The Notion of Coveting Happiness
Thou shalt not murder.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Just a few of those renowned ‘Ten Commandments’ that God has given us. Care for another? How ’bout “Thou shalt not covet”? Remember that one? Although the sin of coveting ranks right up there with the likes of murder, this command is often overlooked, and underrated. But why?!? After all, it’s just as much a directive from God, and nothing less. I wonder . . . Is it because actions such as murder and theft seem more harmful toward others that they merit a higher regard with people? Or is it because certain sins are carried out in a more physical sense that we give ‘coveting’ less credence? I don’t know.
No matter, we’ve gotta trust that God has His reasons to invoke such a command, and we’ve gotta take that to heart. Now I understand how we may instinctively ask ourselves what God’s reasons may be, but in asking, we really need to check our motives as well. For if we simply yearn to know things in order to know God better, then our wonderment is admirable. But if we feel the need to know in order to weigh and validate The Lord’s actions for ourselves, then shame on us! For in doing such a thing, we’re actually attempting to belittle God by somehow making Him accountable to all of us ~ and subsequently, submissive to our whims as well.
Course, this isn’t much different from what we do as we covet. Appraising God’s actions, instead of praising God for His actions. ( Anyone use that one before, or can I claim it? 🙂
In short, this is the very basis of coveting: saying in our hearts and minds “to hell with God’s will for my life. I’ve got my own wants, which are more important.” Granted, we may not actually say this aloud, and the notion may occur almost subliminally, but the sentiment abides. Neglecting whatever The Lord deems best for our lives, in exchange for whatever it is we covet, even our own happiness.
Ummm, what’s that, you say?!? Coveting happiness?!? Is that even a thing? Pretty sure it’s gotta be. I’m devoting an entire chapter to it here. I realize that as we refer to coveting, (if at all), it’s usually in regards to a more tangible object ~ like a car or a pretty girl or a pretty car. Still, happiness itself is indeed a noun, and can therefore be desired just as much as anything. ‘Course, some people just figure it’s what we naturally deserve, but those individuals must be confusing happiness with Hell. For it’s Hell that we truly deserve! {Talk about maintaining the proper perspective, eh?} Good thing God is big on grace, eh?
But what about ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’?” one might ask. “It’s one of our inalienable rights, yes?” Well, I know people embrace this sentiment, and quote it like it’s gospel, but it ain’t. It’s not like any of us are entitled, or as though The Lord owes us anything. It’s actually the other way around, of course. At the risk of stating obvious, we owe God our everything.
Nevertheless, I’d dare to say that most people prize it as their unwritten purpose in this world ~ happiness, i.e. making a happy life for themselves. Makes sense to me. I mean, who in their right mind is out there striving for a shitty life, right?!? So what’s so wrong with wanting to be happy?!? In a word? Nothing. Absolutely nothing . . . provided it doesn’t conflict with God’s plan for our lives. I’m sure we all have our subliminal wish lists. Though even the notion of happiness itself can be an idol like anything else. . . if we let it become one. Such as when we make it the number one priority of our lives. Or when we covet happiness itself, even if God has other plans for us. (Notice use of the word “if”?) Dear reader, don’t get me wrong. God may very well have a happy life in the works for any one of us. But then, He may not. Or, it may well be some combination therein. Who knows?
If we look to the lives of those most devoted to God, we find real insight. As some bring to light perfect examples of what “joy” entails versus “happiness”. Most would say that joy is a deeper, more meaningful ideal, whereas temporal happiness is a bit more shallow, {for lack of a better term}. Perhaps. The point, I’d say, is to have true faith in God, and strive for a genuine contentment in whatever He brings our way. After all, it’s The Almighty that discerns what our fate calls for, and acts as our spiritual compass to whatever direction our lives should take. Therefore ~
As Christians, happiness itself should only be the icing that we hope for on the cake of our lives. . . IF The Lord be willing.
Unfortunately, most of us feel as though there’s something wrong or amiss if we’re not happy, and consequently look to take whatever steps are required in order to remedy the circumstance. At times, we may even use this excuse as a would-be pardon to nullify obedience. As in: “I know God would probably want me to [fill in the blank here], but I wouldn’t be happy doing that.” However, the infringement on one’s happiness hardly serves as a valid override to trump God’s will. We will be addressing this further. Meanwhile, I offer the following for your consideration :
We claim to be men and women of faith, right? And it’s God alone that we claim to put our faith in. Amen? Because if such is the case, then serving The Lord should not only be the centerpiece of our existence, but our primary purpose in living, yes?? Primary. I opted for this word, though one could sub in various words that would all hold true. For example? Try these on for size: The Lord is our main reason for living/ our sole reason for living/ our Utmost reason for living/ our ultimate reason for living. . . {see what I mean?} Actually, ultimate works pretty well as well. And solitary could work, though it could also spark a debate as to whether we’re living for other reason(s) other than serving God Almighty. ( And I sure don’t wanna fight 🙂 Tell ya what~ I’ll simply ask a few questions that we should always challenge ourselves with:
Do we truly take The Lord at His Word? That is, when He says something, do we actually believe Him, without hesitation?
Can we be deliberately faithful in our obedience?
And is our faith genuine? Or are we genuinely full of crap?
Dear reader ~ These inquiries are more than vital.
You know~ we Christians have a terrible tendency of taking God’s directives as mere suggestions for our consideration, {just awaiting our potential stamp of approval}. Yet, in doing so, we often fall into an incredible trap. It’s a matter of somewhat subliminally placing ourselves on some level of equality, or even supremacy, to God Himself. We somehow start believing that we have some sort of right to filter His will through whatever we think and feel, in order to then veto or accept it. However, this ill- conceived system of checks and balances between The Almighty and ourselves falls far from reality. After all, the relationship we share with God is hardly some marriage of convenience, where some hazy understanding of give- and- take is assumed to exist. Nor is our connection with Him some version of Christianity Lite, where we have an arrangement that isn’t too terribly demanding upon, or compromising of, our earthly lives. Though most of us have drawn invisible lines to mark just how much of our “lives” we’re willing to infringe upon. You know ~ before our faith starts becoming a real inconvenience to our happiness.
Twenty- five percent? . . . forty percent? . . . ninety percent?!? Zowie! What a strong Christian that would be. . . to “allow” God domain over ninety percent of one’s life! HA! I’m being facetious here, of course ~ Though our faulty human rationale would no doubt dictate that giving ninety percent of our everything to God would rate bomb- diggity on a disciples’ curve. {While all it truly equates is yet another example of our ‘falling short’.} Surely, The Good Lord is our friend and He is forever by our side, but He’s still our God and our King. And we’re supposed to be living to serve Him with all of our hearts. ALL of our hearts. (That’s 100%.) We should always place Him (and our devotion to Him) above everything else. . . including our own happiness, if that’s what it takes.
And as for the idea of “allowing” God to do anything whatsoever? Laughable. God may give us certain freedoms, but at the end of the day, The Lord rightfully does as He pleases. His Will be done. Dear reader, can I get an ‘amen’ here?
Ah~
The futile attempts to dismiss God from His sovereign throne! What knuckleheads we can be! It’s almost comical. Yet, the truth endures: Our Lord and King still does whatever He wishes, and rightfully so. He rules sovereign, you know. (I know I may have mentioned that before.) Therefore, if He ever does allow us to follow our own prerogatives (or natural inclinations), well then, that is just His deliberate will to allow it.
Note: I have a dachshund, {that’s right, a wiener-dog} named Tucker that I love very much. He’s a definite blessing to my life, though, at times, he also serves as a pain in the ass. Often times we’ll go for these evening walks and I’ve got him tethered to me via a long blue leash. Sometimes the walks are lengthy and other times they’re brisk, pending on time and whether it’s storming or something. ‘Course he likes staying out there indefinitely, cause he doesn’t know any better. Also, no matter which direction I’m leading him, whether to the doggy playground or a place where treats await, he can’t resist pulling against me. . . and often it’s to sniff some dog crap nearby. I do my best with him. I do. But alas, I’m only human. And sometimes I relent to his whims figuring, “Okay, doggo, if you really rather experience crap —– be my guest”. Surely, I could MAKE him go the direction of my choosing, but why force him to a better place, right? ( And don’t call me ~ 😉 Anyway, I know you get what I’m getting at, reader. You’re a smart one, and can pick up clues as well as I can. Good of God to bless me with a canine that provides such practical lessons, amen? Reflecting on Tuck’s behavior, it’s kinda funny how we sometimes start instinctively feeling like we’re the ones in charge. As though we’re really calling the shots. Quite often, as Jehovah gives us a foot worth of freedom, we attempt to take a mile or more, and without hesitation. There’s a certain sense of entitlement dwelling in our very nature. It’s the mistake of believing that we’re in charge. And that it’s been our right since we were conceived. Also, that we’re not only entitled, but somehow deserving of directing the course of our lives toward the possible destination of happiness. We instinctively feel as though any other goal is unacceptable; not to be compromised on. . . even at the somewhat strong suggestion of anyone else. Sorry. I know. Allow me to change ‘suggestion’ to ‘command’, plus capitalize that word Anyone. That’s better.
A trippy thing about the notion of coveting happiness (or should I say the sin of coveting happiness?) is that it first acts as a sin in and of itself, but then also as a ‘gateway’ sin of sorts leading to the coveting of anything that we attempt to make a priority over God. You know, like Razzles, where first it’s a candy, then it’s a gum. Only this is different, way different. Because Razzles is just a junk food. Sin isn’t. Have I lost you? Forgive me. I’m old. So you can Google Razzles already. Anyhoo, in Sunday School, we Christians used to list those potentially hazardous would-be idols with those shiny trinkets of material value. You know, sports cars and mansions, pricey toys, expensive wear, and money itself. Then, someone will chime in with “Work! What about work?!? That can be an idol too, can’t it?!? “Why, certainly!” others would respond, “And play?!? And television! Too much TV can be an idol!” Then, a plethora of individual pleasures are named until someone eventually gets to family and friends. . . { sigh} Seems like almost yesterday. I can almost smell the burnt church coffee with Cremora, but I digress~ What’s that? Now you’re Googling Cremora?? Try Coffee Mate, kids. Guess it’s something that could be coveted, though I don’t know why. It’s pretty crappy.
But ~ just about anything can be coveted and in turn, become an object of idolatry. . . yes, even one’s own happiness. Certainly, someone may be really into something without necessarily being materialistic about it, but in any given detail of one’s life, there’s actually a perfect amount of value, time, effort, and focus to be spent dwelling on said object. And it doesn’t really matter if we’re talking about college classes> or horse racing> or your Aunt Tilly whom you adore> or surfing> or your perfected recipe for beef stew> or magpies. . . if all of the elements aren’t of the proper proportions (or we’re even striving to prioritize anything more than we’re supposed to be), then that’s basically coveting and/or idolatry. I’ll reiterate, “Just about anything can be pursued or cherished/ desired more than it should be”. Even being focused on being super-“religious” can be an idol. Even simply desiring to be a great spiritual evangelist like Billy Graham can be a covetous pursuit if it goes against God’s ideal plan for you. Or how ’bout not being willing to accept one’s divine assignment?Well, that still smacks of wanting something other than what God has deemed rightful for you. Escapism can equate coveting as well, whether it be in a physical sense or purely mental. Yet if we’re truly willing to take the cup that YAHWEH has reserved for us, He certainly knows our hearts. So, what is it that each of a desires, and pursues in order to be contented? Is it a stress ~free existence? Is it true romance? Merely some tasty tortellini or a frozen burrito? Name the object of your desire. And as I mentioned earlier, there’s nothing wrong with wishing for any of these, provided they’re in The Lord’s Perfect Plan for our lives. Now, the only “Noun” that we can never invest too much in/ the Only One that can we can never make an idol of ???
Why, God, of course. {Those Capitals that I was utilizing shoulda given it away.} Granted, some may get overly “religious”, or possibly even too “into church” per se’. But we can never invest too much focus on The Almighty or prioritize Him too highly. For how exactly would we put God in the Number One position over God Himself?!? That’s a ridiculous concept. Downright preposterous. What’s more, God Is genuinely The Only One to say what value each person, place, or thing should have in our lives, and that can direct us in the exact actions that we should be fulfilling. So being invested in The Lord to any measure can never be excessive, but only ever be a good and productive thing. Can I get an ‘Amen’?!?
At this moment, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit in unison are providing and promoting whatever it is we need as an antidote to our own cluelessness. And thankfully, all it takes at times is a deep breath, and a prayer for wisdom and discernment to bring us back to that spiritual sobriety. ‘Course, sometimes we have to get roughed up a little to be taught a lesson first, but that’s alright. So be it! We should welcome the discipline when it’s called for, yes? { Say Yes! } Verily, our better- selves should hope and pray for His involvement, no matter how taxing it may be. Divine intervention may not always be pleasant, but it’s always a blessing regardless. After all, with The Lord involved, how could it be anything less?
Now obviously, asking The Lord for guidance in the first place is going to be a way way better plan than any other we could come up with. Though I also understand what it is to want something so desperately, our coveting may just lead us to do it, hoping that God will let it slide. But what if God does allow us to do something without interfering? Does that necessarily insure that we have His blessing in the matter? Or that we’re even guaranteed the happiness that we believe our motions will bring? Or is it simply that God is allowing us to take the longer (possibly rougher) path to a valuable lesson or ??? Or what if we don’t actually do anything in the physical sense, but still harbor some bitter rift with The Lord due to our insatiable coveting of something God is withholding? That’s no good either. And what if following our own natural, earthly desires bring forth a happier life than we could’ve ever imagined. . . but we’ve failed to fulfill our commitment to God? Worth it? Nnnope! Simply put, its never okay to covet, or to second~ guess God. Which, if you think about it, are somewhat synonymous.
But why should any of us even have to ‘think’ about any of this really?!? As we’ve stated before, God has already provided the simplest of directions:
“THOU SHALL NOT COVET”
Seems to me that simply taking God at His Word is just great policy. Smart. Simple. All of us have probably heard that saying ‘God has a plan’. So I ask you, is this merely a catchy saying around church crowds? Or do we actually believe in it? I pray it’s the latter.
Some may try to argue the statement entirely, believing that God is strictly observing life on Earth from His throne. They enjoy pushing the narrative that He rarely gets involved, and that He only wants all of us to be happy all the time. But that’s called wishful thinking, dear reader, and it’s a mistake. Anyone who cares enough to read God’s Word will find truth. No doubt, Heaven will be amazing, and we’re more than blessed with that assurance. Yet in the meantime, we’ve each got a life to live here. Whether it’s a basically “happy”~ go~ lucky life is strictly up to God. But I promise you, dear reader~ Our God is more involved in the lives of His loved ones than most of us will ever realize. And He’s got our best interest at heart. Obviously, we should embrace this, and do our best to do right by Him on the daily.
Now, some may contend that a person succumbing or catering to God’s Will deems a loss to one’s own nature. . . which [in a way] may very well be true. But so what?!? Or shall I again say, “So be it!” ?As Christians, we’ve already made that purposeful choice for ourselves, haven’t we? . . to follow God, and to trust in Him whole~ heartedly. . . knowing full well that our natural inclinations are often faulty and lacking. Whereas, The Lord’s wisdom rules. ( Am I repeating myself again? Not sorry 🙂 )
We’ve already wisely chosen to trade- in that second- rate version of ourselves for that better version that The Lord is forever re- creating. Therefore, we’re not actually depriving ourselves of anything, but rather catering to our better selves.
So why waffle? Why backslide? Why settle for less than whatever existence, whatever life God has for us? These questions are all less than rhetorical, not even worthy of pondering.