gen.4:8), and like a swarm of locust, they have combined to devour just about every tender sprout of fellowship / community the church has endeavored to establish. 

With Western culture essentially fueled by these elements (i.e. comparison, covetous, competition), they have seamlessly blended into our brand of Christianity, largely rendering the church (in the west) impotent, or at least incapable of healthy reproduction.  Indeed, it seems doubtful that there is any standard within scripture that we have fallen shorter of than Christ’s assertion that the way people would be able to distinguish His disciples was by the way they loved one another (John 13:35).

In his letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor.12) Paul lays out God’s strategy for the body, with each part having a unique design, and purpose that work together for the greater good of the whole.  Indeed, if these individual parts derived their identity and value from their Creator, they could work together in harmony, reveling in their distinct function.  Sadly, Paul also forecasts the inevitable chaos that comes when the various parts begin to compare themselves to each other (versus 15-26). 

Throughout scripture we see examples of the damaging effects of comparison, and Paul speaks directly of it in his letter to the Corinthians (2 Cor.10:12-18).  When the Israelites compared themselves to the people living in Canaan, they judged themselves to be too weak (Num.13:33) to apprehend the promised lands.  In Jesus’ parable of the workers in the vineyard, the workers hired at the beginning of the day compare their wages to those hired at the end of the day, and feel cheated, even though they had agreed to do the work for that price (Matt.20:1-16).  And when Peter tried to compare the manner of death he was facing with how John might perish, he earned a strong rebuke from the Lord (John 21:20-23), who challenged, “What is that to you?  You must follow me.”

The inescapable byproducts of comparison are covetousness, and competition, which also breed their own dire consequences.  When Esau covets Jacobs stew, he willingly forfeits his birthright (Gen.25:29-33), and when David covets another man’s wife (Bathsheba), it leads to adultery, and murder (2 Sam.11:2-17).  Even more damaging, when the nation of Israel covets an earthly king to lead them (1 Sam.8:4-21), they forsake the supernatural protection of their heavenly King.

Likewise, there are multiple gospel accounts of the discord resulting from various disciples jockeying for their heavenly positions (Matt.20:20-28, Mark 10:37-45), Saul’s murderous intent caused by the people’s praise of David (1 Samuel 18:8-11), and the fatal outcome of one brother’s offering being found acceptable, while the other’s was not (Gen.4:2-8). 

Today, even relatively mature believers generally struggle to gather in any sort of meaningful way without falling into these same destructive patterns.  Churches and ministries are infamously contaminated with envy, greed, intrigue, and power struggles.  This constant strife is the antithesis of the destiny the Lord authored for His Bride.

And if sin is what separated us from our identity in Christ (including our value, security and destiny), then surely reconnecting with that identity is a critical part of our redemption.  Paul speaks of this in various places within his writings, especially in Ephesians 4 (17-32).  This “putting off” or “laying aside” the old self, in order to step into the fullness of Christ is a transformation rarely witnessed in Western Christianity, but it is the key to experiencing genuine freedom, and becoming effective ministers of the gospel. 

It begins with taking our eyes off of each other, and our circumstances (2Cor.4:18), and fixing them on the One who is Lord (Heb.12:2).  If real love is not proud, and does not boast; if it does not envy, and keeps no record, then there is no context in which it could ever be competitive.  And until (or unless) God’s people manifest the genuine article, we have nothing to offer in Jesus’ name (1Corth.13).

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Thought for the Day – Childish Things

Posted in Commentaries, Thought for the Day / Quotes, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 12, 2019| Leave a Comment »

The Apostle Paul said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”  Throughout the epistles he exhorts us to do the same.  Recently, I’ve sensed the Lord highlighting some of the childish things that need to be put away.

 

First and foremost, a child is self-centered.  A baby has no capacity to concern itself with whether its parents are tired or busy or sick, it just knows that it’s not comfortable (e.g. hungry, wet, gassy, tired) and it demands immediate attention.  Presumably, as we get older, our awareness of other people and their struggles grows, but in times of trouble we can easily return to our infancy, becoming blind and numb to anything other than our own wants, needs, or pain.

 

As a baby grows into a child it becomes increasingly responsive to external stimuli, like light, color, noise, music, touch… and through this it learns to interact with the world around it.  Eventually, these external forces begin to shape the child’s concept of life and identity.  But as we grow in spiritual maturity, we’re called to become less responsive to what is seen (which is perishing), and more sensitive to what is unseen (which is eternal).

 

Young children tend to easily fall into covetousness when they see something they want, jealousy when someone else has what they want, and to have tantrums, when they don’t get what they want.  It is not a given that age and experience will cause us to grow past these things.  Often, we simply become more subtle in the ways we express them.

 

Children are also famous for their impatience and fertile imaginations, both of which can become powerful tools in the hands of the adversary.

 

Indeed, the scripture admonishes us to humbly esteem others above ourselves, to bless and serve those around us, and to be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”.   It commands us not to covet, warns us against the “acts of the flesh” (including jealousy, selfish ambition, fits of rage) and reminds us that “self-control” is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It tells us that we must cast down our imaginations, to learn to “wait on the Lord”, and to embrace patience as a reflection of Christ’s character.  Throughout the New Testament it speaks of the transformation that God desires to work in each of us, and He assures us that He is faithful to complete this good work that He’s begun in us.

 

It’s likely that none of us want to think of ourselves as being childish, but I sense the Lord challenging us to allow Him to reveal the “childish things” that we still need to put away.  To uncover those instances where we’ve become callous and numb to other people’s pain, or those circumstances that we’ve unwittingly become slaves to, or those things that we’re coveting and maybe even making into idols.  To show us those places within our heart where self-pity, jealousy, and bitterness dwell; and to expose the imaginings that have replaced the genuine prophetic vision He means to give us.

 

Like David did in the Psalms, we need to invite Him to examine our hearts.  “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”.  Amen.

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