A Covetous Man- Tuesdays with Timothy #29

1 Timothy 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous

We live in a surreal time. A time when the smartest people in the world are the people who claim they don’t have the answers, but just more questions. A time when access to information is easier to get and more readily available than any time in history, but people are more ignorant and uniformed. A time when there are more Bibles in the English speaking world than ever before, but people are more spiritually ignorant than any other time. This is an age where individuals simultaneously decry the rampant consumerism of America while whining because we don’t have enough, or someone else has something that we don’t, and that just isn't fair.  Watch the presidential debates and it is easy to see we are a covetous people.

Covetousness is a very dangerous and sneaky sin and perhaps no other people in the history of the world have the temptation to this sin as we do in today in our land.  We voluntarily turn on screens in our homes and watch things designed by teams of people who went to college to train in the arts of tempting you to covetousness. Buy! Buy! Buy! You must have this, you can’t live without that; commercials on TV and radio; driving down the road seeing billboards, you can’t be happy unless you have what everyone else already bought. Happiness can only be achieved with the possession of more things—at least that is what they tell us. We have to be on guard against this because covetousness is a very dangerous sin; it rebels against the goodness of our God.

The man of God must not be a man given over to covetousness. The commandment (Exodus 20:17) tells us that it includes houses, women, servants, and possessions. It is to long for, desire, or crave anything that belongs to someone else. Covetousness is antagonistic to contentment because it looks at your neighbors, looks at others and desires what they have and leads the heart to an ungrateful attitude for what God has given you. The more you think about it, you see that it is a “sneaky sin” that can go unspotted, especially for a preacher, which is why Paul lists it among the area's of a pastor's character.

What is the preacher’s danger? The bigger house, the neighbor’s wife, the nicer car. But it also includes coveting wickedly over God’s heritage. Desiring our neighbor’s bigger congregation, or the nicer pulpit, the better outlines, or the top spots at Bible conferences. Men can covet their neighbors “Amens” and accolades for our peers. Everyone wants to be Elijah on Mount Carmel, but no one wants to eat raven leftovers by a creek.

Covetousness is purely a heart issue (Mark 7:21-22). When it works itself out, it will show up in a whole host of different ways. Whether adultery, idolatry, murder, theft, they all start with desiring something that doesn’t belong to you and that desire leads to wicked means of obtaining it.  For a preacher, you have the added temptations of gaining that bigger building or getting that bigger crowd. You know what phrase to throw out to get the big Amen’s. You know where to scratch the itch of your biggest givers. Every pastor must face these temptations anyway, but a covetous man will lead a congregation with him, or leave them behind for what his heart desires. Or, it will leave a man in such sin, that he destroys his ministry.

But, it is not sinful to desire to obtain something. Let's not have a false piety. Paul said it is good to desire the work of the pastorate (1 Timothy 3:1) and it is good to desire spiritual gifts (Corinthians 12:31). It isn’t sinful to desire God to bless your church or bless your preaching.  It isn't a sin to desire to serve the Lord is a greater way. Who in their right mind would not want to glorify God better today than they did yesterday? Who wouldn’t want to provide well for their family or increase and grow? It is not sinful to be industrious and strive to do better. It is desiring things that belong to others that God has not given you that is the problem. The commandment was not to covet they neighbors possessions.

The pastor cannot be a covetous man because he cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13) since the desires for other things will conflict with his desire for the glory of God. 

The pastor cannot be a covetous man because God hates it Psalm 10:3  For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. Why would God hate this sin, so much? Covetousness is an attack on the character of God.  It attacks God’s goodness to you for not giving in to all your wants.  It attacks God’s wisdom for you since you believe you need more than you have.  It attacks God’s justice towards man, saying that God isn’t fair by giving more to others than ourselves.  It attacks God’s fidelity to his promises that He will provide our needs. Covetousness is a wicked sin that must be put to death (Colossians 3:5).

The pastor cannot be given to covetousness because he will fear man rather than God. Hebrews 13:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. God has promised to provide what we need and commanded us to be content with what He has given us. Put our trust in the Lord and don't fear man.

Be content with what God has given you.  Look on your neighbor’s possessions with joy and gladness for them.  Thank the Lord for them, but don’t covet what they have. The earth is the Lord’s and fullness thereof.  Everything belongs to God in the end; He has allowed us to be stewards of a small portion for a short time.  Be content with what He has given you, and work hard in the job that God has given you, strive to improve and do the best you can and then enjoy everything God has given you for His glory.