My son taught me another lesson (sometimes I wonder who the real teacher is). It goes something like this…
Once upon a time (today actually) a woman (my wife) took her son (my youngest) to the store (WalMart) to buy various goods (toys). At the store the boy fell in love with a shiny new object of affection (a foil-wrapped package of Star Wars trading cards). But the cost was $4 whereas the boy only had one. Feeling compassion for the boy’s dilemma (frustration over his fussing, actually), she made up the difference and helped him purchase the object(s) of his desire.
All day long the boy carried the object(s) around with him, examining them, studying them, showing them off, and generally enjoying them. Until his chief rival (his best friend next door actually) showed off his own new toy (a plastic trinket worth about 25 cents).
Somehow the first boy with the shiny object of his affection became jealous of the second boy’s new toy. In his lust for his friend’s new toy the first boy offered a trade (the $4 cards for the $.25 toy, straight-up and much to my chagrin).
And now the first boy must live with the consequences of his jealously—he traded something of great value (for a four-year-old) to something of little value. And he doesn’t even know what he’s missing. What a shame!
Exodus 20:17 says, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
So here’s the lesson…, or at least the question: How many good things do we miss out on because we are coveting after, lusting after, and being jealous of that which someone else has? It doesn’t really matter what the Joneses have, what matters is a heart of contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
