I became interested in the word "covetousness" and looked this up in dictionary and saw a revealing definition showing that which causes covetousness:
"covetousness: eager or excessive desire, especially for wealth or possessions. Social media so often encourages us to compare ourselves to others, inspiring covetousness and insecurity."
And I recalled the following scripture:
II Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
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Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation (manner of life) be without covetousness;
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After God put me on radio in 1980, a woman at our church group said to me, "I want to be like you. I want to do what you do".
I was surprised and responded, "You do?" (I just couldn't imagine anyone wanting to do that which God had me doing.)
Later another woman in church said to me, "I don't see how I can compete with you who have been taken into heaven twice."
In the body of Christ, we should not be trying to "compete" with other persons but rather we should follow those scriptures brought to our attention by God and allow God to form us as HE wills in the body of Christ.
We are recreated over and over by examining those scriptures given us by God and by following HIM through doing those scriptures, thus being continually formed by God into the image of Christ.
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Young people in school often want to be like other people or have that which other people have.
I do see this as "unwise", as the apostle Paul said to us.
But until now, I had not seen it as the root of "covetousness".
Covetousness is one of the serious sins of the flesh.
I Corinthians 5:11;13 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat... put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
I Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
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Our goal should be to follow God as HE works through our life and therefore be recreated by God in HIS image, doing what HE tells us to do, being satisfied in the way HE recreates us.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure.
I Corinthians 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
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Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation (manner of life) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for HE hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Let us do that which God has enabled us to do, always knowing it is God who made it possible for us to do that which we do.
Each of us are totally unique when we follow God and indispensable as an integral part of the body of Christ working as a specific part in the body as created by God.
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