Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Where is your desire and pleasure focused? The internal or external? Are you always looking at what others have and say “If I only had this or that I would be happy”. Fulfillment does not come from the external. Each of us has a void that can only be filled by the Love of Our Heavenly Father. As we move into the fullness of that Love, our desire for “our neighbor’s” possessions will cease.
The last three commandments dealing with stealing, lying, and coveting all focus on matching your Love with the external circumstances of life. Your covenant with Our Heavenly Father requires external resources to accomplish. Anytime you try to circumvent the plan by acquiring something in a lawless fashion, you defer the fullness of your calling. Your Love acts as a magnet to those things that are needed to fulfill your calling. You do not need to intervene as though Our Heavenly Father could not bring forth the provision. Does this mean you are to do nothing? No, you are to utilize what has been given you and purpose to be the best steward one can be. Excellence is a noble pursuit. Laziness is a regret. With your gifts and calling, you extend creation. You become part of the solution to life, not the problem. You are a creator just as Our Heavenly Father is THE Creator.
There is nothing greater than being a child of Our Heavenly Father. You are to be one with your purpose, your calling. That is the ultimate fulfillment of as you go through this life. What your neighbor has should not be of any consequence. As you fulfill your calling, you take part in the expansion of creation. What could be a greater assignment? You must not let external motivations deprive you of this joy and fulfillment. Quit looking at your neighbor with longing eyes.
External motivations take your focus away from the internal, where the real action is. Don’t you think when your time has come that Our Heavenly Father will find you with all the needed resources to fulfill HIS Plan? You need to have faith in HIM and be dedicated to your calling. “I’m not important!” should not be the cry of one who is connected to their calling. Every person is important to the mosaic Our Heavenly Father is creating. Jesus said the widow’s mite was a greater sacrifice than the riches of others. The little children were called “great” in the Kingdom. Each of us is important to Our Heavenly Father’s plan. You don’t need your neighbor’s “stuff”.
Our goal should be to produce a harvest of fruit from our own calling, not someone else’s. That would be a counterfeit. We should embrace the process of maturing into our calling as much as the end result. Success of completing each test along the way into the fullness of your calling provides immense satisfaction and joy. Embracing each new revelation enhances the excitement of knowing you are right where Our Heavenly Father wants you. You must come to appreciate the process of growth and training. We are all in different facets of development. There is no need to compare ourselves with others. Your focus should be on living with purpose and that purpose should be your calling. Whether it is the first step or the final step into the fullness, embrace each step and focus your gaze on Our Heavenly Father. This focus will assure you that you “shall not covet”.