That was the title of today’s sermon at Lebanon PCA. The sermon text was Exodus 20:17, “You shalt not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” Our pastor has reminded us each Sunday that every commandment forbids something and at the same time, it commands the corresponding opposite. Coveting what your neighbor has is the obvious thing forbidden, and that which it commands, in a word, is contentment. Contentment is the opposite of covetousness. There are so many areas of my life where I need to learn contentment. I need to be content with where God has me right now. We live in a culture that doesn’t like contentment. It seems like someone is always trying to sell us something we don’t need while making us think we do. People are so busy these days; they are always going somewhere. People are always shopping for the next thing they suppose will make them happy. The Bible teaches, not just in Exodus, to be content in all circumstances, and the reason it teaches that is because God wrote it and He has each one of us right where He wants us. It’s as if He were saying, “trust me, I know what’s best for you.” And He does know what’s best for all of us; our duty is to read His word, study it and seek to be changed by it. Contentment is learned by resting in Christ. Christ has given us all things in himself. He is sufficient.
My Father owns cattle on a thousand hills, and I’m glad He lets me take care of a few of them.
You can listen to the sermon mentioned in the post here