Scripture to Read: Exodus 20:17
God also was sure to command everyone in Exodus 20:17, “you shall not covet your neighbor’s …male servant or his female servant.” When we think of servants, our minds might go back to when people had servants living with them who took care of their fields, flocks, chores in and outside the house, and even took care of the children. Some people still have this but for most of us, we take care of those things. Though we don’t have servants living in our homes, many today pay for a lawn service to care for their lawns, many have maid services they’ll pay to clean their homes, and some have nannies who care for their children as they go to work. Whatever the case, others who cannot afford such services could get envious, thinking they deserve to have those kinds of helps when they know they can’t afford them. That is why God commands us not to covet our neighbor's servants. God tells us in Proverbs 15:16, “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and turmoil with it.” God reminds us here in Proverbs that though we don’t have much compared to others, it’s better to fear Him and have a little than to have an abundance. Sometimes the abundance causes heartaches and headaches that we can’t see. Even Jesus tells us in Luke 12:15, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” Life is more than this world's stuff.
Challenge & Application
· What has caused you to be envious of another, and how did you overcome your jealous feelings?
· With what God taught you today, how will you view what you have differently than before?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!