Finding True Contentment: Overcoming Covetousness Through Faith

Devotional

Day 1: Covetousness as Idolatry

Covetousness is more than just a desire for material things; it is a deep-seated longing that competes with our contentment in God. This form of idolatry places other desires above our devotion to God, violating both the first and last commandments. The first commandment warns against having other gods before the true God, while the last commandment cautions against coveting, which is essentially the same as idolatry. When we allow our desires to replace God as the source of our satisfaction, we are engaging in a form of spiritual adultery. To combat this, we must recognize covetousness for what it is and strive to place God at the center of our desires. [04:33]

Colossians 3:5 (ESV): "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."

Reflection: Identify a desire in your life that competes with your devotion to God. How can you begin to shift your focus back to Him today?

Day 2: True Contentment in God

True contentment is found in God alone, not in material possessions or circumstances. The Apostle Paul exemplifies this by learning to be content in all situations, whether in abundance or need, through the strength of Christ. This contentment is rooted in the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and the assurance that God will supply every need according to His riches. By anchoring our satisfaction in God and His promises, we find a peace that transcends our circumstances. [07:58]

1 Timothy 6:6-8 (ESV): "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you seeking contentment outside of God? How can you practice finding satisfaction in Him alone today?

Day 3: Treasuring Christ Above All

The surpassing worth of knowing Christ is the key to overcoming covetousness. When we treasure Christ above all else, the loss of material things becomes insignificant, and our satisfaction is anchored in Him. This involves a shift in perspective, where the gain of knowing Christ outweighs any earthly loss. By valuing Christ above all, we sever the roots of covetousness and find true freedom and peace. [09:12]

Matthew 13:44 (ESV): "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Reflection: What is one material possession or desire you need to let go of to treasure Christ more fully? How can you take a step towards doing that today?

Day 4: Trusting in God's Provision

God's promise to supply every need according to His riches assures us that we can trust Him to provide what is necessary to do His will and glorify Him. This trust is the foundation of our contentment and freedom from covetousness. When we rely on God's provision, we are freed from the anxiety of wanting more and can focus on living a life that honors Him. [09:57]

Psalm 37:25 (ESV): "I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread."

Reflection: What is one need you are anxious about today? How can you trust God to provide for this need and focus on His faithfulness?

Day 5: Assurance of God's Presence

The assurance that God will never leave us nor forsake us is the ground of our contentment. This promise enables us to confidently face any loss, knowing that nothing can separate us from God's love and provision. By anchoring our lives in this assurance, we find the strength to overcome covetousness and live in the freedom of God's presence. [12:11]

Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV): "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we can confidently say, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'"

Reflection: How does the assurance of God's presence change your perspective on your current struggles? What step can you take today to rest in His promise that He will never leave you?

Sermon Summary

In this session, we delve into the profound relationship between faith and the battle against covetousness. Covetousness, as defined here, is the desire for something so intensely that it disrupts our contentment in God. This is not merely about wanting things; it's about allowing those desires to replace God as the source of our satisfaction and contentment. The root of covetousness is a form of idolatry, as it places other desires above our devotion to God, violating both the first and the last of the Ten Commandments. The first commandment warns against having other gods before the true God, while the last commandment cautions against coveting, which is essentially the same as idolatry.

To combat covetousness, we must cultivate a deep contentment in God, which is achieved through faith in His promises. The Apostle Paul provides a model for this contentment, having learned to be satisfied in all circumstances, whether in abundance or in need. This contentment is rooted in the surpassing worth of knowing Christ and the assurance that God will supply every need according to His riches. True contentment does not depend on material possessions or circumstances but on the unshakeable promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us.

The key to overcoming covetousness lies in treasuring Christ above all else and trusting in God's provision. This involves a shift in perspective, where the loss of material things is seen as insignificant compared to the gain of knowing Christ. By anchoring our satisfaction in God and His promises, we sever the roots of covetousness and find true freedom and peace. This is the essence of living a life of faith, where our desires align with God's will, and our contentment is found in Him alone.

Key Takeaways

1. Covetousness is not just about wanting things; it is a deep-seated desire that competes with our contentment in God. It is a form of idolatry, as it places other desires above our devotion to God, violating both the first and last commandments. [04:33]
2. True contentment is found in God alone, not in material possessions or circumstances. The Apostle Paul exemplifies this by learning to be content in all situations, whether in abundance or need, through the strength of Christ. [07:58]
3. The surpassing worth of knowing Christ is the key to overcoming covetousness. When we treasure Christ above all else, the loss of material things becomes insignificant, and our satisfaction is anchored in Him. [09:12]
4. God's promise to supply every need according to His riches assures us that we can trust Him to provide what is necessary to do His will and glorify Him. This trust is the foundation of our contentment and freedom from covetousness. [09:57]
5. The assurance that God will never leave us nor forsake us is the ground of our contentment. This promise enables us to confidently face any loss, knowing that nothing can separate us from God's love and provision. [12:11]
** [12:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - Introduction to Battling Unbelief
[00:48] - The Danger of Covetousness
[01:38] - Defining Covetousness
[02:40] - Contentment in God
[03:30] - The Ten Commandments Connection
[05:13] - Covetousness as Idolatry
[06:11] - Conquering Covetousness
[06:39] - Paul's Secret of Contentment
[08:15] - Christ's Strength in Contentment
[08:36] - Treasuring Christ Above All
[09:31] - God's Promise to Supply Our Needs
[10:35] - Redefining Our Needs
[11:24] - Freedom from the Love of Money
[12:11] - Assurance of God's Presence
[13:12] - Faith in God's Promises

Sermon Clips

Covetousness is desiring something so much that we lose our contentment in God. It's not wrong to desire something as long as it's not competing with our deep contentment in God but rather serving our contentment in God. Covetousness is our losing contentment in God so that we start to replace God with something else in our desires and contentment. [00:02:40]

The first commandment: you shall have no other gods before me. If you do that, what's it called? Idolatry, right? So don't have any other gods before me, and I could easily add before me in what sense? In your desires, in your allegiance, in your affections, what you're satisfied by. [00:03:30]

Covetousness is a failure to obey the first commandment, not just the last commandment. I think the first and last commandment are the same commandment stated in two different ways. Don't have any other gods that compete with me in your affections. Don't covet means don't have any other gods that compete with me in your affections. [00:04:38]

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. Now there it is, I am free from covetousness. I am content. I'm not after your money. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. I can abound without losing my contentment in God, and I can be at a loss without losing my contentment in God. [00:06:39]

I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger. Lots of people who get rich lose their contentment in God and shift their contentment onto their plenty, and lots of people who go hungry lose their contentment in God and start blaming him for not feeding them. I have learned how to have abundance and need without losing my contentment. [00:07:31]

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. So I already have decided everything that I might lose is already loss in comparison with knowing Jesus. That's how much Christ is worth, and we need to get our hearts into a frame which treasures Jesus this much. [00:08:36]

For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things, count them as rubbish even in order that I might gain Christ. So that's the first answer: Christ Himself, knowing Christ himself, is more precious than keeping anything. [00:09:31]

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory. He's a very rich God. He's never at a loss to meet the needs of his children in Christ Jesus. What is a need? Not every want, not every desire, but every need. What is a need? I would say a need is whatever you have to have in order to do God's will and to glorify God. [00:09:57]

Keep your life free from the love of money or you might say covetousness. Keep your life free from coveting and be content. There it is. Oh, how sweet it is when we're not craving money or fame, praise of man, but especially money in this case. Keep your life free from the love of money, be content with what you have. [00:11:24]

He has said, I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. Therefore, we can confidently say the Lord is my helper. I will not fear. I will not fear any loss of money. What can man do to me? And of course, the answer is they can kill you, they can take away your house, they can kill your children. [00:12:11]

Man can't do anything that God doesn't permit them to do, and he will meet every need that you have no matter what they do. Saying what can man do to me? Nothing that God doesn't permit them to do for my good, and he'll never leave me, he'll never forsake me. Those two things are the ground of contentment. [00:12:31]

We kill the sin of covetousness by believing God's promises. This is a matter of faith in God's promises that God will provide whatever we need to do his will and to give Him glory. We kill the sin of covetousness, we overcome it, we sever its roots by being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us through Jesus Christ. [00:13:12]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?