Naughty by Nature: Covetousness
Wednesday, June 1st 2011 @ 2:06 PM 
(2 ratings)
I was listening to a broadcast on the radio this morning, and a major component of what was being discussed was “covetousness”. There was a thought that stuck out to me. The point that was being made was that out of all the 10 Commandments, covetousness touches every other commandment. A major issue within the human condition is the desire for things we cannot, do not or should not have. Paul understood this in Romans 7 where he illustrates a picture of him coveting in every way possible. As a matter of fact, it is our nature to covet. It’s been the problem with humanity since the fall of Adam and Eve. They wanted what was not theirs to possess.
I’ll be honest, I was completely thrown by the series of thoughts I had after listening to this. My mind, eventually, went to the story of Saul and David. I quickly saw in myself, the potential to be just like Saul. Saul was used of God mightily. He was the first king of Israel and was a victorious one at that. However, somewhere along the line, he, as my mom would say, started smelling himself. He’d convinced himself that he was more than he actually was and laid aside the fact that he only did as he was empowered to do by God. Through a series of terrible choices, which led to a horrid rebellion, the Spirit of God left him and was given to David, a ruddy, meager shepherd boy who was the youngest in his home, which was a position of dishonor in regards to his brothers. He was the least of his own home.
Saul eventually becomes the very personification of covetousness with David. The songs were sung that Saul has slain his 1,000, but David, 10,000. David has the Spirit of the Lord and the Lord’s favor, and it eventually drives Saul to madness. Without humility and remembrance of who he is in relation to who God is, Saul falls prey to the natural consequences of covetousness: jealousy, rage and desperation.
I could relate to Saul in so many ways. I’ve been used of God to deliver messages through various performing arts and through preaching/teaching. However, when you feel left alone and you see other people moving in God, it can be a traumatic experience, if you let it. Walking down this path can lead you to make foolish, impetuous and ill-advised choices. In considering this, I began to become fearful, feeling as if I would have no recourse in a situation like this to be like Saul.
However, as the Spirit brought understanding and reason to my thinking, I realized that Saul had a choice. He even had Samuel warning him, yet he chose not to serve God with his life. It was because he distanced himself from the Lord in the first place that he became lost to himself. I then thought about who I’d most like to emulate in this story. I came to the conclusion that I’d want to be like Jonathan, Saul’s son and David’s best friend. He honored his father, but not at the expense of David. He loved David and helped him in every way he could. He was not the primary focus of the story of Saul and David, but he was committed to service and humility. He loved David, even though his father was obsessed with David and neglected him and his sisters.
So, I admonish you to serve and not think highly of yourself. Take heed to this story, and be careful to choose to be like Jonathan. Serve and love. Don’t envy position and opportunity. Just serve and love. Jonathan didn’t live to see the fruits of his faithfulness, but his son, Mephibosheth received the king’s favor throughout the rest of his life because of the faithfulness of Jonathan. Serve and love and you, as well as your children will see the favor of the Lord.
