Desire is God given and a healthy part of life, coveting is a destructive sin.

I have had many moments to contemplate this last week.  It always amazes me that we can be going along and something out of the blue can change all our thoughts and worries in a heartbeat.  I had one of those weeks, never easy but with God we cope.  It was a week where I thought of murder, no, not of committing it, no really.  But really I did think of it as Kelly's ex-husband was sentenced for his crime.  I thought of it as part of our community.  I have lived in this little town going on 32 years and in that time frame 3 people have been murdered.  Two, the result of domestic assault, again not domestic violence because it is assault.  Two different husbands killed their ex-wives, one very publicly and one in a more secret setting.  The third murder was a business transaction gone horribly awry.  Most people see murder as wrong and remember it as one of the ten commandments.  But what caused these murders could the seed of them have been coveting.  Coveting is the last commandment and I would say sort of a "catch all" commandment in ways. What sin doesn't have coveting at it's heart? What evil action doesn't have coveting at it's heart? What out of the blue happenstance doesn't have coveting at is heart? Well maybe not all of those but this one does.

Coveting is not a desire.  Desire in its proper place is given to us from God, helps us accomplish all our successes. Desire gives us the drive to strive for our dreams what ever they may be. Desire helps us thirst for spiritual gifts and righteousness.  Coveting is many times a "catch all", it is greed, it is desire gone horribly wrong, it is when desire become inordinate and unlawful.  It causes us to hurt, steal, to commit adultery, kill and even walk away from God.  Coveting is the root of the original sin, it is the part of our mind that is carnal and leads us to sin.

I find that coveting can be more destructive in a life, a community or a family than just about any thing, it is a sin we commit against our fellow man, and in that end against God.  Look around you in your local life, your national life and your world life and you will see the destruction that coveting has wrought.  Do you covet, I hope not, but I am sure that we all do on some level. We have to remember that though we may never think of killing our fellow man, committing adultery, stealing or not worshipping God, we can fall into coveting but as one of the ten commandments it is equally as bad as those and sometimes worse.  Coveting kills families and destroys friendship, and God does not abide it.  No, it is not a "little" commandment it is a commandment....... tomorrow.